Destroyer of Inner-Thigh Threads/Seams - am I the only one?

[pll]

Have you tried Assos shorts? They are so terribly expensive, but I like the fabric and fit a lot (I feel skinny when I wear the one pair I have). And they do not have any reverse seams.

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Have you tried Assos shorts? They are so terribly expensive, but I like the fabric and fit a lot (I feel skinny when I wear the one pair I have). And they do not have any reverse seams.

Darn, I just looked...they still have the zig-zag seams, which hold up no better than the flatlock. The issue is the amount of thread that is on top of the fabric. The more thread (in the case of flatlock and zig-zag), the more it's going to get destroyed by rubbing against the edges of the saddle.

[pll]

My don't have the seams outside (I can post pictures, if need be), unlike the other shorts I have: Pearl Izumi, Louis Garneau and Sugoi. Do you mean inside seams? I've managed to make the fabric in the Sugoi shorts (RSE) pile in the thigh area, as well as the Pearl Izumi; the Garneau I don't use enough because they are too long. No issues thus far with the Assos, although it might be too early to know. However, I have had their knickers for 3 years and those have not piled.

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I'm talking about the stitching that attaches the chamois to the shorts. That stuff always comes in contact with the edges of my saddle nose in the inner-thigh region. My newest pair of shorts (Shebeest) are only a month old and the flatlock stitching for the chamois has been disintegrated on both sides. I've run into this with every brand, aside from PI. Because they don't use flatlock or zig-zag stitching to attach the chamois to the short.

[pll]

I see now. I wear the shorts off about 1.5 to 2 inches away from the chamois edge.

ETA: Have you tried a lycra cover on your saddle? Perhaps eliminating the saddle friction points might work, at $4, might be worth trying.

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ETA: Have you tried a lycra cover on your saddle? Perhaps eliminating the saddle friction points might work, at $4, might be worth trying.

For some reason I'm thinking lycra would create more friction than the smooth vinyl, but maybe I'm wrong on this...? Or I'd end up wearing my shorts and the lycra cover.

[Marquise]

I have two styles of Descente shorts in which the chamois is sewn in with a double row of straight stitching like PI but in both styles the chamois is similar to PI in bulkiness. I have serious inner thigh pudge and wear out jeans easily there but so far no problem with cycling shorts.