4 Answers Tell You : Padding Or Not Padding Bike Shorts
I’ve never had padded bike shorts, so i want to know.
Padded bike shorts and without padding , how much of a difference let me tell you between bike saddles that, when ridden without padded shorts, would mean a large difference in comfort.
Everybody for us who try to biking 5 hours rides without padded bike shorts really have to pay attention to our saddle’s shape and padding:
1. No pair of shorts can make up for a problem with the overall shape of the seat. If it’s too wide or too narrow or the perch for your “sit bones” is not correctly positioned (for your specific anatomy) then you will have problems, regardless.
2.What you want is a saddle that supports you sit bones with enough conformance to avoid pressure points around the bones, but without so much give that you end up carrying your weight all across your “bottom.” On a saddle that basically works, but where you find yourself getting sore around your sit bones, padded shorts may help. But a good saddle is a lot like a good hard chair – you can sit on it for hours. You’ll get tired of sitting before you it becomes uncomfortable from the pressure.
In my experience the benefit of the chamois is in minimizing chafing, not in providing padding.
3.Like everything.it depends. If you’re doing short distances, pretty much any saddle is fine, with or without padding.
For longer distances, good shorts may help a saddle’s shortcomings, and a good saddle will help make up for no or bad shorts.
But for the most comfort, a good saddle teamed with well fitting shorts works best.
Personally, I got the most benefit from tight cycling pants which helped to brace my knees, as well as a big orange coolmax pad, plus a good hard flat saddle.
4.Padding Or Not it depent on you: One person likes a particular saddle, but you may not– but there is a reason most cyclists who ride over 5 hours in one ride do so with shorts or bibs that contain some kind of chamois: it is more comfortable.
OVER SAY: That said, does it mean a person can’t go long distances without a chamois? Of course not. There are people in the world who can go long distances in their bare feet, too, but most of us wear shoes for various reasons. Clearly there are some saddles which might be more comfortable if you don’t wear shorts or bibs with a chamois, and it may even be clear what sort of saddles are more likely to fit the bill, but I know riders who have found such saddles uncomfortable with a chamois, so your mileage may vary.