Chamois with similar shape/placement to PI?

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I may have to try a pair of Zoot tri shorts at some point. I do have a pair of PI tri shorts, but the overall fit is sorta...meh. Major sausage legs, even going up a size. I also don't like the leg elastic grippers, vs the silicone dot grippers on other shorts.

[nscrbug]

I concur about the PI tri shorts! They feel nice in the saddle, but I hate the shorter length on them which really emphasizes the sausage leg thing. I also can't stand the drawstring...infact, I hate drawstrings in ANY cycling short...which may be why I prefer wearing my bibs more - no drawstring, no binding at the waist, etc.

But yes, I too have the chamois bunching up front issue. My shorts fit great everywhere else, but when I'm seated on the saddle...I notice this huge "bulge" of folded up chamois right on the nose of the saddle. No wonder I am constantly shifting around, lifting a leg to readjust, etc. I'm sure all that extra chamois material up front is the culprit in many (if not all) of my ongoing saddle issues.

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Well, I tried a pair of Craft shorts that covered my sit bones OK (heck, the chamois on these PD/"Performance Designed" shorts is HUGE), but there are seams that hit me funny and started rubbing me the wrong way, literally. Back to PI. I wish they would put their PRO 4D chamois in some shorts with a non-elastic front like the Symphony shorts have.

I think my relatively minor up-front issues will be helped more by messing with saddle angle than a more minimal chamois at this point.

[tulip]

I've been a PI shorts gal for a long, long time. But I recently bought a pair of Sugoi RS shorts, and I'm now a Sugoi RS convert.

[nscrbug]

Well, I tried a pair of Craft shorts that covered my sit bones OK (heck, the chamois on these PD/"Performance Designed" shorts is HUGE), but there are seams that hit me funny and started rubbing me the wrong way, literally. Back to PI. I wish they would put their PRO 4D chamois in some shorts with a non-elastic front like the Symphony shorts have.

I think my relatively minor up-front issues will be helped more by messing with saddle angle than a more minimal chamois at this point.

Kirsten - Which women's PI shorts have the 4D chamois in them? How does it differ from the 3D? I have 2 PI PRO bibshorts with the 3D pad, and it is one of the pads that I feel "bunches up" in the front on me. Is the 4D different in some way?

Linda

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Kirsten - Which women's PI shorts have the 4D chamois in them? How does it differ from the 3D? I have 2 PI PRO bibshorts with the 3D pad, and it is one of the pads that I feel "bunches up" in the front on me. Is the 4D different in some way?

Linda

I really don't know how much the women's differs, but the men's version (which is in my DH's favorite shorts) feels very nice. I would assume it's similar. It feels less poofy. This is the 3D in the shorts I have:


And the 4D:


The only ones with that chamois that are flatter in front are like $225...I don't think so!

[nscrbug]

Hmmm...after looking at the chamois pics Catrin posted...it appears as though I already have a bibshort with the PRO 4D chamois. I have one pair from this year, and another pair from 2008 with the PRO 3D chamois.

However, I went to the PI site to compare the men's & women's PRO 4D chamois...and I found a pretty significant difference, especially in the "up front" area. On the women's pad, it looks like one large, solid piece of padding right in the middle of the crotch (where the soft tissue would be). But on the men's version, the padding in the crotch area is much thinner and is also split with a channel running down the middle of the pad. I'm wondering if the men's version might be a better solution for those of us that have issues with the women's padding bunching up in the front?

Here are pics of both PRO 4D chamois pads -

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But on the men's version, the padding in the crotch area is much thinner and is also split with a channel running down the middle of the pad. I'm wondering if the men's version might be a better solution for those of us that have issues with the women's padding bunching up in the front?

This is what I have been wondering. I don't know if that pad would cover my sit bones right, though...or if the shorts would fit me everywhere else. This is the short I'd look at, but it's already 2" longer than what I like and doesn't have the non-elastic waist panel.