I love my padded cycling shorts. I have two pairs of Ibex padded shorts (one short, one 3/4 El Fito), and I have one pair of Salomon windproof tights with a chamois.

I also have one pair of Icebreaker wool bike shorts that have survived from my first tour in 2012, through my VT tour to Canada, through a violent crash in Colorado (they were the only thing I was wearing that didn't shred), and now Iceland too. So, you might say those are my lucky bike shorts. I have worn them on every tour now!

I like wool bike shorts from Ibex because even the pad is woolen, so nothing stinks. The Icebreaker shorts haven't been available for years, but they're more durable than the Ibex ones. Ibex shorts also have a pretty minimal pad.

The pad, for me, helps me change positions in my saddle over the course of the day without losing support. I have a very thin build below the belt, so my hip bones get sore pretty quickly. The bike shorts help a lot for me. I'm sitting in a coffeeshop right now wearing my Ibex 3/4 shorts, and I couldn't be happier - I live in these things. If I don't have work that I need to dress professionally for, I wear them all day long and spend my day on the bike.