Triathlon - Tri Shorts

This might be a stupid question from a newbie, but I'm a little confused about tri shorts. Do they have padding like regular bike shorts? Is it less padding than bike shorts? Can you really use them for all three legs? Could you use them for training, or would regular bike shorts be better?

On another note, how much of a difference does the different type of padding make? I've seen what looks like just a single rectangular strip of foam, some pretty fancy, contoured, gel ones, and everything in between. Are the expensive ones worth the extra money?

The pad is thiner and it dries quicker. You can use them for all three legs. Regular bike shorts are more comfortable so I wouldn't train in them unless I was working on transitions. The cheap ones aren't nearly so good. I mostly use Volers - from Velowear (http://www.VeloWear.com) - they are good. Craft tri shorts cost a lot but have a chamois that is more effective in the time-trial position.

I like to wear mine when doing bricks. I also run in them from time to time. DeSoto and Zoot make good ones.

Yes the have padding - but I don't like them or use them.
I perfer to wear a speedo under my wet suit - pull on real bike shorts for the bike in T1 and in T2 switch to CWX run shorts for the run. It adds maybe 10 seconds but comfort and being dry is a pet peeve for me.

I like wearing tri shorts for everyday biking. Bike shorts are too heavily padded for my taste and the thin fleece padding on my desoto sleeveless trisuit seems just right.

To each his own . . .

Suppose I were to wear a fastskin: high neck to knees suit. Do people Just bring this suit around their waist and finish the race in them?

Suppose I were to wear a fastskin: high neck to knees suit. Do people Just bring this suit around their waist and finish the race in them?

I use the Speedo Fastskin when it's too warm for a wetsuit per the rules. The material of the fastskin will not hold up to a bike and run - it a swim only article. Many pro's will use the Fastskin Kneeskin in 1/2 IM and IM's. Many including myself wear something under it, I wear a standard speedo and use it as underware so I can T1 to bike wear, and then to CWX run shorts in T2.

I like my Zoots which work well in all phases.