underware or no underware?

[brittmix]

Ok since we're on the topic of chamois, I'm going to risk hijacking this thread.....

i'm glad you're talking about chamois, because that has been my main concern when purchasing a pair of cycling shorts. these shorts i'm thinking about have a denser pad, which the lady at my LBS said provided the same amount of padding, but was less bulky. the other pads compress when you sit on them, and this one is already compressed. i'm looking at the pearl izuma micro pro short. anyone have any objections, or praises for these shorts?

[VeloVT]

is it worth the extra $60+ dollars to get a wicking chamois? i've been looking at the pearl izuma micro something pro - they're like $125 but the lady at my LBS said they would be so worth it because i would have a much lower chance of getting a yeast or UT infection. what are your thoughts?

i'm glad you're talking about chamois, because that has been my main concern when purchasing a pair of cycling shorts. these shorts i'm thinking about have a denser pad, which the lady at my LBS said provided the same amount of padding, but was less bulky. the other pads compress when you sit on them, and this one is already compressed. i'm looking at the pearl izuma micro pro short. anyone have any objections, or praises for these shorts?

Brittmix, that lady is trying to get you to buy the most expensive shorts, and she's full of BS. I am moderately prone to UTIs but I've never gotten one from cycling, with good shorts or cheap shorts, and I just can't imagine how the chamois would have any impact on your likelihood to get yeast infections (I am lucky that I just don't get them -- I've never had one in my life -- but I really don't think it's because of my chamois choice).

As for the "compressed padding" thing... this a line as well... It's not quite as bad as the Estee Lauder lady who, when I told her I don't like tinted sunscreen because it rubs off on my clothes, told me that THIS wouldn't because even though it is visibly tinted, the color actually comes from my skin, not the sunscreen... but almost.

That said, the PIs you're looking at are nice, good quality shorts. Unfortunately, finding shorts that work for you is a bit like finding a saddle -- it's usually an expensive process of trial and error. You may like the Microsensors, or you may not. PI shorts tend to have a stiffer, bulkier chamois than many other brands (even the "compressed" pro chamois is stiffer and bulkier. I don't have those particular shorts but I've tried them on). Some people find that this chafes or just feels like "too much", but others find them to offer good protection. It's very much a matter of personal preference and people differ considerably in their preferences, and you can't always tell if you'll like a chamois until you've actually ridden in it (I'm not crazy about the chamois in Sugoi RS Flex shorts but it felt great when I tried the shorts on, for instance...).

So yes, it is worth spending more to get higher quality shorts, but spending more does not necessarily guarantee that you'll get a pair that YOU like (and it definitely doesn't guarantee that you will have fewer UTIs or yeast infections )...

Good luck!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I'm still trying to figure out how a chamois can bunch up and fold in half like a diaper while your'e wearing it... Something doesn't sound right if it does that. My chamois would never be able to do that- they are anchored down well and are foam that can't bunch or fold. I wear SheBeest, Terry, and Louis Garneau padded shorts/knickers.

[Crankin]

Shooting Star, I didn't buy the wicking thong for cycling. Like I said, I never wear underwear with cycling shorts. But I wanted to wear them under my hiking shorts or pants in warmer weather. In cold weather I wear long underwear.
I am short and small (5' 1", 105), too, but I guess my bum must be bigger than yours! I do care about vpl and I think it looks gross. Wearing thongs with regular clothes doesn't bother me at all. It took me a long time to find 2 brands that fit me and didn't show anywhere. To me, the point of wearing a thong is so nothing shows and you have no lines anywhere. I finally went to a real lingerie store to find what I wanted.
And Lisa, you are right. Any chamois that folds like a diaper has something wrong with it. I wear Terry and Sheebest and have no issues. The Sheebest feels a little thicker, but it's in different places.

[cyclinnewbie]

Ok after a few day's absence due to having an injured child at home, I am back to respond to the responses to my question (that was a tad redundant, eh?). So my chamois folds in half not because it's separating from the shorts, but I think maybe because it's too thick. My thighs (which are NOT thin) kind of squish the chamois together and it folds in half length-wise. And my shorts may be too big, like someone said, because they do not fit like a second skin. I dunno, they are just uncomfortable. I tried wearing them yesterday on a short 10 mile ride, and my bum hurt worse with those shorts that without. The thing I did like, however, was that my skin was not irritated by sweaty underwear (sorry for the bluntness), so didn't have to deal with a rash. So, I guess I'll need to keep shopping for shorts. I hate shopping....I do like some of the Terry shorts that I've seen online, so maybe I'll try those. But did I mention that I hate shopping????

Anyhoo, thanks for the advice, and sorry for the hijack!

[Kano]

Kristen --

When I bought my shorts, they fit like skin. For a while, I'd put something on over them to keep from being seen, then I realized that male people would go out riding in flapping open shirts with hairy bellies hanging out, so my butt, held together with lycra wasn't the nastiest looking thing out there. Anyway, eventually, they got too big, and the chamois getting in the way was how I knew that I really needed to abandon them for some new shorts. Personally, I've found I need to buy a size smaller than my measurements tell me -- at least on my favorites -- in order to have them stay put!

Karen in Boise

[cyclinnewbie]

Kristen --

When I bought my shorts, they fit like skin. For a while, I'd put something on over them to keep from being seen, then I realized that male people would go out riding in flapping open shirts with hairy bellies hanging out, so my butt, held together with lycra wasn't the nastiest looking thing out there.

Ok, point taken. That actually made me laugh and spit my coffee out! Thanks Karen. I do need to get over some body issues, which is where the biking comes in, but you know, lycra is really hard to swallow sometimes!

[ima_bleeder]

I hate shopping....I do like some of the Terry shorts that I've seen online, so maybe I'll try those. But did I mention that I hate shopping????

I share the loathing of shopping. Completely. What a waste of time, when you could be out riding, right?! The good news is that once you've found the short that works for you, you can get a bunch of them and you're done for a while.

I was a fiend about looking for jus the right chamois. I wandered around feeling the chamois of every pair of bike shorts I could get my hands on. I ended up with a Shebeest and a PI. The Shebeest had a chamois that was really thick, but I only planned to use it for 3+ hour rides. As it turns out, the PI chamois just didn't fit me well, and now I have 3 pairs of those Shebeest shorts.

As far as the undies or no, chamois or no, sort of debates ... I really thought I was fine with just about anything. And then this winter, when I was riding about 50 miles a week on the mountain bike, 30 miles a week on the road, in wet and sometimes muddy bike shorts (where'd that damned fender go?) ... without getting into TI territory, I'm thankful for having found a chamois that works for me, a saddle that works for me, and finally finding the "butt'r" of choice that works for me. That was a painful 6 weeks of training and trial and error, and adding underwear to that situation would have made it infinitely worse.

[DDH]

I don't wear underwear with my shorts either, unless it's that time of the month and then I have to.

I did wear underwear with my shorts when I first started becasue I didn't know any better. I was like many others and thought I would feel very akward without them, but once I tried it, I decided it was best for my purposes because I wear cotton underwear and did not think that wearing wet sweaty underwear under my shorts that are trying to wick away the sweat was very sanitary. You have to understand though I sweat a LOT, so for me it was best.