My 12 mile daily commute causes me some chafing down below, so I'm guessing I need to invest in a decent pair of cycling shorts.

Any recommendations?

TIA

See this thread and this thread.

lbs should have many kinds...usally they have some in discount sale....i love my padded lycra

I'm a fan of the Pearl Izumi Ultrasensor shorts.

I wear these most every day: https://www.amazon.com/Shorts-Cycling...9048308&sr=8-2

I've been pretty happy with them. They're a pretty good value imo.

www.velowear.com

I wear linen shorts from Kohls, just to throw another option out there.

My favorite pair is actually meant for recumbent riders. No padding.
https://www.hostelshoppe.com/cgi-bin/...sory=983911749

I knew there were differences in bike shorts but I never knew how good they could be until my wife bought me these Italian shorts - Giordana is the brand. It's the only pair of bike shorts I've ever worn where I've never had to adjust my package while riding, if-ya-know-whut-ah-mean. I've worn four or five brands of bike shorts at many different price points. The Giordana's are the best I've ever experienced.

I wear hammer nutrition shorts. They're made by Voler, are 60 bucks, but have the same pad as the 100 dollar voler shorts from other sites. If you don't mind the graphics (I wear regular shorts over them) then they're a deal IMO.

https://www.hammernutrition.com/produ...navcat=cycling

No shorts. Get Bibs.

if he commutes in a kit

+1, if you're going to do the lycra thing. Seems to be some sort of aversion to it from some folks.

I wore non-bib shorts for about 15 years before someone enlightened me, now bibs are all I wear. Sooooo much better.

Tougher however if you have to take care of some "business" out on the road. No. 1 business, not so bad. No. 2 business...... you kinda have to disrobe. Take care of your "business" before you leave the house.

Not really, can just throw on any old top. If he's looking at cycling shorts other than MTB ones IMHO he should be looking at bibs.

Zoot on clearance or cheap Adidas non padded shorts from Nordstrom Rack.

Ok, enlighten me.

The closest thing I have to bibs is a tri-suit. It's great for triathlons because I don't have to worry about trying to get a shirt on my wet body. But from a comfort perspective I don't see a real advantage over just shorts. So what do people like about bibs?

I've never worn bibs myself, just shorts, but i'm guessing it's something to do with elastic in the waistband? dunno.. I could use some enlightenment myself.

Well, if you're young, fit, and skinny, there is less of an advantage. But If not, the whole "no waist band" thing is a definite comfort enhancer for me.

+1 on the Voler shorts, if you check their closeouts for your size, they are extremely good value, if the colors don't make you gag. Their size charts are pretty good too.

If looking at the shorts in person, do not assume that the thicker pad is more comfortable, the purpose is to minimize chafing not bump absorption.

And finally, the best cure for problems with the sitting area, is to get stronger, I only suffer from serious butt pain when very tired, that's when I'm actually "sitting" on the saddle. When you're "riding," you're more "perched." Then most of your weight is on your legs and arms.

Completely agree. I wish I had taken this advice early on. I initially bought the non-bib shorts and eventually broke down and purchased a pair of bibs to see what I was "missing out" on. Well, those non-bib shorts haven't seen daylight since.

I've found bathing suits surprisingly comfortable to ride in.

The mesh part for containment allows a nice breeze. (:

Nema crown jewel mtb shorts, best ever, can't wear them out.

Ok, as an old fart I'll weigh in here.

If you're a 120lb with flat abs, it probably makes less of a difference. But as you get a bit of softer living behind you, you may as many of us do develop not so flat a stomach. In that case and combined with the posture on a road bike shorts will have a tendency to roll down. Don't know about you, but I find it annoying. Bibs pretty much eliminate that.

Drawback is that in order to go to the bathroom you have to about undress, but to me it's a small price to pay.

I have always done triathlons topless and wondered why some guys wear a top. For women, our prudish society insist they wear tops so OK, I get it. Personally I think they should also be allowed to go topless but that's just me. Apparently most other people do not agree with me. But why would a guy wear a top if he doesn't have to?

If one has an upper body like mine or is prone to skin cancer like I am.

Shirts/tops are required for both men and women in my favorite tri and at least a couple others I've done. Don't ask me why. They're not required for men while swimming.

Even if our society didn't care about women being topless, running without some sort of support for those that have a lot up top might not be all that comfortable.