Shorts...suggestions?

I've got a post on the FS thread where I am trying to sell almost all of my shorts and bib shorts as they are all now too big for me (nudge nudge, the bibs are in great shape) :) While this isn't a BAD thing, it is an expensive thing as I am now down to only one pair of shorts (drop-tail bibs) that actually fits. I don't really have this in my budget, but I need more than one pair of shorts. I can live with two. My drop-tails are smalls, and I am beginning to wonder if they are approaching the point of being too small :eek: This is perplexing to me as I DO have a belly...

One of our LBS is having their annual spring sale this weekend, and they typically have great clothing prices. So far the most comfortable chamois for me has been the PI 3D-Elite but I am wondering if there might be something else I could try. The pads ARE a bit thick, but they work. Then again, perhaps I am doing myself a disfavor by not trying something else out. Any suggestions for a 1-time experiment? Pity I can't try several brands. I know they have LG shorts, as well as Terry and a few other brands that escapes me right now.

What is YOUR favorite short and why? Inquiring minds would love to know, thanks!

My favorites are the Terry Bellas. Longer, compressive, and flattering. Chamois is not too thick.
However, they are a little heavy/sweaty for very high temperatures, at least for me. My issue occurred in Spain, when it was +95 degrees. I now have a few pairs of Sugoi RS shorts, too.
My Bellas have lasted for years. I bought 2 new pair 2 years ago, but basically, the rest I've had for 5 years.

Thanks Crankin, I think others here have mentioned both shorts in the past. Frankly, I prefer bibs for the summer - that lack of a waistband is very nice in the heat but they are more expensive than a decent pair of shorts.

I know that BGI carries Terry, will see if they happen to have the Bella shorts. My usual LBS carries Sugoi if BGI doesn't so I will see if they have the RS. I do prefer longer inseams (even though I am short) the Bella sounds interesting. The one non-PI chamois I've been able to wear (at least at shorter distances) has been the Terry Liberty short, and also the Terry liner in my mountain bike shorts. I've not tried either for >20 mile rides however.

The chamois in the Bellas is better, at least for me, than the ones in the liners and the Liberty. I have both of those; I have worn the liner on a 50 mile ride (once) under baggies, riding my old Jamis flat bar bike. Soft tissue did not feel so good after that, but it may have been a combo of the shorts and bike geometry. I find the Liberty chamois a bit wide for me, but I like those shorts for when I am doing errands.

I am such a Terry Bella fan, is all I wear. I may venture out and try Terry's Liberty short - the description sounds interesting Anybody worn them yet?

Ive the Liberty shorts, good for shorter rides. It sounds like I need to find some Bellas to try.

Ok, I've done a bit of research and can't seem to find a local source of the Terry Bella shorts. The liner LOOKS a lot like the liner in the liner insert for my Terry mountain bike baggy shorts. Is that the case? If they are then they might be too thin for me for longer rides, but all I have to go by is the pink picture :)

I see the 2012 Piston 200 Tri Pocket Short doesn't have grippers - is anyone familiar with these shorts? They are half the cost of the Bella shorts - which makes me pause as I've learned that where shorts are concerned that price normally matters. TE doesn't have a picture of the chamois. I see this has a 9 inch inseam which is longer than either the Bella or the Sugoi RS. What makes a pair of shorts better for triatholons over more general cycling? I assume this means a quite thin chamois so it will dry more quickly. To me thinner isn't necessarily better. The only reason I am even considering these is the price.

I am trying to find a LBS with the Sugoi RS women's shorts but haven't been successful, yet. The chamois on TE looks...interesting. A review on the TE store site indicates that the chamois material was stiff and chaffed a bit - as many positive comments I've read here about those shorts makes me wonder if she got a bad pair or just too small for her, she also had problems with the waistband rolling down.

Have to second the Sugoi RS short. I too like the PI 3D chamois but find they "flatten off" over time. My pair of RS shorts are still comfy and so no signs of flattening.

The chamois at first is a bit stiff but I use chamois cream and it soon softened up. No problems with the waistband.

I've never worn Sheila Moon, but have you considered any of theirs? No leg grippers, wide cross-over waistband.

Catrin, the liner is pink in both the liner and the Bellas, but they are not the same.
I bought a Sheila Moon liner to wear under a cycling dress, on sale, both from TE. I haven't worn the liner riding, but when I tried them on, I was kind of sorry I bought them. The chamois is very wide and kind of curled over into my thigh crease. But, they are so cute, white, with lace on the bottom, so they are perfect for under the dress.

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Originally Posted by Crankin

Catrin, the liner is pink in both the liner and the Bellas, but they are not the same.
I bought a Sheila Moon liner to wear under a cycling dress, on sale, both from TE. I haven't worn the liner riding, but when I tried them on, I was kind of sorry I bought them. The chamois is very wide and kind of curled over into my thigh crease. But, they are so cute, white, with lace on the bottom, so they are perfect for under the dress.

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I called TE this afternoon and they said the chamois is the same between the Terry liner and the Bellas, but Crankin certainly should know if the two are different as she has used both of them :) The woman at TE also suggested I consider the Shebeest Century short. She said it looks exactly the same as the Terry liner chamois, but thicker and denser. There are a lot of women here who love the Sugoi RS short...I've some thinking to do! I wish I could afford to have them ship all three so I could try them all on before picking one.

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Originally Posted by Catrin

I wish I could afford to have them ship all three so I could try them all on before picking one.

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You know it's TE ... time it right and you'll have the shorts and the credit for the two returns before your bill comes due ... ;)

I have the Shebeest Century Short as well and I don't think you would like it (like I didn't). Yes it's heaps thicker but actually a bit too thick IMO and is much larger than either the Sugoi or the PI ones. I actually found it tends to bunch up in the creases of my leags and causes extra chaffing. Also my pair the foam and the fabric covering has started to pull apart making this much worse. Nice short- loved the thick material but also didn't like that I got sunburned through the mesh panel on the back. My PI shorts with a mesh panel haven't let that happen.

Yikes Kiwi! Thanks for the heads up! That knocks one of them out of the running...

I wonder if the chamois in the Terry liners has been upgraded recently. I have a pair of Terry liners and I 'm pretty sure that the chamois in the liner is different from my Terry Bellas.

Forgot to mention that the REI near me carries Terry Bellas. Catrin, do you have an REI near you?

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Originally Posted by Artista

Forgot to mention that the REI near me carries Terry Bellas. Catrin, do you have an REI near you?

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Why YES we do, I will head out there this weekend to check it out. It isn't far from a LBS that I want to check for the Sugoi RS shorts anyway. For some reason I just never think of REI for this sort of thing - my brain associates them with camping goods.

I think my problem with the chamois in the Terry removable liner is thickness - they are too thin for me. Great for short rides though - or were until they became too large for me. The woman at TE suggested maybe finding someone who works with lycra and have my stock of too-large shorts taken in. The problem is the chamois area, they are now just too large for me and bunch up :eek: I suspect that isn't really fixable without a lot of custom work that would likely be more expensive than new shorts...

Just a reminder that TE carries both the Bella and the RS. :)

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Originally Posted by indysteel

Just a reminder that TE carries both the Bella and the RS. :)

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Yes...but I can't order both at the same time to try on :o Just because I try them on somewhere else doesn't mean I won't order the one I settle upon from TE :)

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Originally Posted by Catrin

Yes...but I can't order both at the same time to try on :o Just because I try them on somewhere else doesn't mean I won't order the one I settle upon from TE :)

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Yeah; I figured you could just try them on locally and then possibly order from TE. :) Not that you're not entitled to buy from wherever you choose, but I like to throw out TE as a good option when I can. And in the interest of full disclosure, I'm not a fan of either REI's Indy story or that LBS. I had high hopes for REI, but the service I've gotten there is pretty ho hum. And don't even get me started with that LBS. Oy; they drive me nuts.

Yes, this. The liner has been upgraded, but... some of my Bellas have a blue chamois and some have pink. I don't feel a difference between those, but I do still feel a difference between the Bellas and the liner. The fact that I still have the older (blue) version is a testament to the longevity of these shorts. They have been worn for almost 12k miles.
Catrin, I had the Century shorts once, when I used to regularly wear the Terry T shorts (before the Bellas). The chamois is thicker, but once I put them on, it was OK. I wore them on the one and only century I did and that's why I bought them. They were on the edge of too thick, but they did break in well.

I appreciate all of the helpful comments. I was reading an old thread from last year where Indy asked about the Evolution shorts and Susan provided Such a nice review of the RS and the Evolution. I will look for these to try on as well.

I just returned from MY LBS, where I tried on both the Evolution and the RS. Considering the price difference I really, really, really wanted to like the Evolution... The RS, however, felt much better and as I always have a small muffin top regardless of the type of waistband, I went with the RS. Hopefully THESE won't get too large for me, I don't know what I will do if that happens. This gives me one pair of PI drop-tail bibs that fit me well, and the RS. I can live with two pair of shorts ;) I am really looking forward to trying these out - hopefully this weekend if weather permits!

Do let me know how those end up working out. I've been wanting to try a pair.

Good choice. I didn't think you'd like the Evolution. The chamois is pretty thick and for as little as your legs and butt are, I imagine they weren't small and compressive enough. They work just fine, however, on my big thighs!! :)

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Originally Posted by indysteel

Good choice. I didn't think you'd like the Evolution. The chamois is pretty thick and for as little as your legs and butt are, I imagine they weren't small and compressive enough. They work just fine, however, on my big thighs!! :)

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Yes, they were quite loose on my legs, and the butt part was all wrinkled, not compressive at all. After a lifetime of considering myself "large boned", I am only now coming to understand how small my frame really is...poor body had to carry all that weight around so long :eek: If I carried my weight more traditionally for a woman I bet I would still be a medium...

The RS felt pretty good, though I am a bit nervous about trying a different chamois! I am sure, however, it will be fine.

I just tried out the Sugoi RS shorts on my trainer. While it isn't the same as riding outside, and I just basically had a 40 minute easy spin while watching tv, I got a better feel for these shorts. I think they are going to be fine! The chamois feels better than any I've ever tried and that includes the PI 3D. I am still amazed that I am actually wearing "small" when, in my mind, I am far from small. People keep telling me how small I am so I guess I need to believe them. To me - 125 pounds at 5'3 isn't small but that is another topic.

I suspect I've found a new favorite short! I still prefer bib shorts though, especially when it is hot and for longer rides. I see that Sugoi does have several bibs available for women but none appear to be drop-tail...

I'll have to try them out, then. :)

As much as I like the PI 3D chamois, I like the chamois in the Sugoi RS even better! I find that with each ride I like them more and more. Granted, I've not yet broken 90 minutes with them - but I can tell these are going to only get better for me. It is good for my budget that Sugoi doesn't seem to make an RS drop-tail bib! I just hope that THESE don't get too big for me, unsure what I could find to replace them if that should happen...

You would buy an x small :).

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Originally Posted by Crankin

You would buy an x small :).

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Of course - I forget there are even smaller sizes :)

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Originally Posted by Catrin

People keep telling me how small I am so I guess I need to believe them. To me - 125 pounds at 5'3 isn't small but that is another topic.

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125 lbs at 5'3" is plenty small! I'm two inches shorter, and to be honest, I'm built such that 125 is probably as small as I should ever go. I feel miserable when lighter.

In answer to the OP, I've recently tried the Specialized RBX Comp short, and while I think I would have preferred the longer short over the shorty (sausage legs), I like how the chamois fits.

Two years ago I bought two pairs of shorts with the PI 3D chamois. In my opinion the chamois is a little too thick. One pair seemed to compress after a while and is now one of my favorite pair for longer rides, the other one though, the chamois bunched up, got creased and became so uncomfortable I chucked them.
My absolute favorite pair though is the the Louis Garneou Neo Power shorts I bought last summer. Super comfy chamois! Nice waist band, doesn't cut into me. I will say though that they do fit a little snugger than my other shorts, which makes them a little tougher to get on. But once on, they fit like a glove, perfect.
I'll be buying another pair this year for sure.