Everything You Need to Know When Buying Bike Shorts

If you’re a cyclist, triathlete or Spin class participant, you’ve probably noticed an overwhelming amount of “female-specific” products in your bike shop. You can usually spot the womens’ products a mile away—they’re often pink. Very pink.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret about these pink goods: Just because there’s a female-specific option doesn’t mean females must purchase it. In fact, there usually isn’t much difference between the male and female options except for the color, a phenomenon known in endurance sports circles as “shrink it and pink it.”

The one exception, however, is bike shorts. Though my shorts look almost identical to those belonging to my partner Neil, we can’t exactly swap clothes without consequence. Eliminating the ick factor (dude, his sweaty balls were in there), Neil’s gear is constructed for his guy parts. It won’t work for my—ahem—delicate flower.

In this small but critical aspect of your workout wear, it’s important to go with something specifically designed for your gender.Unfortunately, it can be hard to tell whether your women’s cycling shorts are truly designed for women, or if they’re just men’s shorts with a pink tag. Here’s the breakdown of what to look for…