Santini CX - very nice synthetic chamois, breathe well, wick well too. Will be tring the bib shorts next. You can pick them up at BikeJerseys.com for less than 50 bucks.

i like Desoto. they are light, and enough padding for me. they have a good feel to them.

Pearl Izumi Microsensor bibs are the nicest ride I have ever worn.

When I run after - I go with the Desoto long shorts. The fabric they switched to last year is thin but very supportive and comfortable. I have a desoto seat cover but have yet to decide if I like it.

I bought a couple of pair of Castelli Progetto Y2 bibs and shorts on Ebay at auction. They were a good deal and very comfortable. I also have some Performance Elite bibs with their Y chamois and think they're great too.

I'd like to try the higher-end Assos bibs but can't seem to bring myself to spend $180-200. Please, somebody tell me if they're worth it.

For racing I use DeSoto tri shorts and a DeSoto or QR neoperine seat cover.

Richard

Sugoi. Started w/ 1 pair now own 6 or 7 split between shorts and bibs. Ahh comfy, no saddle sores and my butt never seems to get sore. For the trainer I have some rip-n-hammer and cannondale shorts.

I prefer the Desoto Powerskins or, I know this is wierd, the Nike US Postal Bibs. Does anyone else out there like these bibs? I feel like the odd man out here.

This is one of those questions that just isn't answerable. Bike shorts that fit a 200 lb guy just aren't going to work for little-ol me, and it isn't just a function of size. Chamois are all cut differently from brand to brand, and the width, thickness and method/style of attachment to the short will either work for you or it won't.

Here's an example: Assos shorts- the best, period. Can't wear em. They just don't work for me - they bunch up. Serious $120 bummer a couple of years ago.
The very-very top of the heap road racers used to always use the same chamois from year to year, regardless of sponsor; they would buy the chamois they liked/were used to and have them sewn into the shorts of their current sponsor. There are probably a handful of picky Italians who still do this...

Here are some suggestions:
-Pull out all the bike shorts you have tried, and make a note of the similarities in the ones that work for you. Actually write it down, and look for something along those lines next time you buy - regardless of what "the best shorts in the store" are.
-Don't get hung up on price. Most of the very expensive shorts have fairly "poofy" pads, and these won't work for everyone.
-Placement of seams in the shorts is pretty darn important (especially for women.) Figure out what works for you.
-Use chamois cream. This is MUCH more important than the shorts themselves, as too many years of crappy road-team-issue shorts have shown me. You wouldn't catch a Euro pro dead riding un-buttered, and there IS a reason for it.
- Check out J Cobb's article on saddle position (on his site.) He gives a really good explanation of an old roadie secret - don't ride with your saddle straight. Most people will find it more comfortable to ride with their saddle swiveled a bit to the left or to the right. I call this "the junk avoidance strategy," and it works. Numbness and chafing dissapear, and you wind up throwing out that junk-saver thing with a hole in it someone sold you as a saddle...

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Tech writer/support on this here site. FIST school instructor and certified bike fitter. Formerly at Diamondback Bikes, LeMond Fitness, FSA, TiCycles, etc.
Coaching and bike fit - http://source-e.net/ Cyclocross blog - https://crosssports.net/ BJJ instruction - https://ballardbjj.com/

I use De Soto Power Shorts or Gonso bike short. I like the DeSoto shorts because the support your muscles quit good.
I used a De Soto neopren saddle cover. Now I have a San Marco Azoto Triathlete Gel saddle. But I never did a ride longer than 2 hours since I have this saddle.

P2kman, Have you ever used anything but DeSoto? They may be a great short for racing, but if you have never worn a high-end short or bib, you have no idea what you're missing. There is absolutely no comparison between the DeSotos and how you'll feel with PI Microsensors, Castelli Progettos, or Assos. They'll last longer too, barring a crash.

It is hard to beat the Castelli Progretto "Y" shorts. Those, a tube of chamois creme and I'm good for anything. We see a lot of customers who try to train in tri shorts without an adequate enough chamois. I feel you are better off training in a real pair of bike shorts as opposed to shorty little tri shorts with hardy any pad. Also, I pretty much only wear bib shorts for training. The Pearl Izumi PRT (Pressure Relief Technology) shorts in Ultrasensor are awesome too. It's funny- it's easy to sell someone a $100 saddle, but try to sell them a $100 pair of bikes shorts- unless they understand the value that's tough.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Tom,

I think that most of us who espouse riding in the De Soto Power Shorts have a closet full of the 100$ bike shorts and have made a somewhat educated decision that padding isn't the main role of the bike short--I don't know anyone who's doing it to save money. The De Soto shorts don't bunch, don't age as quickly, and the Lycra Power material is pretty awesome. Yeah, if I was doing back-to-back centuries on Saturday and Sunday, I might pull out the fancy PI microsensor shorts, but for one LSD ride on the weekend, I wear the Power Shorts as frequently, and comfortably, as the PIs.

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Meg.

To be honest, I have never tried these (De Soto's). It sounds like they are worth a try. I do appreciate the recommendation.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

As they are on sale for something like 30 bucks, you can't go wrong :)

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Meg.

Yep,
I'll agree with Meg that padding isn't everything.

All you need is enough to cover the seam(s) in the short. If your saddle is of good quality, and fits the shape of your a$$ pretty well, there's no need for a heavily padded short.

To me, a thick pad feels like a cheap "lounge" saddle (yeah, the monsters with springs and an inch of gel on top). It's comfy on the trainer for 5-10 minutes, but on a real ride, it rapidly becomes unbearable.

It's too bad that the fancy cycling shorts all come with very thick chamois: I'd like to have shorts made out of the "top of the line" fabric (the Assos and Castelli stuff is great), but without the 6mm anatomic diaper. For now, as top of the line fabric goes, the DeSoto Power Lycra shorts/bibs/skinsuit fill the bill.

Dre'

Castelli. Expensive and not that durable, but still tens times more comfortable than any other short I have tried. The P2K "self cooling" chamios actually feels all cool and chilly when you slide the shorts on and they stay comfortable for me on the longest rides.

I just got a pair of Pearl Microsensor shorts and was really disappointed as they feel like a pair of depends. Plus the lack of a V-cutout at the rear of the chamois gives me a wicked wedgie.

Dr. Dre'

Have you tried these? They sound like what you're looking for: http://www.assosusa.com/...s_fi13bibs_delay.htm

Richard

I think you are right about the padding. I like it if I am on the trainer or doing a bunch of miles. If it is a brick or mtb ride - even a shorter hill ride I go with the Desoto's almost every time.

Power lycra rocks! I need to check and see if desoto makes bibs.

Richard,
I haven't tried them. They do look pretty spectacular: a thin pad that stretches, now that's innovation! Have you tried them yourself?

They have one negative point: "one hundred and eighty nine dollars" ... The only reason why I don't own a pair.

Dre'

Mark,
DeSoto does make a bib: the Power Bib. I like my bib better than the short as there's "nothing" at the waist. The Power Lycra bottom goes pretty high on the sides/back and it really holds the short where it belongs: the bib itself (the really nice white Lycra top) virtually disappears during the ride. No pinching at the shoulders.

A beautiful product at an incredible price.

Dre'

P.S.
I ordered mine on Dec. 23, the day my girlfriend mentioned to me that they existed (I was convinced they were made of normal Lycra, so I never bought them). The web site mentioned that they were closed for two weeks, for the Holidays. Well, I placed the order anyway (they were on sale, and quantities were limited), thinking I'd get them early January. Guess what showed up at my door on Dec. 24 ...

This is the kind of customer service that makes you want to buy from them again.

I had a similar experience with Tri-Zone. When I built my Kestrel two years ago I had ordered the last few part a couple of days pior to xmas. Just a coincidense. About 10am Christmas morning the postman ang my door bell and anded me a package. Guess what I did that afternoon. Great customer service!