myrridin

Shortly after purchasing my first bike, I accepted the prevailing wisdom and purchased a couple of pair of mountain biking shorts with chamois liners from Aerotech. At the time my daily rides were only 1-4 miles per day. A few months later I had increased my distance to about 7 miles per day, but the shorts were now too large for me, so I purchased a couple of pairs of Mount Borah chamois shorts liners since I wanted to be able to wear them under warmer clothes as the season changed.

The problem was I was experiencing discomfort in the peritoneum after 8 miles or so. I tweaked the fit on the bike but no avail--after about 8 miles the discomfort would return. Finally one day, I hadn't had a chance to do my laundry so I rode with my normal underwear. And after my 10 mile ride, no discomfort.

Since then, I had tried alternating, and when using normal underwear I experience no discomfort, but with the chamois I do. Now I know that bike shorts are really supposed to come into their own only on longer rides; however, if I am experiencing discomfort with them during such short rides (and not with normal underwear) what would a longer ride be like?

I've also tried using a chamois cream, which helped a little but it still wasn't as comfortable as normal underwear.

Has anyone else ever experienced this?

Saltybeagle

I definitely would be uncomfortable with underwear, (the seams)10 miles is not so far though, once you start to ride with cadence, further and faster: cycling shorts, preferably bibs are the way to go, and yes lube it up. 20 mile rides was the point where I started putting it all together on shorts and cream, then started adjusting contact points as I ride faster and more miles per month. Maybe your shorts are too small or pulled up to high, could also be a chammy that does not fit you. You have a lot of posts, I think you would know this already, is this a gag post?

mkadam68

Sorry, but I just don't think this...

myrridin

Not sure why you think it is a gag post. But no, I am completely serious.

I currently have an average cadence of between 75-85 rpm, with peaks in the upper nineties. Since I tend to ride low gear ratios, I don't expect the cadence to change much more. I now ride 10 miles per day, six days a week (although I will occasionally do 15 miles or so on Saturday and/or Sunday). It takes me a touch under an hour each day. I have a couple of pairs of Cannondale liners that I will try in a month or so, when they fit and see if they make a difference. Right now my guess is that the additional thickness of the padding in the Mt Borah liners are allowing the center part of the seat to transfer pressure to my peritoneum area, that the normal underwear doesn't.

gunner65

I prefer thinner padding now and I prefer bibs to shorts. Get rid of the over shorts they restrict ad chaff.

I also don't get the post count = knowledge quote.

myrridin

Given the temps I am wearing UA base layer over the underwear/liner shorts and then a pair of athletic pants over that. This works fine for my conditions. When my weight stabilizes I will invest in specific clothing, but considering that I am replacing my wardrobe every couple of months right now it just doesn't make financial sense to invest in expensive cycling specific clothing. Particularly considering that my experience so far is that it isn't more comfortable but less so.

I am a transportation planner and have participated in a number of threads in A&S. As to knowledge, this thread isn't about knowledge but about my personal experience and wondering if others share it and perhaps a search for the cause. Since the chamois liners have not been more comfortable for me, I am wondering if the bibs/tights would make sense for me either. If/when I start riding longer distances (30+ miles) then perhaps so, but if the liners are producing discomfort at short distances when regular cloths don't why would they work better over long distances?

I am not suggesting others change what they are doing. I am seeking input to try and understand why my experience seems counter to the conventional wisdom.

bradtx

myrridin, Different brands of shorts have different styles and thickness of chamois liners. I like Pearl Izumi and Sugoi road shorts and Zona and Nema mountain bike shorts, all have a thin chamois. I have a pair of ShaverSport road shorts where the chamois is a bit too thick and do become uncomfortabe with mileage.

The chamois, I feel, is more of a moisture wicking device, rather than padding, to prevent chaffing. I think if you find the right shorts for you you'll be happier than riding in under shorts.

Brad

myrridin

Sounds reasonable... Unfortunately it also sounds expensive, since it will imply purchasing a number of brands to find the right pair. After all you need to wear the things on a ride to test them, making them unreturnable.

I will probably try that approach when I get to my stable weight and if/when I start riding long enough that I experience discomfort with normal clothing.

sstorkel

In my experience, there isn't a huge difference in different brands of cycling-specific shorts on moderate-distance (20-40mi) rides... assuming you're buying lycra shorts with a chamois. I've yet to find a liner short that was worth a darn and I also haven't been terribly impressed with any of the mountain biking shorts I've tried. Mountain biking shorts in particular seem to spend all of the money on the short and almost none of it on the liner/chamois. On longer rides, the quality and construction of the short starts to play a larger factor.

Also, keep in mind that no short will make up for riding a bad saddle or a bike with a bad fit...

gunner65

That was not pointed at you myrridin

Now if you want to try a cheap set of bibs with thin padding contact luv2pedal I have had my bibs for two days and two hours on the trainer and just love them no discomfort at all and in the world of cycling clothing they are CHEAP compared.

jr59

What difference does it make what the OP wears?

As his mileage increces, most likely he will revisit this then.

Untill then, ENJOY your 10 mile ride.

gunner65

Because he asked if anyone else had this experience which implied he was looking for answers and solutions?

MNRon

I find that for rides at less than 10 miles I'm just as happy with regular shorts as bicycle specific shorts. As the mileage grows to that 20+ range, I am glad that I'm wearing some sort of "padding", mostly for the moisture wicking and reduced chafing that they offer. But the bottom line is that the OP should wear what works now and refine as needed.

Nice job on the weight loss and mileage increases.

RichardGlover

I bought some inexpensive cycling shorts from REI a couple months ago. Comfortable most of the time, but not all the time.

Here's what I'm learning...

They don't have a gusseted crotch, in fact, they have a front-back seam and an inseam that cross right in the middle.

Most of the time, that's fine. But on cold days, when I wear several layers over the shorts, the extra pressure causes that one point to chafe. As in - one day of riding (~13 miles round trip) with full cold-weather gear, and my perineum was rubbed raw. Ouch!

I may lower my seat 1/8" or so to handle the extra fabric layers. Maybe that'll help.

I think, long-term, I need better shorts. The cheap liner in these are already pilling, which is going to spell trouble on long rides.

Pinyon

I can't stand mountain biking shorts. But then again, I'm a roadie, and mostly only stand up at traffic lights and stop signs.

My take on shorts is:

• If you are going to be in the saddle less than an hour each way, it simply does not matter that much.
• Thick pads, and especially Gel pads suck. Gel pads are horrible. Run away.
• Thin pads are good (dry-out faster, don't "rub" as much, etc.).
• Baggy shorts with lots of fabric in the seat are bad (wet washcloth scrubbing action down there HURTS).
• Lycra is good. They may not look good on me, but they are so comfortable that I can forget that I'm wearing them (note to self: they look funny at the grocery store, even if you are on the bike...).

Seattle Forrest

I wear a merino (wool) base layer, half of which is a bit like long johns. The seams are flat, which means they feel like any other part of the fabric ... which is very smooth and soft. I've never had a problem with this; it's fine on a metric century.

myrridin

Who makes them and where do you get them? I have become enamored of merino wool and am planning on building my wardrobe around that fabric when I get down to a stable weight.

Boyd Reynolds

I skimmed some parts of this thread, so I may have missed something relevant. If so, please forgive me.

I hate liners. None of the three types I've tried were any good at all. They moved around and rubbed, and/or pinched my perineum. One pair would fall down my body like a teenager boy's jeans. Of course, they were all on the cheap end of the scale. I'm much happier in roadie bibs. Not that I think you need to follow me, I'm just relating my experience. I second the suggestion of Love2pedal for anyone looking for usable clothes at a low price point. Plus they offer big sizes in many products.

StephenH

Use what works, don't worry about it.

I've had one uncomfortable saddle (on a $100 bike) and all the rest I've used, I could spend hours on without any problems, wearing cotton shorts and whitey tighties or blue jeans or whatever. I've ridden 200k brevets in blue jeans and in cotton shorts. And I've now got a pair of bike shorts, and they work fine, too, so they're as much for style as anything.

chandltp

+1

I find the thicker (it seems also cheaper) chamois bunch up and cause the exact issue you describe with the pressure. My next pair of shorts is going to be tri shorts, since I understand they have really thin pads. Although I'm going to try the underarmour first, since I think they will work very well for me.

Wogster

Often peritoneum issues are because your sitting on it. Go for a short ride, and see where your butt is in relation to the saddle, your sit bones should be centred over the wide part of the saddle, if they are not, then you either need to fix your position on the bicycle, or change the saddle position to fit your riding position. This is the first part of the problem.

Now as to the shorts, not all shorts are created equal, some people like a thicker pad, others prefer a thinner pad, sound's like your one of those who prefers a thinner pad. Another thing to look for is how the pad is in the short, if it's bunched up, it will not be as comfortable as a flat pad. You may need to adjust the pad in the short if it bunches up.

myrridin

I don't think it is a fit or position issue, since I can ride the same bike in normal clothes with no problem. I only experience the problem when I am riding with the chamois liners instead of normal underwear. So unless the chamois liners are causing a position change I don't see how it could be bike fit/position?

irwin7638

Me too! I quit wearing diapers years ago.

Marc

Seattle Forrest

I have a few pairs made by different companies. They've all got their own strengths and weaknesses, but irrelevant to this thread. I usually get mine from BackCountryOutlet.com; a couple months ago I got two pairs of I/O BIO merino tights for $30 each. Generally, when I need a pair, or the top half of a base layer, I'll look for what's on sale, read the customer reviews, and get it if it's got "flat lock seams." They have a very generous return policy: if I don't like the stuff ( even after 20 years ) I can get a refund, so I'm open to experimenting.

For what it's worth, I've got an Arc'teryx base layer that's 95 % merino and 5 % lycra, so it's very, very stretchy. It's also the most expensive base layer I own.

dgrenthum

myrridin
i wear liners as well, and as others have noted all are not created equal. I went with nashbar at first and would have issues on occasion. When i switched to the cannondale liners everything got better. The pad was thinner but felt like it cushioned more and no more numbness.

You are not having issue with tighty whiteys, I say rock them. Eventually your rides will get longer and you will start to have issues. By that time you will be able to fit into the cannondales, which for me were outstanding.