Quote Originally Posted by Eden View Post
Why spend $100 on a nice pair of well designed *seamless* cycling shorts if you are going to add underwear elastic.....
Um...maybe because they feel good to ride in and they are comfortable and do the job well for me? My cheaper "short ride" shorts just don't have dense enough chamois support for my longer rides. Surely you are not suggesting I shouldn't have high quality long distance shorts just because I wear panties under them?

You can ride without cycling shorts and you can ride in underwear, and you might even get away with it comfortably for a time, but the longer and harder you ride the more you'll find that it can be a bad idea....Trust me - if you ever get rubbed by a seam/elastic or get a saddle sore you'll toss the undies away and never go back.
It's not a matter of my trusting you. I am totally comfortable when riding. My hardest-riding year averaged about 90 miles per week with longest rides of 70 miles, and I had no problems at all with sores or seams or elastic. To be honest, I doubt I'll ever be riding 'longer and harder' than that.
Despite what some might direly predict, I am fairly confident I will not suddenly develop problems and zealously throw my undies away. Why is this hard to accept? People ride all over the world in regular clothes, and they put in MAJOR mileage.
Just because some people have problems with biking in underwear doesn't mean everyone will. I read on TE every day about all the problems women have with their shorts (without underwear, mind you) ...feminine 'issues', pain or numbness, sores, chafing, rawness, bacteria, yeast infections.... I have none of these problems, yet it's suggested I should change what I'm doing in order to avoid those problems??

And for those who wear underwear to not have to wash their shorts as often - do you honestly believe a pair of undies keeps the sweat and beasties off your chamois............
'Honestly believe' it or not, I don't have a problem with sweating or beasties. When I sweat, it's mostly all on my head and torso.
My shorts smell great (!), they get aired out every ride and get washed every few rides, I don't get yeast infections, sores, , chafing, bladder infections, rashes, etc.
I don't wash my jeans every time I wear them either.
But I do launder my undies every day.

I'm happy, I'm completely comfortable when i ride, and I'm healthy. Do I feel a need to 'fix' something or change what i do? nope.