Suggestions for shorts
 

I am looking for women's cycling shorts that meet the following criteria:

-not booty shorts (at least 7" inseam)
-minimal chamois such as found in some tri shorts
-no elastic waistband

Any suggestions and/or links would be appreciated. I am tired of regular chamois bunching up and causing chafing, so minimal chamois is quite important.

Take a look at these.
http://www.voler.com/category.aspx?c...S-WOMENS-SHORT
http://www.voler.com/category.aspx?c...MS-WOMENS-BIBS

I've been wearing their bibs since 2003 :thumb: -- men's version. :)

Hmmm, wish I could see the pad.

This is what I tried out today: http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodLG_1050301.html

Worked out fine, but the inseam is just too short. If I could make that short with about 3 more inches of inseam, I would be sold. The chamois is pretty minimal; it seems to be about the thickness of a doubled over cycling sock. Combine that with the narrowness of the pad, and no chafing.

Have you tried the women's forum?

Take a look at J&G cycle shorts.
They look like "running shorts", have a thin pad, work well, last a long time & aren't too expensive.
I often wear a pair swimming and other summer activities.

Me too, I even missed out on a deal on the mens once, so took a gamble and bought one size up in the ladies. Fits well, hard to tell from the mens, but has slimmer cut on the pad, which I also prefer. Good shorts either way.

I just got a pair of Voler Equipe shorts - and I like them. The pad's thin but comfy and unintrusive.

booty shorts - hehehe

I never heard them called that before but it fits

Click on the shorts or bibs you like and then scroll down the page. There's a picture of the pad and a description of the material.

The tri shorts don't have that option, only a description of the pad. I have several pairs of shorts with the Diamante pad, and those bunch up on me :(

Companies have telephones ... call them up and ask perhaps? just a thought..

minimal ... That a thickness or surface area criteria?

more of a surface area. most chamois have the actual padding, and then there is an extra layer that extends an inch or more around the pad itself. that extra stuff is what is bunching up. tri chamois seem to have a very narrow overall area, which is what i need. the thickness is nice too, but i dislike all the extra "padding" around the main pad, it just isn't needful.

Really, give the J&G short a try - you will like it.

Try the forums over at Team Estrogen. Very helpful ladies over there.

Here, these are made by Voler and use the Tri ( Sorento) pad. Seems to be what you seek.
http://www.hammernutrition.com/produ...horts.stw.html

These look very like the pad used in a pair of women's Cannondale shorts that I bought many years ago, more or less by accident. The most comfortable pair I owned for years.

The pad in the tri shorts I have isn't anything like the pad in my road shorts. It's more or less an extra layer of thicker fabric, there really isn't any padding.

You might also try asking in the women's forum. You can get access by sending a PM to Siu Blue Wind (administrator).

Check DeSoto shorts because the padding is nearly non existent. Closer to a pantiliner than a maxiboard.

I think Voler's monolith pad is pretty minimalistic yet protective, shoot any Voler pad will be unobtrusive.

OTOH, my Pearl Izumis feel like I'm wearing a diaper.

coldfeet, thank you! That shows what the pad looks like, and it looks like it will do the trick.

nthach- I have two PI shorts that I bought when I was first starting out with cycling; $100 shorts. they are sitting in a bag somewhere because I will never wear another PI short again. Those shorts ulcerated (yep you read that right) my undercarriage. Worse than a saddle sore. The padding is so thick it doesn't really stay in place, causing issues (at least for me).

Currently I have several voler shorts with the diamante pad. The padding itself doesn't bother me, but that stupid extra fabric around the main pad bunches up and causes chafing no matter how much chamois cream I butter up the undercarriage with. I think I can use them for short rides, but anything over 30 miles I am gonna need a more minimal pad.

Aero Tech Designs has many woman's styles and several with minimal or no padding. Woman owned too.

I'm pretty much sold on Voler shorts here. As for PI, they used to be pretty good but since they offshored their production they aren't what they used to be.