I am very disappointed in a recently purchased pair of Castelli shorts. The Vario Thick chamois lacks support and bunches up in front which gets painful after a long time in the saddle. Oh, if only the chamois could live up to that luxurious silky lycra Castelli uses!!

I commute to work by bike (100-200 miles a week). I need a well made short. Far and away the best chamois for me is the PRT by Pearl Izumi. I have 2 shorts that have this chamois - the Ultrasensor and Microsensor. They now include this chamois in their Attack shorts which are less expensive then the Micro or Ultra Sensor. It has lots of support, it can really cushion an urban commute. It has held up to over a year of washings (2x a week) and I can't see any wear and tear. I use it for mountain biking as well. It's shaped perfectly, narrower up front but large enough to protect the sit bones. The short itself fits well with no saggy diaper feeling...obviously someone at Pearl consulted WOMEN before actually constructing a woman's short!

As for Micro vs. Ultra Sensor - the micro is silkier and lighter and a bit cooler. But the ultra wicks just as well and gives your muscles a little more support.

My next choices far down the list would be the Multi L Elite by Performance. (But to be honest, although the chamois is good, the short itself is not that good) and the REI Pro Air.