Quote Originally Posted by Bike Chick View Post
The first year I started riding I read a rule about bike shorts that I have followed ever since: buy the most expensive pair you can afford and the smallest you can fit into. It's been a good one to follow. When I started riding I lost several pounds but was still using the same shorts. They chafed terribly on either side of the chamois because I had so much excess fabric. Fit is important.
This is a good rule.
It is also one advantage to joining a club that does a bulk kit order a couple times a year (provided you don't have any issues with the brand they use). At least that tends to cut down on the cost.

By the way, the chamois doesn't last forever. I have some cheap ones where the foam has split. I have others that are so well used that the padding is mostly non-existent. The really thin ones aren't too bad, and the rest of the shorts have some life left in them, but I can't use them every day.