I have a pair of Pearl Izumi Attack shorts, which I purchased last season (they're $75 shorts!), and have about 400 miles on them. The chamois pad has lost it's squish / support, it's pretty much flat... It still works, but I'm finding I need to get out of my saddle more often to let my butt relax a bit. If it helps, I'm a 215lb rider, and I usually ride on the saddle, rarely off of it. I do use these shorts for mountain biking as well.



So my question... How long is a chamois pad supposed to last? I just want to HTFO, in comfort.

in the world of shorts, a $75 pair is actually relatively cheap. Most of my shorts/bibs that have come in that range last about a season before they are no longer comfortable. However even some of my expensive shorts have only lasted a season. My Craft Pro Race Bibs ($169) are awesome for a year and then they are only good for about 90 minutes without irritation. That's why Assos bibs command so much money. They last forever and they have great technology.

I've never had one wear out. At a very very minimum, they should last 10 times longer than the miles yours has.

What do you mean by squish/support? I've never gotten much in the way of support from any of mine. They do prevent chafing though. How are you washing it?

I've got $40 Sugoi shorts on their 4th season with no loss of function. It's not just price.

Completely agreed...that's why I gave the example of the Craft Pro Races....at $169 they still only last a season. However I look at bibs like tennis shoes in running....I get atleast one new pair every season and rotate old pairs to the recovery (1 hr in the saddle) days.

Ever slept on a foam mattress before? Basically what happens is the foam breaks down over time, and no longer supports your body. Feels sort of like sleeping on a thick sheet, instead of a mattress. Same thing with the chamois, but on a smaller scale.

Ok, I see what you're saying. I guess it could be a crappy pair of shorts. They definitely should last much longer than that.

Yean...when I mentioned a season I was using my definition of a season which is about 4000-5000 miles unlike the 400 miles the OP states.

PI sucks.

+1.

Yea, but not 400 miles suck. I gotta believe they'll last longer than that.

Dunno. I've always had the stitching in the lycra start unraveling first before the pad was affected.

is that the blue, ridged chamois? if so, it's the worst. chamois. ever.

I've never had a chamois wear out ... I use $35 MEC generic shorts. The shorts themselves wear out long before the chamois shows any wear, and it takes about 2 years before the shorts start to show wear.

Try washing your shorts in the washer, and drying them in the drier. Your chamois should return to normal.

+.1

I love the MEC Rapides. Extremely comfortable, and they stopped chaffing once I learned not to wear underpants under them , and they make me look "toight like a toiger." At $40, they're a steal.

+1

Whatever. I've put plenty of shorts through the dryer. They're fine. Just use low heat.

Because they're better than all the other shorts you had?

Pearl Izumi Attack are the worst shorts/bibs I've bought. Nasty chafing pad and they lost their shape after about 6 months.

I wonder what shorts with actual chamois leather feel like.

It's been a long time but I remember them being hot. I used them as a change of pace when touring or riding a lot of days. Gotta lube 'em up!

yep.

a well lubed chamois on a cold day was never the most pleasant of sensations.