General Cycling Discussion - which mens bike shorts have the best pad

which shorts have the best/largest pad ?? I got a boney butt and some of them just domt cut it. I have the Canari liner shorts and they have a gel pad which is not bad but wonder if there is a better pair

http://sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html seems relevant for seating issues.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/pain.html is extremely relevant:



Wearing proper cycling shorts will help, but beware shorts with excessive padding, which can make it worse.


So be wary of extremely padded things. But that does only mention excessive padding.

Your issue may in fact be your seat. Or any number of things, really, but if you're running a stock seat or one of those gushy padded seats I'd question that.

IME, gel anything on a bike results in discomfort whether it be a gel pad in cycling shorts, gel saddle or gel grips. I have several pairs of Voler and Castelli bibs. Both have comfortable chamois but the edge goes to the Voler because it's quality at a lower price. Neither use gel. Castelli are nice if you've got the coin to drop.

Depends.

IMO, the function of chamois pads is to prevent bunching and associated chafing, not ameliorate butt bone pain. Soft is not necessarily better, and chamois pads are generally way too soft to do any good in that respect anyway. Personally, I don't like gel pads at all.

I'm going to add one voice to the chorus that says "Padding isn't the answer." In my experience, wadding more stuff under there is likely to make things worse, not better. Same with heavily padded saddles--they feel good for 10 minutes, which is about the average test ride. After 10 miles, not so much.
Check your saddle setup, especially the fore-and-aft tilt, and see if you can borrow a saddle or two from friends or a bike shop for test rides. A Brooks B-17 solved all my problems, but there's a lot of variation in butts and some people don't like them.
FWIW, I've read that bike shorts were developed to prevent chafing where your thighs rub together and rub on the seat, not to provide padding. I know my most comfortable shorts are the ones with the least padding, not the most.

Depends.:lol: yea define 'Best' & 'better'

the top ranking Pro stuff has engineers working under the sit place.

take a big wad of cash and sit on it, may be more economical..

If you get a chance to speak with pro bike fitters or coaches, after the proper fit, they start with the choice of saddle and then the shorts or bibs.

I have found over the years that every time I get sucked in by the "gel this, gel that" marketing hype I am rewarded with discomfort. I have settled on hard, slippery Brooks B17 saddles and lightly padded or not padded shorts, as long as they don't have seams that irritate me. The softer and squishier things get, the more my body ends up protesting.

What's your riding position? Bolt upright, bent a little, bent a lot, or racing style

pretty much upright, its a Fuji Crosstown hybrid

My brother recommended Pearl Izumi Tri Shorts to me. They have less padding for Tri running ease and the leg length is just a bit shorter. I was a bit hesitant, but I did buy them and I like them very much. They have enough padding to do the job, they're very comfortable, reasonably priced and very good quality.

/\ Above, I didn't mean for the font to be so large. I wrote it in MS Word and copied it to the forum.

As my son use to say as a little guy: I won't do it again!

I wear Scattantes and they feel amazing.

Depends.


Rim Slap!:D:roflmao2::p

I agree that you should definitely look at your seat. If your seat isn't comfortable, you have a problem. The stuff can get super expensive, which is why I would start with something similar... Go to a local retailer and try some stuff on. Rvca clothing (http://www.ripyard.com/brands/RVCA.html)is local around here. They sell surf and bike stuff.

Boniness of the butt and a bit of discomfort there probably means at least that you are using your sitbones (isicheal tuberosities) to sit on. That is a good starting point.

I have found that finding the right pad and bike shorts is an experiment in brands until your find the right one. It is a bit like hunting down the best saddle for you.

The chamois pad in shorts does come in various dimensions, and unfortunately, there is no consistency in them. You might find a pair that has the right spread for your sit bones, but is way too wide through the perineum area and up the front so they bunch and chafe. And you might find a pair that feels right through that region, but misses your sitbones, so they get a beating.

My favourite brand is Pearl Izumi, too, and I reserve them for long rides. I found a much cheaper range (torpedo7, a New Zealand company) that has similar dimensioned padding for training and touring and general stuff.

However, before my hiatus from extended riding, I was getting into the habit of riding with just flat-seamed running or compression shorts that are similar to bike shorts but without the padding. Admitted, my sitbone areas were well conditioned, and I have Brooks B17 saddles on the bikes. I went with just plain underwear on a ride this past Saturday for around 15km and suffered no ill effects (so I must be getting back to full conditioning of my butt!).

I agree that gel is not OK if you are intent on doing longer distances. It tends to compress the flesh in your butt, causing issues with nerves (numbness) and circulation. A harder, thinner saddle with flex built into the shell is more conducive to comfort.

Anyway, measure up the pad of the shorts that suit you now, maybe add a bit more to the area under your sitbones, then have a look through the ranges at various bike shops until you find the ones that match. I know it seems a bit odd taking a tape measure in or a template, and measuring up shorts like that, but it sure can help before you get to the try-on stage to eliminate the ones that aren't suitable.

One other short-term solution until your boney bits become more conditioned is to wear a second pair of padded (or maybe unpadded) shorts over the top of your current pair.

Depends.
:lol: