Which are better: cycling bib shorts or cycling waist shorts?

Most cyclists opt for bib shorts, but what do waist shorts have to offer? We delve into the pros and cons of each of these styles

cycling bib shorts vs waist shorts
(Image credit: Getty Images/Johner RF)

Decent padded cycling shorts - bib shorts or waist shorts - are an essential for comfortable miles on the saddle.

It is important for cycling shorts to hug your body and keep the chamois pad perfectly in place while you ride. This is necessary to prevent chafing and saddle sores - the uncomfortable by-products of cycling that can utterly ruin your riding experience.

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Anna Marie Abram
Fitness Features Editor

I’ve been hooked on bikes ever since the age of 12 and my first lap of the Hillingdon Cycle Circuit in the bright yellow kit of the Hillingdon Slipstreamers. For a time, my cycling life centred around racing road and track. 


But that’s since broadened to include multiday two-wheeled, one-sleeping-bag adventures over whatever terrain I happen to meet - with a two-week bikepacking trip from Budapest into the mountains of Slovakia being just the latest.


I still enjoy lining up on a start line, though, racing the British Gravel Championships and finding myself on the podium at the enduro-style gravel event, Gritfest in 2022.


Height: 177cm

Weight: 60–63kg