I don't know the answer to any of your questions. I have some L. Garneau bibs, some Performance gel Century shorts, an old pair of Theresa Jackson, and a couple others. I'm not sure any one is better than the others. I've been experiencing some chafing issues lately that I never had before. It's not the pads, and I don't believe it's a saddle issue either; doesn't matter if I'm on a Concor, Brooks Pro, Brooks Swift... I've come to the theory that back in the day when I wore wool shorts with actual chamois, the pads were wider. Now, with narrower pads, the stitching at the edge gives me fits. I'd say the best combo I have right now is the Jackson shorts (which have a wide pad, although it's just a piece of fleece) and the Swift.