Encove Blog

It goes without saying that a day in the saddle is going to play havoc with your buttocks, so it makes perfect sense to wear some extra protection. The recommend first line of defence is a “chamois” padding that is stitched into directly into Spandex, Lycra or Xpandx shorts preferred by road cyclists. They are also worn as a padded under short, beneath baggy cycling shorts for downhill and cross country mountain bikers.

The original pads sewn directly into the shorts were a leather chamois, pronounced shammy, named after the “chamois” which is the European antelope from which the leather was derived. The leather was tanned using cod oil to reduce friction and improve absorbing properties. Fortunately these pads are now just a piece of history, today we use mainly chamois leather to clean our bikes and use modern antibacterial foam or gel pads to protect our achcing backsides.

The modern cycling pads are a foam or gel generally covered by a wickable and breathable material that is moulded to shape which helps channel the moisture from the genitals and anus thus preventing potential bacterial growth. At the same time foam or gel in the pad are positioned and often layered to prevent stress to your Tuber ischiadicum or Sitz Bone and chaffing on your buttocks and upper thigh. Additional protection is also available in form of anti chafing creams and gels.

A pad is designed to be worn directly to the skin, wearing boxer shorts or underpants will render the antibacterial and wicking properties of the pad useless. The only way to wear a padded shorts or under shorts is commando style. It goes without saying that the more you pay for your padded shorts the better the pad should be, but there are also some great value cycling shorts with adequate padding at the budget end of the market. The new G-Tex pad by Deko Sports is such a pad with 3D layering and sweat dispersal channels and vents.