Has anyone found seamless underwear? I have the champion C9 shorts and they work great, but the seams (as well as the seams from most briefs) go right under my sit bones.

Was having the same problem but I was suggested (on this thread) to try cycling shorts. I always refused to, mostly for the look, a bit because of the price. I bought my first pair this last friday and tried them for the first time yesterday on a 114 kms ride and let me say that I should've tried it on my first bike ride ever! Much more comfortable. I got even ride of the perpetual numbness in my right foot!

I'm not opposed to cycling shorts; I have two pair. But I'm on and off the bike a couple of times a day, everyday, and switching to already-worn cycling shorts does not appeal to me. I only put on cycling shorts when I am going to ride more than 25 miles.

No underwear. Never cotton. You just can't beat wicking cycling shorts in hot weather. Get used to them.

+1 bike liners or bike shorts. the pads are for moisture management not padding for saddle discomfort. I prefer thin lined tri shorts but I make sure to get them big enough to my waist. oh - and many trishorts don't have a liner so be sure to get the liner. most regular bike shorts have thick liners, maybe you won't mind them. I just wear the shorts under other shorts like MTB shorts

What?? Cycling underwear?
 

I go 20 miles each way and like to ride hard so it's a no brainer for me to wear cycling specific shorts & change at work.

Back in college days I rode a Schwinn varsity less than 5 miles at a leisurely speed and I just wore normal clothing.

Basically if the distance that you cover or the way that you ride makes street clothes an uncomfortable option, then you are most likely a candidate for cycling shorts. Get MTB ones if you don't want to look like a superhero. ;)

I am going to give some of these ideas a try. It would be nice to wear regular clothes to commute in and be comfortable, and be family friendly at the same time.

But, to be honest - padded cycling shorts are the pinnacle of cycling comfort if you ask me. I just wish I could find regular clothes that were as comfortable.

here are the thinly padded trishorts I use. make sure you get them big enough

Zoot Men's Endurance 8 Tri Short
http://www.amazon.com/Zoot-Endurance...ing+tri+shorts

then over those wear loose athletic shorts. The key to the over shorts is legs that don't bind on the up stroke. I find the best are cycling specific for mountain biking with their liner removed. or quality athletic shorts like from Lulu Lemon. They are at most malls and they look like a chic store but they do have a small men's section with quality stuff. I highly recommend trying anything on as opposed to mail order but here is their web site. I don't see as much on their web site as I remember seeing in the store

http://shop.lululemon.com/products/category/men-shorts

I had a couple of pairs of Merino briefs. They were extremely comfortable and, as you say, could be worn for several days without being washed. The problem is they're expensive and my saddle quickly wore a hole in them. I wish someone would make them with a reinforced seat for cyclists.

I've had good luck with athletic trunk style underwear. They are wicking tech fabric, have minimal flat lock seams, and have enough spandex to make them form fitting but more comfortable than compression shorts. I wear them under a variety of summer shorts, even jean shorts, for recreational rides and have never had chaffing or other moisture problems. I have even (let the fallout begin) worn them under my cycling shorts. As long as you take a few seconds to carefully smooth them out under the cycling shorts, you don't even know they are there and the smooth fabric on smooth fabric provides an extra layer of friction protection.

As mentioned, loose fitting cotton is not a good choice.

On my commute to work I just throw on my gelled seat cover and that seams to do the trick.It's only on long commutes I'll wear riding shorts under a pair of shorts.

I couldn't find the post this was responding too, but it seems like it might be answering the question I came here to ask. For everyday riding, how often do people wash their cycling shorts? Do they wash them after every ride and change into a fresh pair every day or keep reusing the same ones for a few days? I've always had a hangup about having to wear a clean pair of underwear and washing them after one use, but after my first chafing problem I'm ready to take the full plunge. I don't want to collect 5 pairs of liner shorts though since the things are not cheap, so it seems I'd have to ride in them multiple times before washing them to be economical.

Yeah, wash them after every ride. That might just mean rinsing them out in the sink (with or without soap) and hanging them over the shower curtain rod to dry, but you really need to wash them every ride otherwise bacteria accumulate and you can get some nasty infections that'll make you wish for your chafing issues.

It was already mentioned before but I also wear under armor and just regular khaki shorts and dont have any problems. I do intend to buy some of the padded mountain biking shorts. Walmart sells similar under wear by Starter and its half the price of UA and its just as comfortable if not more.

I just bought a couple pair yesterday. ~$10 a pair in my local Walmart, and after riding today, they are very comfortable and do the trick. I just can't justify spending $25+ for a pair of underwear.

Well, I'm glad that someone brought this up... I've always been riding with various forms of cotton underneath various shorts (also jeans - bad idea) and usually end up uncomfortable fairly quickly.
Would I be correct in thinking the general suggestion is something like this:

http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Cyclin...horts-mens.jsp

Which I could wear underneath a normal pair of shorts?
Or is it something like this:

http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Cyclin...horts-mens.jsp

I think you would like either of those options better than cotton.

Here is my favorite:

http://store.aerotechdesigns.com/topshcysh.html

If you are going to be using them for everyday commuting, one quality to value is how easy they are to care for. If you can find ones that are machine washable (and even better, machine dryable) and will withstand regular washings, you can get by with 2 pairs if you do laundry every other day or more frequently.

Definitely go with bike shorts over cotton, though.

I have to know, these folks that propose to wear "underwear" under bike shorts... do you also wear "underwear" under your bathing suit?

I wear briefs and just ride in the regular pants I wear at work (Dickies cargo pants) which I tuck into my socks before I ride.
Yes I look like a dork but really don't care.
14 miles and it is no problem. Probably because I am such a hard ass. :D

Thanks. Yeah, it's going to have to be the sink. I'm fairly dogmatic about not doing my laundry more than once a week.

The ideal thing is to get 2-3 pairs of shorts and yes, wash them in the sink, and then let them dry for a day or two, and wear the others in the mean time. Works well and the shorts are much better off if they have a longer time to dry.

I wash the shorts by hand with an anti bacterial soap. Just takes a minute or two. Did it this way on long tours where I was spending hours and hours in the saddle... no problem. (I would bungee cord the damp shorts to my sleeping bag roll on the back of the bike to let them dry)

If sweating is the problem you'll be needing cool air flow around those areas. Therefore you want no underwear at all and some loose shorts. Furthermore if you keep the rest of your body cooler you will sweat less. So consider a loose tank top. Avoid backpacks.

Bike shorts, spandex, snug fitting, fairly thin pad, good quality, bike jersey, nothing else, get over it.

If you're really shy, get a long, wicking tee-shirt instead of the jersey.

I just wanted to say thanks for the OP again for posting this, and for all the responses. I got a pair of padded liners from MEC yesterday and rode with them under regular cargo shorts for 60km today. I was more comfortable in those for the duration of the trip than I ever have been before... I can't believe that I've been riding for decades without trying these!

+1 I have been wearing the Starter brand athletic underpants. They wick moisture and are very comfortable.