astronaut17

I'm commuting every day for about 7.5 km each direction, regardless of the weather.
I always had a sensitive butt, and it took me some time to find a saddle I'm comfortable with on both commutes and my leisurely rides and tours.
About 2 years ago I bought a Brooks Cambium C17 cut. It is very comfortable, but now another problem has occurred.
All my pants (jeans) had traces of chaffing where my thighs/butt meet the saddle. I usually wear Zara jeans, they were/are my go-to jeans due to their great value for the price.
But then I got tired of destroying all the pants on my saddle, especially as I like to wear things for a minimum of 3 years when I buy them.
More is less, I prefer to have a few pieces of clothing which last, than to have a bunch of disposable junk every few months.

Anyway, I found the swrve brand online which seemingly had the same philosophy as mine.
However, recently I ordered their grey Cordura jeans, which they claim is 5 times more durable than regular denim.
After a few commutes (less than 100 km) they had the same traces of chaffing at the same spots, no difference to cheaper jeans.

Now I'm really desperate because I like the comfortableness of my saddle, but I'm not sure I'm willing to keep throwing away almost new jeans due to commuting.
Now, is there any other brand besides swrve which I should check out? What's your experience with swrve? Did anyone try their jeans?
Maybe, the problem is indeed the Cambium saddle. In this case, which saddle should I try to be at least as much comfortable but not so evil to my pants?

P.S. The swrve jeans seem to be made with high-quality material and the fit is great, and they are really comfy, it's just that I expected that they would endure the abuse by my Cambium a little bit better.
When they arrived, I was ecstatic that I have found the jeans for life, and then was left disappointed...

BobbyG

My commute is 15 kilometers each way with much longer weekend rides. I've been wearing golf shorts to ride with leggings over them when it is below 3C.

I carry my office clothes to work in a backpack and change there, then I change back into my bike clothes to ride home.

If you don't want to change into different pants, try wearing shorts over your jeans, which may slow the wear on your favorite jeans.

dabac

I’m quite happy to cross-use (functional) clothing. And struggle to see the difference between ”running socks” and ”cycling socks” etc.

But for frequent and/or long rides, I only use bicycle-specific pants/tights.
The reason being the friction against the saddle. There’s really no reason for non-cycling clothing to have the kind of resistance to rubbing needed for a pair of cycling pants.

phughes

I never really liked the feel of the material the Cambium is made of. The leather B17 doesn't chafe like that. Much more comfortable, to me, and no problems with wearing out pants.

pdlamb

This. When you get to work, pull the Superman Switch. The mild mannered cyclist steps into the handicap restroom stall, and out comes Super Worker! And the jeans last as long as usual.

dabac

I learned the hard - well, expensive - way.
I do Nordic/cross-country skiing too. So one way or another I’d picked up some thicker tights almost identical to my winter cycling gear. North Face, so no budget option.
Identical until I rode in them that is. Didn’t take many miles until they were properly chewed up in the saddle area.

fietsbob

I'm using tracksuit trousers A Polyester knit Aka Jersey * fabric they stretch a bit without spandex in them.

* named for the Channel Island that began making it.. long ago..

Polyester wears much longer than natural fibers like cotton or wool..


Bring the other pants with you and change in the bathroom ..






/...

Pugs2xLove

My work commute is approximately 22km each way (sometimes I take the 'scenic route' around the lake which adds another 1-2 miles to my trip). Used to wear work pants on my rides into work until I had a wardrobe snafu during the middle of the day. Thank God I had a pair of shorts that day (which I was planning to wear on the ride home) and that worked out but ever since, I have been wearing cycling tights (pants/shorts) with chamois to/from work and carrying work clothes with me. I also keep an old backup pair of pants at my desk just in case. It gets heavy at times but I'm used to it.

Korina

My commute is 8 miles/12.87 kilometers each way, and I wear Target exercise pants with my leather B17; little friction and no wear on the pants, and my work clothes are as fresh as a daisy! Bonus, they wick moisture better than cotton, so everything is less soggy when I get to work. Got to work. I miss the olden days.

astronaut17

I contacted swrve, and the chaffing should settle down after a first few ride. Now I'm pretty happy with these jeans, they told me to update them on their condition as I ride them a bit longer.

So leather Brooks B17 works fine? I heard some stories about color leaks etc. - is that a problem just in the beginning or is this just a myth?
I was thinking about getting honey-colored B17 for my commuter/tourer and put my cambium on my MTB.

phughes

I have the honey colored B17, no issues with the color rubbing off. Black can be a different story. Yes, the leather B17 works well. The leather is smooth and slicker than other materials.

GMoser85

Put on biking shorts under your pants. Easy to put on, easy to take off, Saves your bum and should save you pants too. when I ride with pants, I use hiking pants. REI Sahara work great for me.

phughes

How will placing the bike shorts UNDER the pants, help protect the pants that are actually making contact with the seat?

Archwhorides 

I've been riding the C17 Carved for years, gave my trusty B17 to a hockey buddy who is a fair-weather rider (we're still buds). I can see why denim would not hold up with the C17, as the Cambium saddle has a slightly rougher texture than the B17.

I ride with a nylon/spandex blend pant, currently Eddie Bauer First Ascent shorts and long pants. The fabric has a tighter weave than denim, and the nylon blend thread is inherently tougher than cotton. Other advantages are breathability, stretch, and ability to dry more quickly.

GMoser85

Do you wear underwear over your pants or UNDER? Friction is what is causing your pants to breakdown. Using a biking short under lessens the friction going on, in turn causing less wear and tear on your pants.

astronaut17

I haven't tried using biking shorts under the pants. It sounds as good enough solution for winter/autumn rides if it works, but in the summer I think it would be too hot.
I think I'll try the leather Brooks, anyways I am getting an MTB now, so I will swap my cambium to MTB and put B17 on my commuter/tourer.

phughes

If your pants are wearing due to rubbing against the seat, which is fairly common when using street clothes, then something under the pants won't help. A slicker seat, like the B17 made of leather, will help.