Here's the thing...

It's summer and it's hot. I wear padded lycra under my shorts / pants the rest of the year, but it's just way too hot to do that now. I really try to not ride in just cycling shorts / jersey unless I'm putting in some serious miles. (I try to not be THAT guy wearing a full kit on a 7 mile commute to work.)

That being said, what do you guys wear under your casual shorts? I've just been wearing [tighter-fitting] briefs to keep my junk in place. I'm on a B-17, so I don't really need padding for a 14 mile round trip. My priorities are to keep cool and keep my stuff in place.

Why not just get some MTB cargo shorts that already have the padding?

https://www.ediscountbike.com/pr/Liqu...ns-Large/41913

I wear Endura Hummvee knickers on my 30 mile round trip commute, but don't bother with the included removable chamois. Too diaper thick for my tastes. I wear Pearl iZUMi Elite Tri Cycling Shorts underneath the Hummvees. Nice and thin and cool. If the temps get too hot, I just tuck the Humvees into my backpack and rock only the Izumis. Lots of pockets on the Hummvees.


https://www.amazon.com/Endura-Hummvee...2291451&sr=8-1


https://www.amazon.com/Pearl-iZUMi-El...2291584&sr=1-3


If you want lighter shorts, i hear that these rock.


https://www.amazon.com/Endura-Hummvee...2291451&sr=8-2

But with a Brooks saddle, you could probably get away without a chamois. Maybe just use the totally awesome Champion Duo Dry short leg boxer briefs from Target, underneath your shorts.

Merino wool boxers, Devold (available from Rivendell) or I/O Bio are my favorites and first choice, but they ain't cheap. WallyMart has some Starter poly boxer briefs that work well and are much less expensive (as are the Champions from Target).

Dude, it's supposed to be 112F by the time I'm headed home today, I don't care WHAT GUY I am, I'm wearing the spandex because it's the most comfortable option. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to beat the heat.

You know you can get the Endura Zyme knickers for 1/3 - 1/2 the price of the Hummvees because they don't come with the inner diaper (but can take them if you want them). I've been using the Zymes and wool/poly boxers for a long time.

I wear swim trunks. They keep things contained and breathe well.

There's a lot of options between cycling shorts/lightweight shirt and full kit.

I have some plain black tri-shorts and a few different "Champion" shirts from Target. The nice bonus with the tri-shorts is that I can take a quick swim on my way to or from work and be mostly dry by the time I get to work or home. At least as dry as I would be if I were only sweating.

Several companies sell bike short liners that you wear under regular shorts/pants. I have a few from Peral Izumi & Andiamo. Both of them work well & are very lightweight.

I swear by the champion breathable shorts ..... they are a real godsend when all my MTB shorts are in the wash.

e-x-a-c-t-l-y. Besides, you probably have noticed througout your commuting experience; nobody else cares enough about you to care what you wear.

Otherwise, wear shorts over bike shorts.

Wow, swim trunks with that mesh seem like a really bad idea for anything over a mile or two! It'd be embedded in my skin!

Cycling shorts FTW. Most comfortable, most ergonomic, nobody really cares what I'm wearing even if I did feel self conscious, which I don't.

I tried overshorts and such but just committing to cycling shorts is easier. Occasionally I'll wear the champion briefs mentioned above when shorts need washing. I don't "need" padding for my commute but I do need the right fabric/no seams on my skin.

I recently bought a pair of triathlon short from Pearl Izumi and I highly recommend it. I bought those for my tri but also had in mind to also use it for other purpose. I used it now for my daily commute. The padding is not as thick as a normal bike short but just enough for my ride. (20km one way) They feel like any compress undies I own and on top of that, they dry very quickly. You can wear them under normal short without anyone (if any) noticing that you have some kind of bike short under. Have a look.

https://www.pearlizumi.com/publish/co...o__shorts.html

Cheers

I wear J&G Cycle touring shorts and a t-shirt. Work well for commuting.

I do not understand the aversion to cycling shorts and jerseys on this forum. I wear synthetic cycling clothes on EVERY ride -- commuting, touring, recreational, whatever. Cycling-specific clothing is breathable, comfortable, dries quickly, etc. Who cares what I look like? My jerseys are all brightly colored, so I stand out in traffic.

Non-cycling specific clothing can accomplish the same - and can be both cheaper and useful for more than just cycling.

Ditto. Right tools for the right job.

I usually ride wearing cycling shorts, the triathlon type, they're quick drying with a small, thin chamois. But when I don't I often wear beach/swimming shorts or hiking shorts and never bother with underwear. I find most of the baggy cycling shorts too hot. I also tried a bike specific underwear with chamois and it was too warm too most of the time.

Try that during summer in the Southeast. Your clothes will be literally soaking wet from sweat after a few miles. We have had 90 to 100+ degree weather continuously since mid-May with high humidity. Doesn't matter what I wear or for how long, my clothes are gonna get soaked so I might as well wear breathable gear that dries out quickly during the day.

Yeah, me too. My commute is just under 10 miles each way. Even if I rode 3 miles total, I still would wear cycling clothes. Jump outta bed, brush my teeth throw on my cycling clothes and out the door in about 10 minutes. BTW, I get the Target/Wal-Mart Starter or champion brand shorts to wear between me and my cycling shorts. When the chamois is against my skin (especially on long rides) I have the tenancy to chafe. When I started wearing those, It stopped.

The good thing about wearing kits is you can rinse them out and hang them up to dry. By the time I leave work they are ready to go. I suppose you could do that with any kind of clothing, but with the spandex it's a quick and easy job.

Oh please...I've rode or commuted in North Carolina (Cherry Point & Jacksonville), South Carolina (Beaufort), Georgia (Savannah), Florida (Space Coast, Keys), Alabama (Birmingham), Mississippi (Oxford) and Tennessee (Memphis) during summer months.

You still seem to have this misconception that only cycling-specific clothing is wicking or breathable. You're incorrect.

Thanks for the input, fellas. I'm going to pick up a couple pairs of the Champion boxer-briefs tonight and try those out.

Like I said, there's nothing inherently wrong with wearing a kit when commuting. It's just not my style for short rides.

Cheers

Simplest and cheapest undie solution---wear two pairs of briefs under your shorts or pants. I find it works as well as padded shorts.

Gold bond

Magellan shorts, mesh liner. No undies.

You don't need cycling clothing for that short of a commute. I ride 7 miles each way in Redding, CA where it is always around 100 in the summer. Just wear athletic shorts and boxer briefs. Just toughen up your buttskin!