Originally Posted by
Wooden Tiger
I've ridden with riders heavier than I am, and this is true. I'm always the slower one down the hill. I've even swapped bicycles with people for descents just to see if the results would change. They haven't. Physics 101.
Myth: Cycling shorts are far more comfortable without wearing underwear underneath them.
My Personal Experience: I'd recently tried taking that advice of "riding commando" and didn't make it halfway around the block before I felt like I was using sandpaper on my table, so to speak. I wasn't even on the bike for five minutes.
Very peculiar and, of course, very personal. The vast majority of cyclists do better commando. An awful lot of development goes into getting the seams, stitching, pad design in cycling shorts just right for comfortable riding. None of that applies to undershorts. Also if your undershorts are cotton, that means they hold the perspiration right up against your skin instead of wicking it away. Also not good. Rather than thinking you have debunked a myth (which it surely could be for you), why not try giving commando a longer trial? You might try using a chamois cream or Body Glide to lubricate the surfaces at least while you accustom yourself to the differences.
Of course if your underwear are silk...well, let's not go there.