lots of short advice out there but...

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

yeah 10 miles is my minimum, but now that school is over (someone's graduated from college) I have a lot more time on my hands (even more so because I am unemployed). I think I will try and train for longer distances. I want to be able to do the st. paul classic with ease and I think it would be fabulous to bike to Duluth at the end of the summer or in the early fall. So I definitely have longer distances in the future and I want to be comfortable when I do them.

Even in the future as you ride a lot, you will still be doing plenty of short rides too, so the mid-range shorts will never lose their usefullness.

[madscot13]

what are the differences between midrange and $90 shorts?

[teigyr]

For me, the difference is chamois and cut. My midrange shorts have a generic blob of padding on them (out of a lack of a better term) where the higher range ones are very contoured. The higher range ones also fit better. I actually have some older Performance shorts (lower than midrange) that have a seam in the chamois

Check out the TE shorts selection because you can click on the chamois and it'll pop up with a picture. It's pretty darned cool, actually.

The best thing is just to get advice then see what works for you. I have some not-quite-high-range shorts that are really surprisingly comfy though I haven't gone over 30 miles in them.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

what are the differences between midrange and $90 shorts?

Aside from chamois differences, the higher priced shorts often have 6-8 panels of material around the hips and legs, making a really nice contoured fit which feels good and is very supportive for long hours in the saddle. Cheaper shorts might only be 4 panel construction, for example. But they might be perfectly fine for 1 or 2 hour rides.
Sometimes expensive shorts go on sale simply because they are last year's model- always good to look for!