What are the requirements of good cycling shorts with chamois?

Advantages of cycling shorts with chamois

Before we explain the requirements of good cycling shorts with a chamois, we will explain the most important advantages of cycling shorts with a chamois. Because there are many different types of riders, there are also different types of cycling shorts. An avid cyclist who likes to go fast likes cycling shorts that are tight with thin padding. Someone who prefers to travel long distances is often looking for comfort. And then in addition to different types of riders, there are also different disciplines such as: cycling, mountain biking and gravel biking. Although these are different types of cycling shorts, they often offer the same benefits.

Advantages of cycling shorts with chamois are:

• Prevents chafing of legs and saddle (no seams and special chamois)
• Provides comfort while cycling by offering sufficient freedom of movement
• Braces to keep the pants in place
• A chamois to relieve the sit bones
• Good quality fabric that does not wear out with repeated movements along the saddle
• Tight fit so everything stays in place

In this blog we discuss the following parts:

• The history and development of cycling shorts with chamois
• Fabrics
• The different types of chamois/paddings
• Braces Rubber grippers

The history and development of cycling shorts with chamois

When it comes to the history of cycling shorts, the craziest stories arise. Almost everyone knows the fable of a piece of steak in cycling shorts, but what fewer people know is where the word chamois comes from. In the past, the padding was also called a chamois, but today people no longer use leather chamois, but synthetic paddings that increase cycling comfort. In the 70s and 80s, cycling shorts were still made with a real leather chamois as padding. That is why we still often call today's paddings a chamois. This chamois used to be rubbed with cream and special oil to prevent friction between the skin and the chamois during cycling. Today we no longer use real leather, but professional cyclists still use means to prevent abrasion.

As described above, chamois were made of leather. That is no longer the case. Nowadays, cycling shorts are equipped with paddings made from synthetic fabrics that are specially designed to provide comfort. The paddings are often made up of several layers of foam rubber or gel. In addition, modern paddings are designed to repel moisture so that they stay dry. Most paddings also receive an antibacterial treatment to prevent unpleasant odors.

Fabrics

Cycling pants used to be made of heavy fabrics such as cotton and wool. Nowadays we use lighter and stronger fabrics such as nylon and spandex. Most pants you will find have a ratio of about 80% nylon to 20% spandex. Nylon ensures that the cycling shorts are sturdy and do not wear out. Spandex ensures that the fabric stays tight around your body and thus supports your muscles. In addition, spandex prevents the fabric from sliding, which prevents chafing. The distribution between nylon and spandex may differ per cycling shorts, but the percentage of spandex should not be lower than 16%, otherwise the comfort and support decreases too much.

The different types of chamois/paddings

As mentioned above, there are many different paddings/chamois on the market. Which padding you prefer is often a personal decision. Some people prefer thick over thin or foam over gel. A thick chamois has the advantage that it provides more cushioning from the road. The disadvantage of a chamois that is too thick is that it can chafe and hinder your freedom of movement. A thin chamois has the disadvantage that it absorbs shocks less well, but it does ensure better power transfer to your bicycle. Initially make sure your saddle is perfectly adjusted, try moving it occasionally between rides until you are most comfortable. You will notice that you no longer need a thick chamois.

There are also major differences in the quality of the chamois. A thin chamois of good quality provides much more comfort than a thick chamois of mediocre quality. Therefore, do not focus blindly on the thickness of a chamois, but rather look at the quality. A good chamois is certainly worth the investment as it provides more comfort and lasts much longer. In other words: cheap is expensive.

Another aspect of the chamois that can differ between manufacturers is the place where the chamois is sewn. A cycling clothing brand that focuses on competitions can place the chamois towards the back of the cycling shorts. This placement puts the chamois in the right place for an aggressive cycling position. Other companies that focus more on casual riders may move the chamois forward a bit, which improves comfort. At Acelera we have chosen to extend the padding so that it is suitable for both avid and recreational riders.

Braces

To immediately answer the question of whether cycling shorts should have suspenders: yes. There is actually no discussion possible about this, but we are happy to explain why. You don't sit still while cycling and to keep everything in place (especially the padding) you need as much support as possible. Cycling shorts are full of parts to keep the padding in place as best as possible. For example, the padding itself has a relief, the legs have rubber grippers, spandex is incorporated into the fabric and cycling shorts consist of different panels. The suspenders are an important part of this because they ensure that the cycling shorts cannot slide forward or backward.

The suspenders usually have straps that are about 3 centimeters thick. They are also often made of elastic material so that they cannot cut into your shoulders. The straps of the suspenders should preferably not be wider than 3 centimeters because they often roll over or fold in half. For women there are also suspenders that can be unclipped to make it easier to make a sanitary stop.

Silicone grippers

The silicone grippers are incorporated at the bottom of the legs. You have edges that run completely around your leg or legs that have small pieces of silicone incorporated into them. You also have thick and thin tires. The grippers are often made of silicone because this substance has a lot of grip on your leg. They ensure that the cycling shorts do not twist and that the legs do not ride up or down.

Buy cycling shorts with chamois

Last but not least, some advice when buying cycling shorts. Think carefully about what you want to use your cycling pants for. Are you looking for comfort or the best performance? By taking this into account during your purchasing process, you will enjoy riding your racing bike more!