southpier

well, do they?

louis garneau optimum 2 shorts are the first padded crotchal area shorts I have ever left the pad. 5'6" - 175 - purchased XL. wore them first time:

#1 . feels like a king double firm mattress jammed between my legs.
#B . moved around on the brooks b-17 less/ pedal power seemed more directed.
#3 . didn't have to stop & pee 3x in 25 miles
#4 . walking felt odd
#5 . no soreness at the end of the ride.

the sales lady on the phone indicated this was the thinnest pad shorts.

Q: does the crotch pad flatten & conform after a few rides? or is there a way to encourage it to do so?

Q: any suggestions for summer weight shorts?

thanks

shelbyfv

#s B and 5 are what you want. The pad may become more flexible after washing but it's all about how it feels on the bike.

Mulberry20

I normally don’t wear cycling shorts rather I wear compression shorts and a compression liner, but I do have a pair of Boure Pros made in Durango and they are light and durable with a good chamois. They have lasted for years.

https://www.boure.com/1100.html

AnthonyG

If they are comfortable when your cycling then they did their job. You will always feel them when your off the bike though.
With use you will notice them less.

southpier

thanx for the encouragement. while I never thought of going "full Grant" aka jeans & flip flops, I never, ever, figured i'd be leaning towards the "Fred".

I do use a black sharpie to go over logos, though. night riding won't ever be in my 68 year old deck of cards!

thanks again.

AdkMtnMonster

XL, for 5’6” and 175lb? Wrong size, probably, no matter who sewed them.

skidder

I'm one of those folks who can't stand the shorts with thick pads. If you want something with a thinner pad look into Aerotech Designs. Some of their models have a thin one (look at their 'Wild Print' shorts line-up as an example). Not too bad to walk around in either.

Sizing: I've found I need to go up on sizing when buying bike shorts, regardless of the brand. I regularly wear XL street clothes, needed to get XXL bike shorts so they'd fit correctly (and comfortably).

Pratt

It often takes different lengths of time of for the shorts to break in different people's anatomy. Just keep riding, you'll adjust

tntyz

This was my thought, too. I like my bike shorts to fit pretty tight in the crotch to hold everything in place. Too much room will lead to rubbing. Trust me, you don't want rubbing in that area!

79pmooney

Yeah. For some, years (I like chamoises that are just that. Very little padding. There are other, more critical fit issues for me so I don't always have the choice there.

Oh, that thick padding - it's to get us elders prepared for the day when we start needing diapers again.

Ben

southpier

you never seen my big jelly behind!

CAT7RDR

Chamois Pad break-in period? No

Derriere break-in period? Resounding yes!

fietsbob

I have long used lined bike shorts with a synthetic, but no padding per se & a leather Brooks saddle..

Might be the part you are sitting on that needs breaking in not the bike parts..

zarbog

I have a pair of louis garneau liner shorts. While they are fine as far as wearing under bike shorts for comfort, the pads are horrible. These pads get pretty soaked even in mild weather let alone hot. My way cheaper padded shorts with 3d and 4d padding are cooler and dryer but the pads are pretty thick for walking around in. I like the 4d coolmax the best. I ride on a B17 Imperial and do not wear any padded shorts unless its very hot or the ride is over 15 - 20 miles.

Flip Flop Rider

your behind has a break in period

southpier

Ubie

True, but for reference I'm the same height and have 35lbs on you, and I should probably move down to an L in my LG shorts.

Bmach

Different shorts have different padding. Even the same model can have The option of different levels of padding.

Miele Man

I've worn a number of different makes of bicycling shorts. Without any doubt, Louis Garneau shorts had the thickest amount of padding it has ever been my displeasure to try and use. I'll never buy Louis Garneau shorts again. That ultra-thick padding caused way too much squirming as I rode the bicycle. It was like sitting on, or trying to sit on a mound of jelly. I got sore from those shorts in a very brief period of time.

Cheers

Garfield Cat

Bike pads by Dolomiti

https://dolomiti-pads.com/?lang=en

Elastic Interface

https://www.elasticinterface.com/cycling-pad/

tntyz

I have a pair of Peral Izumi shorts that I keep trying to like, but it just isn't happening. The chamois tends to develop folds in it which traps some, err, skin. This leads to abrasion of said skin. The post-ride shower that rinses sweat into this area is a real treat.

Oso Polar

IMHO if chamois is loose enough to develop folds, your shorts are too big. Or at least chamois is too big. Shorts with better fit are required either way. "Feels like a king double firm mattress jammed between my legs" - same thing.
.

southpier

update: after about 100 miles (4 or 5 rides total), and three washings/ air dry, something is making them more comfortable. the pad has bent over the saddle rather than staying flat. my scranus is getting daily applications of working hands cream in two spots where the pad tends to, yes, fold my flab & pinch it a bit. this is not in the long direction, but where the front of the pad is separate from the cheeks part, and there's almost a hinge across the pad with no padding about 4 mm wide.

and yes, I do need to wriggle a bit on the saddle to make the pad jamb into place.

I still contend my pedaling has improved. I don't whiz as often after riding and my muscle aches are from better (stronger) pedaling and go away after an hour's rest. so i'm gonna stick it out and soon invest in another pair/ brand (summer weight for now) to have some comparison. if anyone wants to make a suggestion, I will be more than glad to entertain their brand (would like to keep under 100$ if possible).

thanks for the advices & validations.

Koyote

Do padded shorts have a break in period?

No, they don’t.

79pmooney

This is where a brick and mortar bike store with a changing room is worth every extra dollar you will have to pay for the shorts. Put on some clear U-trous, go and try on shorts. Try a couple of sizes of each model. Yes, it is not riding and not prefect but far better than looking at pictures, reading blurbs and guessing. Salespeople really cannot help you here. If money is an issue, buy the pair that works then search online for several more. (And note model and size so you can get more when the labels have been washed off.)

Edit: these are shorts,not bibs, correct? If so, the cheap way to improve fit a lot is to by $19 clip-on suspenders. Does wonders to prevent chamois folds. Also speeds up sitting back down and getting things right down there a lot. (They will outlast several pairs of shorts and make them all radically better fitting, The bib crowd will look at you funny, but its been working for me the past 45 years. Also bathroom stops and mid-ride clothing changes are far easier.

Ben