Bike shorts???'s
 

Does anyone here have any experience with gel padding in their shorts?? I'm looking at shorts from Performance and Nashbar and come across some of their shorts which have gel inserts instead of the regular padding. :confused:

I have a pair from Nashbar with gel padding instead of chamois. I also have a pair of chamois shorts. I don't notice the difference.

zman, take a look at Voler shorts (www.velowear.com).
They cost less than Nashbar and Performance and IMHO are better than Pearl Izumi shorts. They also cost less than most PI shorts. :thumbup:

I bought 2 pairs of shorts and 5 pairs of bibs from them in May/June and am VERY satisfied!! :beer:

I have a few pairs of Louis Garneau that I believe are gel. I like them a lot. Very comfortable.

I have a couple of pair of Performance Gel bibs.

On the upside, they're super comfortable. I'll wear them almost exclusively for several rides after wearing my tukus to a pulp on a fast century or something.

On the downside, they are surprisingly heavy, relatively speaking. I you wear bibs, the real drawback is the top/straps are made of the same material as the shorts... I'd like something lighter in hot weather. If you don't wear bibs, the weight difference is completely negligible.

Personally, I'm not fond of the gel padding. I find it too bulky and noticeable. For centuries and longer, I've been perfectly happy with the lowest end Nashbar shorts (about US$19). One thing that I've found very helpful on longer rides is to use "chamois cream". This is something like a very heavy duty hand cream that you smear on your...well, not your hands!

Of course, your butt may vary!

Paul

you get what you pay for.

Actually, I paid $17 each for 2 pairs of Performance Classic shorts (I joined Team Performance) and I have been VERY happy with them. I've never paid $100 for a shorts, but hope I never do (unless I start racing some day). Some excesses are just not for me...

I paid $100 for a pair of Castelli bib shorts and they are, well, simply not there. I use them on rides over 60 miles. Don't feel a thing. No saddle sores. No issues whatsoever. I've worn inexpensive shorts, medium price and these, and they are, hands down, the most comfortable shorts I have ever worn.

The way I see it, it's not an excess if I use them. You don't have to race to appreciate a great pair of shorts.

Agreed. When I bought my first roadie they threw in shorts and a jersey at a discount. I got the castellis. At that stage I was a bit too big for the womens stuff so I got the mens.

They are really comfy. I have a cheaper pair of shorts (Body Torque in OZ) and well, in my spinning class (where the seats are at their worst) I could not get comfy at all.

But I wore the castellis last night for a 2hour spinning session and they survived!

Ill have to get another couple of pairs, the womens ones now...Ive heard the chamois is anatomically correct...

Over the years I have found the adage "you get what you pay for" is almost always true. Quality costs more. If you are happy with the $17 shorts and they work for you, fine. Personally, I agree with Impreza, if you use them, it is not excess and I would venture to say the more expensive shorts will last a long longer.

I guess. I agree that you do what works for you. On the other hand, I can't bring myself to pay over $50 for any pece of clothing. I think $100 shorts are like $100 Nikes: overpriced (though, to be honest, the shorts probably have more $ behind tham than the shoes :P ). Granted, I've never had a pair of $100 shorts and they might be like riding on air, but after a fvew break-in rides, I don't know my shorts are there (or my jersey, etc). My mind and nody just gets used to them. :) As for durability, couldn't even begin to guess. My last pair of cheapos ($30) lasted 10 years (actually, hey still work, but my hips have grown ;D )

I don't know, I kind of believe there's a bit of elitism to everything people (especially Americans) do and we tend to go to excesses (we spend $100 on a pair of shorts (or whatever) while children starve). It's also the law of diminishing returns. I just can't pay 300% more for a 20% increase in performance :P But, as I said, and you all pointed out: that's just me :) Maybe I'll get a freebie pair of fancy shorts some day and my whole world view will shift ;) Then again...

I have bought Performance/Nashbar gel shorts. They are bulky which is an annoyance but seem to do the job of keep a person comfortable. The gel shorts seem to have a problem with falling apart way before their time.
For lenghty everyday rides, I found the hydro shorts last much longer and are comfortable.

I get gel shorts everytime.

I find the shorts do last a long time, but that comes from washing in cold, then hanging dry. If I wash in warm or hot, and/or if I use the dryer to dry them, they don't last as long. I always get the Performance gel shorts. They do the job.

The downside is when they do go bad, the gel bunches up in one place, and it's a pain in the butt until you get off your butt and get some more!

Koffee

And after all these years we're still seeing these problems with those pesky gel implants. :D