How many chamois types are there and are they designed for specific types of riding. Currently I have two pair of Pearl Izumi (Quest, Expedition) and 1 Craft and they all seem to have different chamois in them. They feel slightly different in thickness and density which makes me think that they might be best for specific types of riding. Then I was reading on the weekend that dhb has a short specific for trainers which has a super breathable chamois.

Just wondering if there are some specific attributes for a chamois that a person should be looking for based on their type and duration of riding. The majority of my rides are 2-3hrs duration with the odd full day ride on a mix of gravel, double track dirt - basically country roads and back road touring. I do have a trainer but haven't thought to much about shorts chamois for that as yet.

Or am I being a bit too analytical in my thinking?

Maybe this. I've found that if a bib is comfortable for an hour, it remains so for 5 or 6 hours, pretty much my max for a day. Chafing is what you want to avoid and that's pad shape rather than amount of padding. If you find something you like, buy a few because they'll likely have changed by the next time you shop.

I’m only aware of tri shorts, which have a thin pad that allows for running. Otherwise, no. And yes, you may be overthinking it.

The Quest fit is probably the best overall for me. I've not tried bib shorts as yet as they are a little pricer and I'm not sure what the advantages are - although they seem very popular. Its kind of funny but I've not seen a bike short Ad that shows a picture of the chamois only the short outer view.

Exactly. <heavy sigh>

My personal opinion is that there's a bunch of different chamois on the market because (a) there's a bunch of manufacturers who make and want to sell their pads, and (b) there's a bunch of marketing people who want to sell pads. So make one red, one green, one thick, one thin. If you read enough advertising copy you'll come away either disillusioned or confused. This one says thicker pads for longer rides, that one says thinner pads with thicker middle for longer rides, the other one says thinnest pads for longest rides. I've got one pair that's so thick it feels like 1/4" plywood rubbing around the edges.

My personal preference is thin pads so they don't chafe around the edges, and for the shorts they're sewn into, no side seam out from the pad in the middle of the crotch.

After a while, you may learn the eccentricities of each kind of short and apply chamois cream where they chafe.

Every now and again you'll find some shorts that exhibit some skill and subject knowledge in their design. Then it's time for:

​​​​​​​Quick! before it's too late!

My friend has the same complaint about bras!!!!

OMG, I've spent this morning over coffee looking at a few brands of shorts on various websites and did some google searches - its enough to make your head spin with all the verbiage they use to sell or describe the attributes. Decided to try an hour on the trainer with each of my current short types and see which seems the most comfortable from a chamois perspective. I already know that the Quest fit pretty good overall, the Expedition have a tight more "keep it all tucked in" fit and the Craft have got to be lighter as they seem to be cooler on rides - I'm thinking the panels are thinner and therefore more sweat is being evaporated.

A little experiment for the next few days so maybe a person can get lucky on a summer closeout sale.
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My favorite pads use Dupont Coolmax. But those also come in many varieties, and availability seems to change from year to year. The best pads I've worn came with the least expensive shorts and bibs -- Przewalski, which aren't bad at all and have great pads. A bit thicker and more resilient than others, but in actual practice feel quite comfy despite the adult-diaper sort of look.

My preference in pads changed with my weight. When I weighed more and rode more padded saddles, I preferred thinner pads -- Aerotech Pro shorts, Black Bibs, Pearl Izumi. But I've lost weight, have less natural padding on my butt bones, and prefer lighter, less padded saddles. So now I prefer the denser padding of the Coolmax chamois.

As other folks said, you just gotta try 'em and see.