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Bike short to Tri Short conversion

For those of you that use tri-shorts, how have you gone about making the transition from bike shorts to tri shorts?  Every time in the past I've tried tri-shorts, i end up with soreness on the inside of my thigh where it contacts the seat.  Is this a matter of just using the tri shorts 1-2 times per week for hour rides, then building up duration and the skin will adjust?

I tried it tonight for the first time in over two years and it felt fairly good until almost the hour mark, then I could feel the friction.  I used some Glide and a lot of chamois cream as I normally do.  My a** adjusted to less padding fine and the "boys" were much more comfortable, but once I hit the shower that inner thigh spot stung once the water hit it.   

thanks.

Comments

  • Maybe it's a saddle issue, rather than the change in chamois thickness? Like fore-aft postioning, angle, width, shape, or something like that?

  • Sounds like you'll have to play with it a bit.  Some bike short pads are THICK.  Almost to the extent that you may want to raise your saddle a few mm when swapping to tri chamois.  I personally only ride in tri shorts, I can't stand the diaper feeling.  Plus, my Cobb saddle is noticeably more comfortable with tri shorts.  I always use lube when riding (usually Assos) & that helps, but I can't say I've ever had serious issues like you.  With tri shorts being a thinner pad, you need your fit to be a touch more spot-on than with a thick road chamois, so you might have to tweak things a bit. 

  • Another thing to look at is the lube I agree. You could experiment with a different "chamois butter" or using Body Glide or whatever.
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