Why Cycling Shorts?

Greg shows off his Wersell's bike shorts

It's a question we hear fairly often. "Why would I want to wear those stupid shorts?" There are actually a number of important benefits to cycling shorts. The most basic of these benefits is simply comfort. If you have never ridden with a good pair of cycling shorts, you will be blown away by how much more comfortable they make the riding experience.

Cycling-specific cut

Cycling shorts are cut specifically for riding a bicycle. Our most popular shorts use eight separate panels of fabric to provide a terrific fit with no bunching. Much of the discomfort many people feel while riding comes from wearing regular pants and cotton underwear, which bunches up and causes friction and chafing. Cycling shorts eliminate this problem completely by using flat seams, and by placing those seams out of high friction areas.

Friction Reduction

Besides the flat seams and correct fit, cycling shorts further reduce friction while riding. This is because the lycra fabric used in the shorts slide smoothly over the surface of most saddles. This eliminates another source of soreness and discomfort commonly suffered by cyclists: chafing along the inner thigh.

Padded Chamois

One of the biggest keys to cycling shorts' comfort is the padded chamois (pronounced "shammy"). The chamois is a thin anatomically shaped pad sewn into the crotch of the short. This pad offers a layer of protection from vibration and friction coming from the saddle. It helps to pad any harder spots on the saddle, tremendously increasing riding comfort. It is also treated with an antibacterial coating that kills germs.

Compression

In addition to reducing friction, the lycra in cycling shorts provides compression over key muscle groups. This helps to prevent lactic acid from moving into the muscles, thus preventing muscle fatigue.