Yes the shorts need to be quite snug. There should not be any looseness for the chamois to move around between your butt and the saddle. Yes, there is the "dreaded sausage leg" phenomenon. We(mostly) are not Barbie dolls. It is real. I look for the longest shorts possible, so they hit at the narrowest part of my sausage above the knee. You can order several pairs of different brands and models of shorts here at TE, try them on with underwear in the privacy of your own home (so no one can hear you shriek "too much sausage!" and "woo-hoo, less sausage in this pair!") and get an idea of different chamois size and thickness. I am a Louis Garneau fan myself, and prefer shorts with "high compression" fabric.You won't find a bike store anywhere with this kind of selection! Tokie