Review: Cyclo Brief 2.0 Liner

This review is part of the “Bottoms Up” series of reviews of Terry biking bottoms in the commuter category.

Two words: biking undies. We are lucky enough to live 2 miles from PayPal Park stadium, which is where the San Jose Earthquakes MLS and Bay FC NWSL soccer teams play. When there is a home game we relish riding our commuter bikes past all the cars stuck in stadium traffic, paying nothing for parking, and walking through the gates to grab a drink before kickoff. (The Quakes are having an especially bad year, but the stadium has what is supposedly the largest outdoor bar in the North America, and food trucks.)

These are the kinds of things I wear my Cyclo Brief 2.0 Liner to: when I have a short bike ride, I don’t want to walk around in a full chamois (even if it’s thinner like the Mixie liner that I commute to work in), and I don’t want the appearance of a padded “chamois butt” under my pants. In other words, I wear these to ride to the stadium, leave them on for the whole game, and then ride home in them. I don’t feel the need to change out of them. I also wear them when we ride bikes to San Pedro Square for dinner or to do some work at a coffee shop when I don’t want to look like I’m wearing padded undies and I also don’t want to change out of a liner at a destination.

Pad: They do have a chamois pad, but it is a very light one, smaller than the Urban chamois in the Mixie. The Terry website describes it as a “reticulated chamois” that uses “reticulated foam technology, creating a pad that’s significantly thinner and lighter, more breathable and ideal for indoor conditions. Narrower, seamless, 4-way stretch Elastic Interface Technology chamois with Terry’s innovative soft wing construction; antimicrobial cover. Made in Italy.” See Terry’s chamois comparison chart for images of all their pads and more details.

Feel: I’m wearing them right now as I write this so I can be accurate. They feel like I am wearing a thin, luxury maxi pad that is built into soft and breathable hi-tech sporty undies. The briefs hug my body and fit me well. There is enough coverage, back and front, for saddle comfort on a short ride, but not much longer. I wear them if I am riding 2-4 miles or less one way. The leg openings are so soft and do not have a seam or elastic band — the website calls them “raw cut” — but they stay in place for me. The waist band is thick and comfortable but also effective – these bike undies don’t move.

Look: I don’t love the word “brief” because it doesn’t conjure a super flattering shape, and these are very cute on! My husband has said multiple times that they are “sexy” — he’s a biker, so sexy is relative, but that’s the word he uses. There is full coverage in the rear, and you cannot tell that I am wearing a biking undie under tight-fitting pants. The pattern of perforations in the black material is a very cool chevron (hard to see in my picture, but you can see it better on Terry’s page) and does look very attractive. They have a mid-to-high-rise waist that comes up to my belly button, so the top of the waist band is right where the top of of my jeans hit. If my pants are looser, some of the band might peek out from underneath. If you don’t find the sneak-peak look cute, just wear them with high-rise pants or shorts that everyone seems to have these days.

Sizing: True to your measured size, if you like a snug fit. I am at the top end of Terry’s measurements for small bottoms (waist 28, and hips 36.5-37) and I have a size small. Size up if you prefer a more relaxed fit. (For reference, I generally consider my bottoms a medium in most brands, but in Terry my measurements and their sizing equate to a small for someone who likes form-fitting, snug biking bottoms.)