The pad or chamois is the most important part of any cycling apparel. This is where we spend the most design effort and incur our greatest costs. But that’s because it is likely to deliver the most benefits to you the rider.
As riders we spend hours upon hours on the saddle. If you are not comfortable you are not going to appreciate your apparel, bike or ride.
We believe our pad CyTech Elastic Interface is developing some of the best pads on the market. We have tested our Comp HP pad for many years and believe it is the perfect combination of high performance and comfort to accommodate a wide range for our customers. It is rated as a few six-hour pad, the highest comfort rating available.
With its wider surface of high-density foam, the HP Comp allows for a wider range of athletes feeling comfortable on the saddle. Also we believe that pads have been design to perfectly fit the angle of a saddle. A key part of our job is to align the pad in a manner that best fits most riding styles.
Fit Impacts Pad Performance
Buying the appropriate size of short or bib will help ensure the pad aligns appropriately with your body. When you wear a short that is too small or too large it could cause a pad to either sit incorrectly or shift around while riding.
Bib shorts are often better for pad fit. The suspenders offer a control of the placement of pad. The support over shoulders creates a more uniform hold on the fabric and helps prevent shifting while riding.
Also, the elasticity of the fabric in the shorts and bibs can influence the pad’s performance. The more compressive fabrics fit more tightly to better support the legs. But, when trying on this type of shorts be sure to adequately pull them up to ensure the pad seats properly. I always suggest after putting on shorts to pull the legs of the shorts up as to allow the pad to land in correct position and then pull down legs to correct stretch.
Out With The Creams
Many years ago we used leather as part of he pad. Unfortunately, the pad would harden after washing, driving us to use creams to soften them up. Our modern softer synthetic and anti bacterial fabrics allow for our skin to be protected without the use of creams. Going “commando” may seem counterintuitive but think of it this way. A construction worker that uses creams will have nice soft hands but consider what’s going to happen every time he has to work. He is going to rip up his tender hands. Instead, he needs to allow for his skin to develop its own toughness as a natural against the ripping and blistering.
Freddie
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Freddie Rodriguez
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