datlas 

It's a stab in the dark, but here goes.

My all time favorite shorts (and bibs) are the Performance "Ultra" from around 2007-09. It has a distinct gray chamois/pad. The newer ones have a thicker pad which I don't like nearly as well. Obviously performance does not sell it anymore since it was discontinued 5 years ago.

Any suggestions on a source for NEW (not used, thanks) ones??

Alternately, anyone know of a current short/bib that has a similar chamois??

rpenmanparker 

Can't help you, but you are really taunting the cycling gods with this thread. I mean Performance Ultras are your fav shorts of all times. You mention shorts and bibs as equivalent in the same sentence. And as a respected physician you suggest that used cycling clothing might be undesirable...what for health reasons?

Where did I put that popcorn?

Trsnrtr

I wore a pair today.

datlas 

I did too. But the two pairs I have are kinda worn. Hence my inquiry.

halfspeed

Bibs.

Trsnrtr

Yeah, my wife made me throw away a pair a month or so ago.

a1penguin

I too, like the Performance Ultra series. I went to buy another pair the next season because I liked them so much but discovered that they had changed the #)*%)&% chamois and I felt like I was wearing a diaper. I managed to score an older pair on the clearance rack later in the season. My only issue with them is that the stitching keeping the chamois attached is weak.

Drew Eckhardt 

Bouré PRO shorts and bibs use a flat synthetic leather chamois totaling 5mm thick which doesn't compress much.



The chamois is as comfortable as the shorts I rode in the 1990s, although they're are low-rise so they're not high enough to meet some race-fit jerseys and the thicker fabric bunches some in the thighs when pedaling. Unlike some contemporary shorts they still take about a day to hang-dry.

Voler 2015 Black Label shorts and bibs use an Elastic Interface Technology chamois that's 11mm thick at the high points like most current shorts, but with 120kg/m^3 foam under the sit bones so you don't sink in too far and put pressure on your soft tissues.




They're close in comfort, better for aggressive low positions, not quite there otherwise. You may or may not like the compression fit, and the gripper bands snag and fray easily.

Those two come close, although I've yet to find a fully satisfactory replacement for my aging 1990s PI shorts (leg openings without much elasticity left, little gripper material left, a hole in one pair).

Road Fan

I went from Ultra to Ultra II without major problem, but I have a pair of Verge with a thinner denser pad, and I like those too. Check out the Verge website. I think they are "group buy" only, but I could be wrong.

Hangtownmatt

I remember those grey chamois's. I really liked them. I also remember going back to get some more and the chamois had changed to (I think) green. I bought a pair and returned them after the first ride. Today, I was a Performance and tried on a pair of the Ultra's on sale for $45. It felt like a diaper with a load in it. I also tried on their Performance exclusive Pearl Izumi Podiums. They felt pretty good but I was looking for a pair Pear Izumi Attacks so I didn't buy.

shelbyfv

I liked the green chamois ok but the new ones are huge. Diaper with a load sums it up. Should be about time for a new version.

datlas 

We can only hope for a blast from the past. I think even the green one was too thick and heavy.

joejack951

I have a pair of those same shorts purchased around 2006, and definitely a favorite of mine. Still going strong without a single stitch frayed around the pad. The wash info tag has completely disintegrated and the leg grippers are showing their age, though. Still impressive considering all the miles I rode in those shorts.

I have some Voler bibs from ~2009-2011 that I like quite a bit too. Not sure what their current crop feels like. My riding has slowed the past few years so I haven't had to buy any new clothing.