Underwear. What style????
 

Dear All, I'm not some kind of pervert (although some might disagree)but I had a thought the other day, what type of underwear do you use when doing a long journey? Had a good search of the site but everything seems to cover outer clothing.

1) Loose boxers
2) Tight boxers - jockey style
3) Briefs
4) 'Y' fronts
5) Commando!!!

Thanks
H
(This is a serious question so please no silly answers)

Not loose nor tight - you want them to stay on the skin not move around nor reduce teh circulation.

Bicycle pants are resonable.

personally i find that cotton briefs are the best. They last the longest and provide good suport for "the boys" Frank, i found that cycle-pants have all the padding in the wrong places. Bicycle seats are usually odd-shaped wedgie-devices not at all designed for sitting on because your legs are always pumping and you have minimal weight on the seat (i left a pair in some hotel in Mexico, they were useless!)
IMHO!!
Good luck! http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif

No to Loose Boxers. They tend to move around, very distracting…
Maybe to Tight boxer …as long as they have soft seams or no seams at all.
Yes to Briefs. They fold up small and are very comfortable.
No to Y-Fronts. The 21st Century forbids it. (Enfield riders excepted of course)
Commando. I shudder
Avoid frilly stuff. Your wife’s chest of drawers should be avoided. Silk stockings/pantyhose are however remarkably warm and reduces friction between your skin and trousers.
Cotton LongJohns are best avoided. They don’t wick and they sag, stretch and collect at the knees.

Avoid cotton, I would say. When you need to wash them, drying time is way too long.

Also check where the seams are, you do not want to have rash in places where the skin is very thin (i.e. around groin).

I prefer half-way down of the tight length, and almost any non-cotton material. If they are not too expensive, you can throw them away if needed!

Thick cotton (for the swet) boxsers (for comfort) not too loos. With padded front. Broad flat not so tight rubber.

Dear Lucky Striker,
Ys are far too nouveau velo to be worn on an Enfield. I find a pair of plain white boxers from Marks and Spencers keeps the duck cotton off my proud british buttocks admirably. Heres a tip. Buy them a little loose so you can tuck your string vest into 'em.

matt

350 RE Bullet
'93 Citroen AX, cup holders, extra spare wheel in boot...

In my travels through the universe I find the Y front serves two primary purposes. Being white they allow me to inspect my skiddies for any signs of the onset of viral dystentry, yet the layer on layer front also double as a neato spot to hold a handy condom. I was a scout once and like to be prepared for the inevitable.

Nice tight acrylic leopard skin numbers

Errr... "nice"??

not really sure if it fits here, but roughly on topic!

you may be surprised at how warm a pair of tights can keep you if worn as underwear.

however, can cause acute p*ss taking by the nurses in hospital that cut them off you if you bin it. (not me, my brother in law....)

dan

The original post above referred to a "long journey." For that (assuming multi-week at least, or longer) I prefer what we call boxer-briefs here in the US, sort of a hybrid between the two. IMHO, for this type of use a synthetic is preferred to cotton or cotton blends because, as already mentioned in a post above, many synthetics will dry overnight after being washed in a hotel room sink or even a stream (pity the poor fish!), whereas cotton won't. On long journeys where packing space is always scarce (at least when on a motorcycle), having to take only one or two sets of underwear is a definite plus.

I get mine from a company called R.U.Outside (ruoutside.com) here in the states - a bit pricey but of very high quality, comfortable, and they do dry overnight in most conditions.

Mike

Good thread! http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif

Bicycle shorts WITHOUT all the padding are my favourite by FAR. (hard to find but possible. Or just undo the stitching and remove all the padding.) No monkey-butt, no sweat, dry instantly, super comfy, and can even be worn by themselves if needed as shorts or swimsuit.

For off-road I wear padded boxers made by Six-apart - similar to bicycle shorts but mesh, and foam pads all over.

Susan rides exclusively in silk long johns, no matter what the temperature and swears by them.

When it's really cold I'll go for the silk longs or poly long johns.

Grant

In Canada I buy Denver Hays at Marks work warehouse. 79% polyester 21% spandex and available in both bicycle style or boxer short style.

Comfortable stretchy and flat seams.

www.marks.com

Lots of runners wear Lycra bicycle type shorts, which don't have the butt pad. Look at athletic supply stores.

So many replies! This subject must be dear to our....hearts.

The riders of one of our(Australian)adventure motor cycle magazines are keen on Dri-cool jocks.The blerb goes on to say they are made of'polyester elastane'similar to lyca. The magazine goes on to say'they are thin,light, and stay remarkable dry,with a 89%reduction in bum chafing.Have been trying to obtain a pair of these jocks for testing when the summer months set in.
While in this anatomical area, the same magazine goes on about the brillance of Preparation H a miracle healer and preventer of chafing.
Ben

I've had good luck with the Patagonia Brand Capilene briefs.Two pairs will see you thru a long journey with hand washing and air drying in the wet laundry mesh bag.The material dries quickly ,wicks sweat,stays comfortable,and most importantly can pick this week's winning Lottery numbers.

Tight boxers for me. Four used in strict rotation with the occasional wash inbetween. Seven weeks so far of my Baltic tour. One to go. Useful tip - keep your dirty underwear in your top box, so far that is the first place they chose to look at border crossings. So open the box and show them your underwear, they tend to stop looking at that point! A good way to raise a smile, even from the Russians!

Under Armour is great. the micro fiber ones, and you can buy it by clicking on Amazon.com to the left.

Don't forget the proper color in also important. I have found out black is the best color. They don't seem to need to be washed as often. You can key on smell as the indicator instead of discoloration

Thanks for that… The image of a Texan doubling over to smell his own crotch is guaranteed to keep me up all night!

forget about synthetics go for silk boxers or short johns. very light and wick away sweat, warm when its cool, no seams to cut in or rub, hand wash easily and dry very quickly. they are hard wearing and suitable for hot and cold weather. I got mine from Patra a uk based company can be found on the internet. I also have a few silk long sleeved t shirts from them and they are superb as base layer clothing when riding in almost all conditions. ps go for black and the short john pants sizes are large fitting so go down one size to what you normally order.

Some facts : no matter what the outside temp, it gets hot and sweaty 'down there'. So you need to consider the ff:
1. You need underwear that wicks away moisture- cotton wets easily, retains moisture and sags. Wet underwear leads to chafing which leads to PAIN.
2. You need underwear that is snug as loose stuff is conducive to chafing.
3. You need underwear that ' breathes'.
What I use is a bike liner underwear made of Coolmax or similar synthetic wicking material ( Patagonia's capilene is good but it doesn't come in a snug version). I buy mine from REI- it comes in white or black, is mid thigh length, snug with minimal seams, no pads, weighs nothing and dries overnight.
For extreme conditions you can buy a greaseless ointment made in a roll on by Spenco - apply to crotch area, inner thighs and inner butt cheeks, wherever skin rubs together.
Happy riding.

I agree with adventure, silk boxers are the only way to go. When I had cotton, they rode between my buttcheeks and nuts--very uncomfortable. I used to wear briefs, but they're too restrictive on your testes.

Silk is really comfortable, believe it or not, as long as you don't get the half-polyester ones. It's like a wearable orgasm. ^_^ Also makes you feel sexier too. XD

I don´t have the budget for silk.
Anyway I can say that happyness is a newly
washed underwear around mirror doing
clac-clac-clac as you drive.
Dries quite fast.

Matt

I ride a Norton Commando .
I smile when I ride http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

smiling because the norton is still running dodger?

only joking!!

put two pairs on and you will not have a butt like a chimp. it works on the same principle as hikers wearing two pairs of socks, one pair sticks to you, the other pair sticks to your clothes, and THEY rub together, leaving your skin alone.
it works best if you use the thinnest material, especially on a sportsbike where the old plums can get a bit of a pinch (the voice of experience)
cycling pants or silk boxers work very well.

------------------
dave

"one pair sticks to you" --Too much information there Dave !
Good idea though , maybe the answer is silk long johns and a pair of keggies worn over the top like superman .
Taking a quick pee could be a problem http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/redface.gif

BM Bax says it right. I vote for Patagonia Capiline. 2 pairs did me the Arctic circle to Tierra del Fuego and back to the USA. Easy to wash. You can wear them wet and body dry them. No chaffing. Cotton holds moisture and you get monkey butt. Go synthetic or die.
Bill.

Underwear should not have seams in the seating area. Should be close fitting to the skin. Made of wicking material to keep skin dry. Protect you from chafing. Should be easy wash and quick dry. Should not wear out. Maybe I shouldn't be the one to tell you butt there are Riding Shorts that do all that for the Long Distance Rider. Don't kick my butt for telling you about LDComfort Riding Shorts. I mean...You did ask!

------------------
Mario
LDComfort.com

I will recommend is the REI (www.rei.com) Ex Officio Boxer Briefs for the followiing reasons:
They offer moisture-wicking and quick-drying performance to keep you comfortable - you can wash them nightly
Anti-bacterial finish hampers odors -
The sales person mentioned that all they military guys going overseas get a few pairs of these for the Anti-Bacterial thing.
Keep in mind they are expensive, but you only need 3 pair for a world trip.

Big enough for meat and 2 veg.

------------------
TheBrightStuffDotCom

Why wear them at all except when its really cold? Just more clothes to wash.

Commando. Hands-down, the only way to go for me. Too damned hot on the road. The boys have to breathe. Then again, I'm riding an air-cooled Harley. I might feel differently on a liquid-cooled bike. I do wear underwear in the winter, though. When riding in the snowy months, I generally wear boxer-briefs and some North Face synthetic silk long underwear beneath my chaps.

I usually go commando anyway..... nice and breezy. ^^ But if I had to wear something, I'd wear the silk. You can get them at your local Wal-Mart for about $4.50 a pair. I know, kinda expensive compared to the packages of 3 pairs for about that price, but it's definitely worth it.

As long as it's brown...well, maybe black. Sorry.

------------------
"There's no justice, just us".
2004 650 KLR, Central America

Silk:

Cool when hot, warm when cool.
Wicks sweat.
Dries qucik when washed, or when sweaty.
Doesn't chaff.
Comfortable fabric.
Natural fiber (more resistant to bactaria).
Packs light.

Tight boxers:
Prevents chaffing
Prevents wedgies

Synthetics:

Some people claim that synthetics are a breading ground for germs and bactaria which can lead to both smell and skinreaction.

Personally I will most likely go for tight silk boxers.

My suggestion:
Buy one of each (loose boxer, tight boxer, briefs, etc, in silk, cotton and synthetics) and test them out before your trip. A good way to test them would be by riding a bicycle as you would both be building up sweat and chaffing.

Hey! Great thread!!!

Unpadded cycling shorts usually get my vote.

My wife and I are getting ready for a RTW starting in July 2006 from China to Mexico. I had the same concerns and after quite a bit of research I found LDComfort in Washington state in the US. If nothing else, pls visit their site and learn the truth about underwear. They seem to be the only ones who have carefully looked at this problem. We now have three sets each,
Jack

Note that LDComfort sponsor this forum too - so click on their logo at the top of the page, and let them know where you heard about them!

Grant

LD Comfort
 

Based on this thread and the advert I decided to try a pair of the LD Comfort underwear. A bit pricey but if they last a long time then it'll be worth it. I remember buying underwear about half way through a year long trip and having some real trouble finding something that fit, was comfortable and quick drying. No success until we got back up into Europe.

I went for a short ride on the weekend to try the underwear out and they were indeed very comfortable. Another bonus was that I hand washed them and hung them to dry on the shower rod overnight and they were bone dry in the morning. So I'm thinking of just keeping the one pair for riding only and then giving them a quick wash at night. Then have two or three pairs of quick drying underpants for off-bike activities.

Pants
 

Sad when you need to talk about pants but here is my 2 pence worth.
Disposable pants are the way to go, the nursing mother type (from Boots in the UK). They are made of a material like dish cloth, and easily dry overnight.. yes they are washable & they are really comfortable. On our last six week trip we used 4 pairs each.
The only issue is don't go to the disco & hope to pull. The result could be catastrophic!!
LOONAL

Not worth goin cheap on yur undies, I like the exofficio boxer briefs and its woth it for them and some good socks. It amazes me how people are willing to pay $40 for a shirt then don't want to spend the $20 for underwear and $6-9 for socks when they are more important for your comfort. Chaffing and wet clammy feet are no fun.

Lycra polyester blend
 

The above blend, I find quite comfortable. They keep "things" in place and the material doesn't chafe. You can find them in most bike shops. I prefer the ones without the padding, however some like the padded ones. They dry quickly too.

well i'm back from my travels and I ended up going for Burtons cotton boxers - the snug fitting ones. Only had one seam up the back never gave me any problems. The only thing I would like to change on them is the fold-over seam round the base of the leg.

I ended up taking 8 pairs with me and changing everyday, made life easy as I just had to remember to call into a laundrette on the same day every week. By the end of the trip one or two pairs were getting a little saggy and lost a bit of support but they did me prowd.

Thanks for the many replies

Harvey

Where can you get Dri-cool
 

The Dri-cool jocks are very good, you used to be able to get them from Kmart - Anyone know where you can get them now?

have to write this quick before my mrs sees and wonders what the hell website im on.....

you want definate 'cuppage', holding everything steady so you dont pinch a ball getting on and off. very painful. and no fly in the front for poking out of, bike trousers have very viscious zips.

hipsters from M&S are my weapon of choice, but not the grey ones they look horrible when things get a bit sweaty, black or navy only.
they wash real good with showergel in formule1 basins too so you only need take a few pairs

Come on, you don't expect anyone to believe you had a need for a condom, once you're intended victi..., err, I mean your date saw your skidded Y-fronts. This is a serious discussion you know. :rofl:

BTW, Aldi in the UK had a special on last week on 2-pc snowboarding underwear for under £10. Bought some a couple of days ago so may still have some stock left if you're quick.

what, no mention yet of g-bangers?!
just the ticket. no stitching / hems jammed between seat and ar5e.
try it, you'll like it.

Undies by Icebreaker: you can wear them for days, even shit in them, and they won't hold an odour...amazing!

i dont want to know how you know that

Black Silk Boxers - you wont even know your wearing them, really comfortable. Wash with your normal clothes, it takes some life out of them, my last purchases lasted about 6 months on the road.

for very long rides I got 'breifs 95% silk on line from patra reallyy good keep the 'lads' warm in winter wick away sweat.
boxers I have always found ride up & very uncomfey.
if any type of boxer the hipster style.

I must admit icebreakers have been the way to go for me. They are quick drying and take some time before they start to smell, although i haven't tried shitting in them yet. :)

The only negative is that they are quite expensive.

Tilley

While riding, I have always used Under Armour Heat Gear Compression top and bottom. Have been very satisfied with it.

Silk
 

Expensive but very comfy, lightweight wash and dry in minutes. 3 pairs in regulation black from Patra 25 quid.

Glad to see you took my advice :thumbup1:

I go to Wal-Mart and get the microfiber ones. I believe the name LIFE is on the package somewhere. I prefer the ones that have about a two inch inseam. No seams in the, uh, delicate areas.

Buffalo
 

The hiking and climbing sector have lots of new tech fabrics that wick, dry fast, have anti bacterial coatings and stay warm/cool features. If you are carrying limited stock of gear, they are worth investigating. Most are also very light and pack small(s)

Bdz

Isnt that exactly why they are called smalls lol