I sweat through boxers and shorts or pants within 10 miles leaving a roughly saddle shaped black mark in 70 degree weather.

Cycling shorts don't retain as much sweat, the black mark doesn't show, and I get to change out of them.

I bought some adidas Techfit compression shorts for $14.99, they seem to work really well. They wick away sweat really well.

Uh, you can get black shorts...and you are allowed the change out of them when you get to work.

It also depends on how much you sweat. Comfort-wise, I could ride my 11 mile one-way route just fine in denim shorts & cotton t-shirt, but I sweat a lot, and they'd still be wet at the end of the day for my ride home. And they'd stink up my office far more than my spandex, which is mostly dry when I get to work, and completely dry by lunchtime.

My regular non-cotton shorts/knickers dry much faster than the chamois of most cycling shorts. They do make shorts out of materials like polyester, wool, nylon, and many blends...cotton is not your only option.

Agree with you. Get some non-cotton boxers though.

All the money I save by cycling on used bicycles, I invest in top-grade underwear.

There are two issues here. One is the sweat managemant and the other is the seams in the contact area . When I had a 5 mile each way commute it didn't matter what I wore. I prefered sythetic undies in the summer but no real issues. Now that I ride 15 miles I need to change anyway, so I wear bike shorts. Mt. bike shorts work for me as I don't think my coworkers are ready for Spandex yet.

My IO-Bio merino wool undies have flat seams and a gusseted crotch, as do the much cheaper poly Starter undies I get from Walmart. The great thing about the merino wool undies...they're dry by the time I get cleaned up and ready to dress in my work clothes.

Is there something wrong with sitting at your desk with lycra bike shorts? Is that why I'm getting those funny looks?

A recent convert here. Got mine at 50% off a couple weeks ago. Still worth the price at 20% off.

I bought the Performance spandex shorts a couple of years ago before I was fully committed to frequent commuting, and didn't want to spend a lot of money. I'm very pleased with them, and they are showing no distress from a heavy spill I took on concrete that left a bruise on my hip & thigh for many weeks.

1. where can I find good pairs that are inexpensive? LBS's really kill me on clothing.
- There are pros and cons when it comes to shoppin at your LBS. Pros = the fact that you can try them out. Cons = High Price. But if they have a clearance rack hit it up !
2. how many pairs do you need for a person commuting 3-5 times a week? I have one for commuting but I only use it for the rainy days.

3. how do you keep them clean for the commute? Using a Washer all the time seems like overkill..could I do quick washes in the sink at work? just hand wash them at home =)

Use the gentle cycle on washer and hang dry

So far I just have the one pair. Wash it whenever it needs washing.

I see people at both ends of the saddle position extreme on my commute. Some have it way too low and will probably get knee pain after a while. Some have it too high and are most likely getting really saddle sore due to their pelvises rocking around the saddle with every pedal stroke. If you're getting discomfort on a commute of 40 minutes or less, it's worth having someone look at your position on the bike. You don't want your leg to be completely straight at the bottom of the pedal stroke, especially with your toes pointing downward.

which is...after every ride, right? otherwise, ewww

I've seen this mentioned a couple of times in this thread... what are the concerns with running your jerseys and shorts through the dryer? I've been doing this for the past year, and am wondering if there's a reason I should reconsider this practice.

In deference to modesty and social acceptance I wear mtb shorts w/padded spandex liners for my 41 mile rt commute. I've got 4 pairs. While not uncomfortable myself w/full kit I'd rather avoid any situation where I'm spoken to regarding 'office attire'. When on a recreational rb ride I wear a pair of Pearl Izumi spandex shorts. During the winter I've got a pair of Craft winter tights worn for both disciplines. They're pretty thick and do a great job. For spring/fall I'll wear a combo of lined shorts, leg warmers or bib tights because often it's much warmer in the afternoon and less clothing is needed.

Afa decent pricing I'd second the post regarding Aerotech Designs. I've gotten some stuff from them and it's high quality for the money.