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What’s a girl to wear ‘down there’ when cycling in non-padded shorts or her best fashionista frock? Lets face it, ordinary pants soon wipe the smile off your face, especially as it’s impossible to adjust wayward elastic at a red light when surrounded by commuters. And no one wants to ride with bulky cycling shorts beneath their J-Brands or Whistles work skirt.
Delve deeper into this dilemma and imagine you have secured yourself a cycling date with the man of your dreams. A couple of circuits of the park and a few beers later, then its back to yours and the realisation that it’s impossible to remove a pair of cycling shorts in a seductive fashion (this applies to both genders, by the way), especially when they leave a non-too fetching imprint of a gripper band on your thighs.
And then there’s Christmas. Your other half secretly wants to surprise you with something a little bit ‘Kim Kardashian’ – but needs the security man-blanket of knowing that he’s also getting you something practical for the bike. Surely there is an alternative to receiving a fluffy red g-string and a bottle of Muc Off on Christmas morning?
Or what if you just like wearing nice pants and riding your bike? Or want something discreet but effective to wear beneath workout gear for your spin class?
Hurrah! Here comes Bettie to solve every one of these pressing women’s cycling issues!
Created in Texas, Bettie is, basically, a really nice pair of pants with a slim (think panty liner) but proper cycling chamois inside. The Urbanist Bettie pad is flexible, breathable, quick drying and moisture wicking. It’s also invisible beneath clothes and bulk-free to wear. I wouldn’t recommend these pants for a day on your road bike but for any other type of riding they’re perfect.
They’re also beautifully made: silky fabric with mesh side panels and a ruched detail mid-back gives them a lingerie look and feel. You can also get your hands on The Brigitte, a hooped black and white style, which I think I can safely say was not designed with the shy and retiring wearer in mind.
I really enjoy wearing my Urbanist Bettie. My only real issue is the colour of the pad: I’d prefer it to be black as its not exactly part of the garment that you want to draw attention to. I’m afraid red just made me think ‘periods’.
On the plus side, the pants are low cut so they wont pop out above your jeans (but don’t expect them to keep your lower back warm either!) and have a lot of stretch around the leg openings to avoid chaffing.
At £42 (like I said, Christmas present!) Bettie is, price wise, a world away from an M&S pack of five. But if you’re a lingerie lover and a cyclist, then they’re a bit of a must have.
Foot note:
I’m a little bit disappointed that Bettie didn’t make my bum look like the one on in the picture. What’s more, the model in the picture appears to be about to ride in just her pants. I really wouldn’t recommend this although I’m sure it would be a very effective way of stopping the traffic (‘you know what, no one over took me on the way to work this morning. Weird, huh?’)
For: Sexy, stylish, well made.
Against: £42, bright red pad.
Price: £42.00, available from Velovixen.
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