I would appreciate it if I could get some suggestions on which pair of tri shorts to go with. I want something with some form of pad but don’t really know much else other than that. There are bunch of choices and I don’t want to end up with a product that sucks. Also, it is extremely hot here in TX so staying cool is also a major factor. Thanks for the suggestions/help.
I have been quite happy with the pearl izumi p.r.o gear for the past three years.
I’ve tried sugoi and zoot as well.
I recently started racing in the Orca 226 lite and would recommend this short. Very comfortable, decent padding (I have not worn for anything longer than an oly yet), and a little more room for your junk than the DeSoto short I was previously wearing.
Been satisfied with the Desoto Forza tri shorts for the last 2+ years…just picked up another pair this weekend.
http://www.desotosport.com/product/FTS
Buy them somewhere with a good return policy and sample several until you find the one that works. This is such a personal choice, and subjective, there’s just no way to tell you what would work best for you.
You know a shop that would let you return used tri shorts?
Off top of my head no. Amazon?
Wear them once, on an indoor trainer, for 2 hours. That ought to tell you if they are comfy or not.
I’ve been wearing the DeSoto Forza tri shorts and love them. I like the Louis Garneau Laser Tek as well. Tyr makes good ones too.
The 2XU stuff with the long distance chamois rather than the fleece pad are comfy on the bike and not at all noticeable on the run. I have the shorts and the suit and both are great.
Purchase from DeSoto and you can return it if it doesn’t fit or you are unhappy. This brand works well for me.
Buy them somewhere with a good return policy and sample several until you find the one that works. This is such a personal choice, and subjective, there’s just no way to tell you what would work best for you.
This. And DeSoto has a great return policy, as do others I’m sure, plus there’s your local shop.
Try the Kiwami Prima line. Ridiculously light and thin, and very comfortable. They are amazing in hot weather, and do not absorb water, so stay light as your body sweats. These are without a doubt the best tri shorts I have ever worn in 30 years of racing. They even wear extremely well. Good stuff lasts, feels good, and also looks great!
REI will let you return just about everything.
I’ve seen two year old shoes in the return bin that had a tag on them that said (and I’m paraphrasing here) that they had gotten too small for their son to wear anymore.
jaretj
Purchase from DeSoto and you can return it if it doesn’t fit or you are unhappy. This brand works well for me.
We (my sons and I) have several of the DeSoto shorts (Forza and Carreras). Its very hard for me to imagine that any company makes a better product. I would start my search by buying DeSoto. David K
I have some higher end LG shorts (I say higher end because i’m not sure of the model as they were made for my tri club so i’m not sure of the model), but they were $75 through the club and they claim not to have made any money on the sale. I love them over my pearl shorts.
Desoto Forza or Forza Riviera. They have a great return policy if you don’t like 'em.
I would recommend the Pearl Izumi Elites. I recently switched to them after having problems with the chamois on the other brand I was using. To make a long story short, I was getting blisters where I didn’t want them.
Obviously, that’s going to be different for everybody, as many folks work well with the ones that didn’t work for me. So, the moral of the story is to pay attention to how the chamois joins to the rest of the short - the Pearl Izumis have a a little bit less padding but a very smooth seam joining the pad to the shorts. The other brand had a rougher edge, and it caused problems.
I recently got some nice Louis Garneau shorts. Their higher end stuff uses a compression sleeve at the cuff. I find this so much nicer than the standard rubber gripper or silicon leg gripper. The LG stuff does run tight, but again, I don’t mind that.
Agreed, LG stuff is great, and decently priced. The only thing of De Soto I own are compression calf sleeves, and those have worked great after 2 years.