I figure that the thickly padded shorts are a response to all the lousy plastic and foam saddles that come with bikes these days. I use Brooks suspended leather saddles on my bikes and for short rides (<20 miles) I wear anything I want (I commute in my chinos) and for long rides where chafing comes into play I wear bike shorts with a very thin synthetic chamois. The problem is that most of the bike shorts manufacturers have shifted over to ridiculously thick pads that feel like diapers. Ridiculous! Last I checked, Aerotech was the one shorts maker that had the option of a thin chamois.