Bicycling is enjoyed by many and is a method of staying in shape and exploring the roads or back country trails. One certainty is that bicycling is not cheap. With the bicycles alone often costing $2,000 or more and the added expense of shoes, tools, helmets and clothing, the sport may be out of reach for those on a budget. One way to save money is by fashioning your own padded bicycle shorts. The chamois used in biking shorts is specialized to be antimicrobial and is often hard to locate except in the shorts themselves. The chamois protects the sensitive skin around the crotch and inner thigh. Antimicrobial fabrics prevent bacteria from developing in the sweaty and hot regions in the shorts. Use a quick and inexpensive method to get needed crotch protection and biking shorts for wear when either road or mountain bicycling.
Items you will need
Padded bicycle underwear
Lycra shorts or baggy cargo shorts
Purchase a pair of padded bicycle underwear. These are lightweight undergarments to be worn under the biking shorts. Purchase a pair with the antimicrobial padding and in your size.
Scour thrift stores for used cargo shorts in your size if you wish to make mountain biking shorts. Find a mid-thigh-length pair with extra pockets. Mountain biking requires extra gear, which is handy to carry in a cargo short pocket. The loose fit of the cargo shorts gives room to maneuver the bike over rough terrain and obstacles.
Look for used Lycra workout shorts to make road bicycling shorts. Wash the thrift-store shorts in hot water with detergent for sanitary reasons. Road bike shorts need to be tight to the body for aerodynamic purposes. Unlike mountain biking, road biking requires skin-tight clothing to prevent excess wind drag.
Put on the padded underwear first and place either the cargo or Lycra shorts on over the padded underwear for a pair of cheap and homemade bicycle shorts.