Cycling shorts, what do you wear?

[LivetoRide]

As others have said, it's all about trying different shorts on to see what fits you, and then personal preference (do you like leg grippers, a minimal chamois, a wider waist band, a certain length of inseam, etc.).

I personally like my Pearl Izumi Symphony shorts ($100); they have a good length inseam for me (8 1/2"), the waist band is wider which I like, and they have grippers. Now on the other hand, I did not like my previous Giordana shorts due to the horrible, narrow little waistband and becasue the lyrca was just a little too thin in my opinion (at least on the shorts I got a year back and they were "mid-range" shorts).

You can read about PI's different shorts on their website.

[indysteel]

I started with PI's microsensor short and, after they changed the chamois, I moved onto Sugoi's RS short. Now that's about the only short I wear. I like a longer inseam and fabric that provides a lot of support and some compression.

[Catrin]

I like the PI Elite chamois (the orange chamois) - I've had several pair of their shorts and also have a pair of their bib-shorts. I've yet to try other manufacturers, though am curious about Sugoi and would like to give them a try the next time I need shorts.

I did try the PI baggy shorts and hated the liner/chamois. That is detachable though, which is good since I like the actual shorts themselves...

[nscrbug]

As others have said, it's all about trying different shorts on to see what fits you, and then personal preference (do you like leg grippers, a minimal chamois, a wider waist band, a certain length of inseam, etc.).

I personally like my Pearl Izumi Symphony shorts ($100); they have a good length inseam for me (8 1/2"), the waist band is wider which I like, and they have grippers. Now on the other hand, I did not like my previous Giordana shorts due to the horrible, narrow little waistband and becasue the lyrca was just a little too thin in my opinion (at least on the shorts I got a year back and they were "mid-range" shorts).

You can read about PI's different shorts on their website.

THIS!!! I simply LOVE the new wider waistband that PI has gone to on their Elite & Symphony product line. SOOOO much more comfortable than a narrow waistband digging and binding into my waist...and it seems to drastically reduce the appearance of a "muffin-top", too.

Also wanted to add, that the picture of the Sugoi shorts in the first post do NOT look like the pair of Sugoi RS shorts that I have. On my pair of RS's, you can clearly see the "waffle" pattern in the material...something I don't see at all on the shorts pictured.

[Owlie]

Two pairs of Sugoi Evolution shorts, but they're both the old-style chamois. My favorite shorts are Primal Wear's Primas, which are pretty cheap. (They have them again, just without the pretty blue stitching. Yay!) I also have a pair of $130 Castellis (the Vizio.1), that have slightly too much chamois for me, but not so much that I won't wear them.

[Becky]

My current shorts collection includes:

Terry Bella shorts
Voler Elite shorts and bib shorts
Pearl Izumi PRO bib shorts

I'm a big fan of having at least 2 styles in rotation, especially when doing lots of daily riding or multi-day tours. I'm also rapidly becoming a bib shorts girl...which can be an expensive proposition

[LivetoRide]

THIS!!! I simply LOVE the new wider waistband that PI has gone to on their Elite & Symphony product line. SOOOO much more comfortable than a narrow waistband digging and binding into my waist...and it seems to drastically reduce the appearance of a "muffin-top", too. :cool

Exactly! The waistband is so comfortable on the bike that I don't notice it at all, and it helps make you look thinner, too.

I'd like to try some other shorts though to try different chamios types (I've been ok with my PI's in this area though), and I don't want to give up the wider waistband but I don't see many other shorts with a wider/similar waistband...any recommendations ladies? The obvious answer would be bibs, but I enjoy my longer rides and don't want to complicate things. TIA.

[VeloVT]

Castelli girl here. Their various chamois levels are different, but they all seem just right for me. Thin, flexible, good balance of padding for me (most shorts have too much in the rear, where I need it less, and less than I'd like in front).

Otherwise, I like the Shebeest/Terry chamois as well (though I am a bigger fan of Castelli's fabrics).

I can wear PI. They don't chafe me, or do anything else horrible. They just feel big and stiff. My PIs have mostly become the shorts I wear on the trainer.

[zoom-zoom]

THIS!!! I simply LOVE the new wider waistband that PI has gone to on their Elite & Symphony product line. SOOOO much more comfortable than a narrow waistband digging and binding into my waist...and it seems to drastically reduce the appearance of a "muffin-top", too.

I LOVE the top on the Symphony Cut shorts, but the Symphony do not have this same top...they have a really snug elastic band in the top, unfortunately. The Cuts are definitely my fave.

One thing I struggled with was finding a chamois that actually covered my sit bones. Apparently I have very forward-set sit bones (perhaps because I am very sway-backed with a particularly round/curvy booty). I tried a lot of shorts that had my sit bones covered by seams ahead of the body of the chamois, instead of foam. Then the back of the chamois would be up by my tailbone. No amount of yanking the shorts forward helped. PIs are the only ones I've tried that fit right. Well, except for 1 pair of Craft shorts I tried, but those just didn't cushion enough and my butt would be screaming after 20 miles.