Best front-padding for shorts - help!!!

[Tangovera]

I'm desperate to find shorts that have padding focused on the FRONT of the pad, rather than the butt bones. Am I the only one with this problem? Does anyone know of manufacturers that make pads with more forward padding than rear padding? Thanks!

[azfiddle]

Not sure if this is helpful, but I have an older pair of Pearl Izumi shorts that just has a lot of padding, not especially in the front. I don't remember the model- I got them at the PI outlet store about 3 years ago...

Are you sure you need more padding rather than a change in a) the angle of your saddle or b) the style of saddle?

Is the problem pressure? chafing? or?

[Eden]

lt sounds like you need to look at bike fit, saddle position, saddle design and posture, rather than trying to solve your problems with shorts. Pressure or chafing in the front usually indicates that you are rolling your pelvis too far forward, usually because either your bike fit needs to be adjusted (you are reaching too far forward) or your saddle is tilted down. A saddle with a cut out can help in many cases too, when even after everything else is right you still experience pressure.

The original bike shorts didn't have "padding" at all, they had a chamois (a real chamois leather one) to provide a soft and seam free area upon which to sit and protect your inner thighs from chafing. A piece of leather doesn't really have much bulk or "padding" at all. Excess padding usually just gets in the way and causes more problems with pressure and rubbing. It became trendy for a while, after shorts with synthetic chamois were introduced to try to provide padding as a solution to sit bone soreness, which everyone usually experiences when they first start to ride on a regular basis. This however goes away after you acclimate your butt to your saddle - usually just a few days of consistent riding will do it - and the theory of less is more has won with most short manufacturers again.

[north woods gal]

Welcome to the forum!

I agree with Eden, especially on the seat tilt. You'll know you have it tilted down too far in front if you are constantly slipping forward and have to readjust your position back up on the seat. This can squeeze your shorts in the front and cause the problem you describe. Tilted too much up in the front and you get too much pressure on your soft parts and that's not a good thing, either. I like to have just enough to not slide forward. Thus usually leaves me just barely touching in front. This tilt adjustment is actually a fairly fine adjustment. Only takes a little to be off one way or the other. I find that a woman's seat can help, too.