It definitely beats the commando-riding alternative. While there are significant differences between chamois, Smith says, men can still wear women’s shorts and vice versa, if need be. Noticeably, many chamois place higher-density foam underneath your sit bones, and thinner foam situated against more sensitive areas. “The contours between a saddle and the human body are incredibly complex and it’s impossible for a completely flat chamois to properly follow those curves,” Smith says. Many cycling shorts use multiple densities and thicknesses of chaomis padding specifically chosen for the unique demands of different anatomical locations, says Simon Fisher, Giro's apparel product manager. Both a male and female chamois typically will resemble an elephant’s head, with the female chamois having wider ears to accommodate women’s larger hipbones, and a shorter, rounder nose. With advances in molding techniques, companies are able to mold chamois to more anatomically correct shapes. You can borrow women's cycling shorts if you're a man, and vice versa. RELATED: Read This Before You Buy Bibshorts “You don’t want a raw edge (of the stitching) down below,” Herlinger says, unless you'd like to rip up some skin.
Look for flatlock stitching that lays flat. You should also pay attention to the seams attaching the chamois to the shorts. While you're at it, Herlinger suggests buying a breathable, anti-microbial chamois that will eliminate moisture and friction, the two biggest chafing culprits. Over time, pillowy padding is going to compress it might not make it two months before it compresses down to almost nothing and is nearly unusable.” That's because the more the padding compresses, the more pressure it places upon the exact area you're trying to keep pressure-free. “Between eight and thirteen millimeters is an ideal thickness. “Pad density is the key,” Herlinger says. Walk into any bike shop and you’ll see riders poking and prodding the chamois pads in various cycling shorts, looking for the softest, squishiest padding they can find. Nearly every clothing manufacturer today uses synthetic materials-a mixture of open- and closed-cell foam and gel insets-that reduce both chafing and road noise.
The first synthetic chamois was developed by Maurizio Castelli around 1980, says Steven Smith, brand manager for Castelli. “Having a suede-type material inside the shorts added just enough glide to offer racers some relief from chafing, but little-to-no effect on road vibrations.” “At that time, racers were wearing wool shorts that would bunch up and cause friction,” says Mike Herlinger, founder of Club Ride Apparel. RELATED: Why I Rode Across the Country Without a ChamoisĪn old chamois had more in common with a baseball glove than today’s materials.Ĭhamois padding was introduced nearly a century ago as a solution to chafing for endurance cyclists. Longtime riders will remember these first chamois pads were made of leather, not the hi-tech synthetic kit materials of today. Play icon The triangle icon that indicates to play
0 kommentar(er)
