Padded Bottoms - Necessary?

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My top choice is no longer made. They're an '80s vintage pair of Terry shorts, and the chamois is just a layer of fleece. No one could possibly consider it "padding."

Have you looked at any tri shorts? All of my tri gear has a chamois that appear to be just a piece of fleece--some Zoot, some Louis Garneau. It might be something worth investigating if you like a minimal chamois.