Originally Posted by RoadLight

Hi Samuraidog,

There are several kinds of fit for cycling shorts and some cycling clothing manufacturers offer a variety which can make sizing tricky. For example, Pearl Izumi (my favorite) offers three main lines: Select, Elite and Pro. The Select have a more relaxed fit. The Elite have a mild compression fit. And the Pro have a full-on compression fit for athletes working very hard for sustained periods of time. This causes some buyers to mistakenly think that a "Pro" short is too small when the same size fits in a "relaxed-fit" short. But they are wrong---they misunderstand the intent of the manufacturer and are buying the wrong type of short. A "Pro" short is intended to fit tightly---but it's made of lycra so it will flex and move with you---it won't hurt you.

The reason I explain the above is because I started with the Select, progressed to the Elite and now I favor the Pro shorts. Having used all three types, the Pro shorts reduce chafing the most because their compression fit allows very little rubbing of the lycra fabric against your skin. Weather permitting, I ride five 35-mile routes per week (175 miles/week). I never have to worry about chafing with either Pearl Izumi's Elite or Pro shorts and the Pro are best (and most expensive). I never need to use a lubricant for these 35-mile rides.

However, when I ride a century (100 miles in one day), I will usually use a stick lubricant (Body Glide) before beginning the ride and never have a problem during the ride in spite of the long hours and sweating during hot weather. High quality cycling shorts with a light or full compression fit is the most important key to know.

A mistake that many newbies make is to wear underwear under their lycra road cycling shorts. This not only looks bad, it also reduces the cycling shorts anti-chafing ability. Road cycling shorts are designed to wear "commando"---that is without any underwear. That's the only way to achieve the proper fit against your skin to reduce/eliminate chafing.

As for the pad or chamois that most cycling shorts include, it is to make the bike seat more comfortable---it doesn't help the chafing. The pad is largely a matter of personal preference and price and brand have very little to do with it. My personal favorite is the pad in the Pearl Izumi Pro shorts and I wait for them to go on sale and buy them at a discount.

If you commute to work or need to wear street clothes while cycling, you can get cycling underwear. It is basically cycling shorts that you wear under your regular clothes. Their pads are usually a little smaller than normal road cycling shorts. These undergarments are popular with mountain bikers who love to wear baggy shorts over them. However, you can achieve the same thing by wearing normal road cycling shorts under your street clothes, too.

Lastly, if you cycle in cool weather, you may buy a pair of tights. Some of the road cycling tights include a pad and some do not and it seems that more do not these days. The variety with a pad are intended to be worn by themself. However, if you buy cycling tights without a pad, you are supposed to wear your cycling shorts with pad underneath them. I find this better than tights with a pad because it gives you two layers during cold weather and the shorts protect you from chafing better than tights. Tights by themself, will tend to move more against your skin because they are involved in greater leg movement.

Kind regards, RoadLight