Riding Shorts: Why not liners separate from shorts?

I'm partial to the idea that where cycling's concerned just about everything has
been tried and, if it didn't work, discarded.

Having said that, I'm starting to wonder why the padding functionality always
has to be integrated with the clothing function.

I've got great shorts with poor pads and well-padded shorts that aren't all that
wonderful otherwise. Some times, some places, I'd like my butt protected - but
don't want to stand out in a crowd. I've got a couple pair of padded baggies,
but they seem like overkill to me - material's too thick, blah, blah,
blah....also, the padding isn't all that wonderful on them.

Seems like for a non-lycra-tights situation it would be more sensible to have
something like a lightweight brief that incorporates the padding function and
would allow wearing of the user's choice of shorts over it - baggy or otherwise.

Even for lycra-tights-time, on really hot days it would seem to be a lot cooler
to just have the briefs and a pair of really-breathable baggies on.

At least one company makes white underwear-looking shorts - but the padding is
more of a technicality than real fact.

Anybody know if the padded briefs/separate shorts thing has been tried?
-----------------------
PeteCresswell

more sensible to have
something like a lightweight brief that incorporates the padding function

snip

At least one company makes white underwear-looking shorts - but the padding
is
more of a technicality than real fact.

Sounds like you are speaking of Andiamos here. But note that their "skins" are
far nicer than their briefs (IMO), as the padded area is larger and much more
like that in a standard bike short -- no chafing.

Still, the pad is not all that thick. Perhaps the problem with this concept
lies in the difficulty of sewing a thick pad to thin underwear-material? Just
a guess.

Joe

Others have mentioned 'Andiamos'.

May I address your premise, 'everything has been tried and, if it didn't
work, discarded'? Look at the wide disparity in the retail cost of the
Andiamo plus shorts combination.

Once I became comfortable with the padding offered by Andiamos then I
started wearing just any shorts - raggedy cutoffs even. When my source for
Andiamos dried up (what was the last time you saw them?) I refused to pay
nearly $US100 for single purpose/biking shorts!

Ride recumbently. The need for expensive shorts is obviated, as are the
physical problems associated with long hours on a bike.



"(Pete Cresswell)" wrote in part in message
...
I'm partial to the idea that where cycling's concerned just about
everything has
been tried and, if it didn't work, discarded.

At least one company makes white underwear-looking shorts - but the
padding is
more of a technicality than real fact.

Anybody know if the padded briefs/separate shorts thing has been tried?

On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 01:14:00 GMT, "(Pete Cresswell)" wrote:

I'm partial to the idea that where cycling's concerned just about everything has
been tried and, if it didn't work, discarded.

Having said that, I'm starting to wonder why the padding functionality always
has to be integrated with the clothing function.

It doesn't.

Padded underwear is available, ask your LBS.

Barry

Why not save the chamois liner part of conventional cycling shorts
when the lycra wears out or gets too holey for wear in mixed company?
You could cut off the lycra legs and wear just the chamois under baggy
shorts. Has anyone tried this?

r.b.

"Doug Huffman" wrote :

Ride recumbently. The need for expensive shorts is obviated

To ride recumbently, I need to *buy* a recumbent. Even the most
expensive of shorts are still cheaper than the cheapest recumbent, the
last time I looked.

:-)

RFM

On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 06:31:15 -0400, Doug Huffman wrote:

When my source for Andiamos dried up (what was the last time you saw
them?)

REI has them.

-alan

--
Alan Hoyle - - http://www.alanhoyle.com/
"I don't want the world, I just want your half." -TMBG
Get Horizontal, Play Ultimate.