I have a couple pairs of cheapo Nishiki padded cycling briefs that I got at Dicks or Sports Authority or wherever, when I was just starting out and was too chicken to get proper bike shorts. I find they are very comfortable to wear for long periods of time off the bike and now I use them when I'm running errands and just want to wear "street" clothes, but have a decent amount of riding to do. Today for instance, I had to run to Target and get my hair cut, with total riding distance being 15 miles...not wearing bike shorts for that. The main difference is that the cycling briefs are tight mesh rather than full lycra, so they breath a lot better than regular bike shorts, which don't seem to wick well if covered in jeans or cargo shorts.