At first glance bike shorts and compression shorts are very similar. Both are made of a combination of nylon and spandex, both fit your contours perfectly and great for athletes. However the two shorts are very different and not all compression shorts will be good for cycling. Whereas there are special bike compression shorts on the market for those cyclists who want to enjoy compression technology too. The best bike compression shorts are comfortable, protect your legs in the saddle and aid blood circulation.
Compression shorts vs bike shorts
What are the differences between cycling shorts and compression shorts? What are the unique features missing from the best compression shorts that are present in cycling shorts? This will tell you why it is not a good idea to use any shorts for bike compression shorts.
The most important feature of cycling shorts is the padding area at the bottom. This makes you more comfortable in the saddle, and protects the inside of your legs. This is missing from regular compression shorts. Different cycling shorts can have padding different thickness. However all of these paddings are made of synthetic materials. The padding means that bike shorts are usually not as thick, and they don’t have a snug fit to your legs.
Compression shorts must fit your skin completely to have their positive effect on blood circulation. If they had a padding, they couldn’t put any pressure on the inside of your legs. Also the shorts would move around a little bit. This is one reason why bike compression shorts are not very common. These features are also needed for the best spinning compression shorts.
Compression shorts are tight shorts that focus on putting pressure on your hamstring, thighs and backside. Bike compression shorts are designed to aid athletic performance and recovery, with the same technology as high quality compression pants. Simple bike shorts don’t come with this technology. They focus on making you comfortable. They are a little looser around the inside of your legs to allow you to sit comfortable in the seat pad.
Usually bike shorts and compression shorts have a different material makeup. Cycling shorts are made of a blend of different polyesters. On the other hand compression shorts are made of a blend of spandex and nylon, with only a small percent of poly or silicone added.
Cycling shorts have elastic leg grippers to prevent the shorts from moving around. These hold on your legs tightly. Compression shorts don’t have such bands, or at least they are not as firm. This is because they stop blood circulation a little bit, as the firm hold on the legs cut out the smallest arteries in the upper layers of the skin.
If the bands are poorly designed, they can cause chaffing or skin burn. Since compression shorts fit your skin tighter, if those bands are faulty they can really harm your skin. Compression shorts have a seamless design.
Sure, you often see cyclists wearing other types of compression gear. For example compression socks can be really beneficial for cyclists. Compression shorts also have their place, for example they make excellent gym shorts.
Bike Compression Shorts
There is a way to get the positive aspects of compression technology while cycling. You can wear compression shorts under your bike shorts to get the best of both worlds. That way the compression technology helps blood flow in your thighs and glutes. The bike shorts let you sit comfortable in the saddle. just make sure to have underwear under your compression shorts.
CompressionZ has special bike compression shorts they market as excellent graduated compression shorts for cycling and working out. They are graduated bike compression shorts. Graduated compression means they put the most amount of pressure on the thighs, but the pressure subsides slightly as the pants get higher on your legs. This helps blood circulation the most where the pull of gravity is the strongest on the blood and the veins have to work hardest to circulate it. Graduated cycling compression shorts are the most common and most sought after in the market.
CompressionZ Men’s Bike Compression Shorts
The great thing about the CompressionZ Men’s Compression shorts is that they have fitted pads at the back. These are not as well designed as the pads of specialised cycling shorts, but they still give you an advantage if you wear them under bike shorts.
They are made of 85% nylon and 15% spandex. They allow your skin to breathe during prolonged exercise. The material has antibacterial qualities, preventing bad odors and bacterial growth. This provides a hygienic environment for your skin.
The CompressionZ Men’s bike compression shorts put 20-30 mm Hg graduated compression on the legs to promote blood circulation and recovery. They minimise injury problems by helping your thighs, hamstrings, groins and quads. They helps your muscles get oxygen quicker, and help the blood wash out lactic acid from your muscles.
Available in three different colours: black, navy and white. The company is so confident in their product that they offer a no questions asked 100% money back guarantee. If you are not satisfied with the product, they give you back your money without hesitation.
Click here to read more reviews and check out pricing options on Amazon.
Mava Sports Men’s Base Layer Cycling Compression Shorts
These compression bike shorts reduce muscle vibrations and support your upper leg muscles during cycling. They are excellent base layer shorts to wear under cycling shorts while you are on your bike. These shorts decrease recovery time after training and reduce the risk of muscle injuries. They put 18-25 mm Hg graduated compression on your legs.
They are made of 80% nylon and 20% spandex. This material combination allows your skin to dry quickly and wick your sweat away. They keep your skin hygienic thanks to their antibacterial qualities. Available in two colour combinations: silver/black and golden/black.
Click here to read more reviews and check out pricing options on Amazon.
Copper Compression Recovery Shorts
These bike compression shorts made it to the list thanks to their copper content. Copper has proven antibacterial qualities. It prevents bacterial and fungi, yeast growth, and has anti-door qualities. Copper compression guarantees that these bike compression shorts have the highest copper content out of any product on the market. 88% of the shorts are made of copper infused nylon. They are so confident in their product, that they offer to refund 100% of your money if you are not satisfied. You only need to look at the glowing reviews on Amazon to be convinced of the qualities of these bike compression shorts.
Conclusion
Even though cycling shorts and compression shorts have different qualities, there are some products you can wear under your bike shorts. These are the real bike compression shorts. By wearing them under your compression shorts you get all the benefits of graduated compression combined with the comfort of cycling shorts.