You’re scratching your head right now. Are we really gonna go down the rabbit hole of apres ride wear? (To be clear, if you did not read the phrase “apres ride” with your tongue ensconced firmly in your cheek, please go back and re-read that last sentence). But look, I have feelings about what I put on after riding, and I want to share them with you, because I think they can make your life better.
This is altruism.
In the past, I’ve championed the Orange Mud Transition Wrap, a let’s call it an “engineered” towel that makes getting out of sweaty bike shorts/bibs, etc. easy. I’ll follow with some words about that towel, which is not just a towel, but more on that anon. If you’re like me, getting out of the wet diaper after a ride is of paramount importance. Almost any time I drive to a ride, I plan to change at the car, immediately after.
Today I wanna talk about what I put on, because it’s as important to my comfort as getting out of the damp chamois.
Post ride I want two things, airy and soft, so rather than pulling on a pair of cotton underwear, that is binding, I go for a pair of fleece or terry short, sans undergarment. Yes, I’m going commando, but both the apres ride shorts I’m gonna hip you to are thick enough that you’re not likely to offend anyone. Both are soft as hell and let air flow around the parts of you that have been constricted and moist.
First, the North Face Simple Logo Fleece shorts. These are $55. They’re nice. The women’s equivalent is the Half Dome Fleece Short. They’re $50. Both have pockets, if you care. I don’t, but it does give you some place to put your money, when you flip-flop into the convenience store afterward to make some really poor choices with your post-ride hunger. I prefer the Cola Slurpee and obscenely large bag of potato chips.
The deluxe apres ride (a phrase I’ve used enough now that it threatens to unironically enter the lexicon) option, if you have the budget, is the Outerknown Hightide Sweatshorts. These are thick, cotton terry. They breathe a bit better still and are arguably more comfortable. I have a pair, despite the fact they cost $98, and I love them. The women’s version is the California short. Same price. Highly recommended.
I am hesitating to say that these Outerknown shorts are more absorbent than the North Face fleece, because the notion that your shorts should be absorbent is slightly, well…a little too candid. But, when you combine heat and moisture in a dark place, nothing good happens, so absorbency isn’t a bad feature to consider.