I regularly commute 15 miles on my e-bike (just under 1 hour) with lycra boxer briefs (no padding) and regular basketball/athletic shorts. Or in a pinch I'll just use regular boxers under the athletic shorts. I have also done 15-20 mile rides on the e-bike with cargo shorts. The lycra boxer briefs are preferred, though, to help prevent chafing.

Most of it comes down to type of saddle and posture on the bike. On my road bike with a narrow saddle, I prefer bike shorts/bibs (including for commutes). On my e-bike with bolt upright posture and wider saddle, regular shorts/pants are fine, but athletic-style stuff is preferred (no jeans, yuck). My offroad gravel bike is sort of in between and I've done rides on it both with bike shorts and regular shorts.

Mountain biking shorts.
Where chamois and baggy pants meet.

Yeah but 5, 10, even 15 miles? Not really needed. Especially not for a 5 mile commute.

+1
I have a couple pairs I wear under unlined bibs & tights.
The chamois is a personal favorite: thin and dense.

MEN?S PADDED SKINS ? Andiamo Underwear

True dat. Check out this similar recent thread: Wearing jeans felt weird...

I wear loose athletic shorts (not lycra), with boxer briefs (normally I prefer tightie whities, but the seams are not bike-friendly). I am fortunate enough to have a locker room at work, so I can shower and change into work clothes.

It's the USAFA Bomber on a stick! (I live in Monument, CO)

PS. I wear Lycra/chamois every time I commute. Though the Lycra is more important than the chamois to me, for the anti-chaffing and sweat wicking effects. And the tight fitting Lycra is less likely to get snagged on the saddle while mounting/dismounting.

And looking like a sausage in front of your co-workers, is just motivation to ride more and look less like a sausage.

Commuting, Fat Biking, Touring, I go chamoisless.

First thing I had to solve was type of underwear, as I needed something supportive and that didn't have a crotch seam. After a few false starts (Target, Ex Officio) I've settled on Arcteryx Phase SL Boxers. Tried a pair on sale, then bought another when it worked. They are very light, very supportive, and have a bit of a seam, but it's a nice flat one. They also dry very quickly, so I rotate my two pair, handwashing one pair every morning or evening.

In shorts weather I wear a pair of Swrve Durable Cotton shorts to commute ($90 regular, but I bought them for $30 from someone who bought the wrong size) and Zoic Ether MTB shorts for trail riding (on sale for $30 through REI Garage). In cold weather I wear Montane Terras or Haglofs Rugged Mountain II pants (Sierra Trading Post). My commuter/tourer/trail bike has a Brooks B-17 saddle, the fat bike has an Ergon SME3 Pro.

When I ride my road bike I still wear bike shorts, but not for anything else.

Hi Neighbor!

I wear hiking pants. The ones where you can zip on/off the legs. Most of the rear I ride with the shorts and when the temps drop the legs go on. They are thin and light and easily dry when wet.

What does the rest of the rear get?

My commute is 5.5 miles each way... I don't wear biking clothes for this. Whatever I'm wearing to work, it's fine on the bike.

I have done lots of longer rides, over 100 miles, in street clothes. I realize this doesn't work for everyone, but it's fine for me.

No shorts.

Reminds me of a chick I saw in a restaurant once, her jean shorts were so short, when she sat down, I don't think there was any denim touching the bench

Wrangler Outdoor Series "hiking pants"
Link here: https://www.wrangler.com/shop/men-ou...tionId=NW740SB

I get them at Target for $24 stretchy, light weight, zippered pocket, and business casual enough.

Have you considered a different bike? Millions of people throughout Europe ride to/from work everyday and do so in normal clothes on normal city bikes. They consider 'kit' for anything less than 20-30 miles silly.

More: City Bikes | LocalMile

In my experience a road bike is tough with anything other than proper bibs or shorts. OTOH, I ride my Workcycles Opafiets every day to work, lunch, grocery, pharmacy, etc.

My commute is 7.5 miles. I got a few pairs of $25 old navy khakis with a bit of lycra mixed in. Look like normal pants, but they're a bit stretchy. I thought it was a gimmick...but they're pretty comfy on the bike.

Try a Lycra covered saddle. Two of my bikes have these. The road bike has an old Terry brand saddle in the Selle Turbo style with Lycra fabric over thin padding. Very comfortable, even wearing jeans.

On the plus side, Lycra over gel or dense foam saddles breathe well and basically work exactly the same way as chamois shorts.

On the minus side, all the sweat gets transferred to the saddle. And they get soggy in rain. I air dry them with a small fan after every ride, and occasionally spray them with Febreze or other fabric cleaners/deodorizers.

I keep waiting for these Lycra saddles to wear out so I can have an excuse to replace them, but the doggone things last forever. One of 'em is scuffed through the fabric on one edge from a crash, but it won't tear or get worse. I'll probably swap the Terry saddle over to my flat bar hybrid, switch the flat bar hybrid's old Bell Lycra saddle over to the comfort hybrid, and get a "proper" road bike saddle for the Centurion. It probably won't be as comfortable.

Good option, especially if you are on a budget and don't have a super-demanding commute.

You can find something similar @ Walmart and Sears, too, between $18~$25. Usually in khaki or black, they can usually pass in a business casual environment, especially if, as I do, you tend to dress on the 'technical' side.

I wear them with the 'performance' boxer briefs you find in the athletic section of any department store. They usually say 'Dry-tech' 'Cool-tech' or something to the like. Wide waistbands, flat seams, and better wicking than regular cotton skivvies.

I have a 12 mile commute (MTB) and I find that as long as it's in the mid 70's or cooler, I can arrive at work without getting sweaty.

Underwear: I find decent synthetic underwear more comfortable both on the bike and everywhere else, so that's all I have now. "ExOfficio Men's Give-n-Go Boxer Brief". My experience is that trying to bike with cotton underwear is sometimes a real bad time.

Cheap: Just any stretchy workout shorts/shirt.
Fashionable: Buy mountain bike shorts. Meant for biking, look like shorts, stylish. Expensive though.

If you feel that you need the padding that comes with shorts, mountain bike shorts have that as a removeable liner, and you can buy "underwear" style stuff that fits under any other shorts. I actually find riding more comfortable with a decent seat and no padding so I don't bother.

i much prefer no padding as well. nice to know i am not alone there.

under armour briefs (9" inseam) with REI hiking pants or shorts. The products are extremely comfortable, briefs give great support, and pants/shorts are extremely durable. My REI shorts have been making 2-5 commutes per week for 6 months out of the year for the last 10 years. They are a bit faded, but still extremely functional and look like they might have another 10 years in them.

I figured since it's cold out today, street clothes are fine. Now I'm not so sure. Either I need to choose better street clothes or go back to cycling clothes. I'll try both. I was too hot today.

Hey, it's a B2VT jersey! I haven't ridden but see lots of them around Boston (duh).

Chamois, an agile goat-antelope with short hooked horns, found in mountainous areas of Europe from Spain to the Caucasus.

+1

Or try a Mountain bike short with a built-in chamois?