The best men's bike shorts and chamois for city, mountain, and road cycling

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Anyone who spends a lot of time on their bike will tell you: Making sure your rear end is comfortable is second only to safety. That vital decision starts with the kind of shorts you choose to wear. Of course, you don't have to wear special shorts just to pedal a bicycle. But the more time you spend on your bike - particularly on a road bike with a narrow seat - the more important short selection becomes.

The bike shorts that have earned a spot on our list are breathable, flexible, and well-made so they can withstand wear and tear and many washes after sweaty rides. Whether you're looking for a padded chamois to keep your undercarriage comfortable or good-looking shorts that'll let you zip around the city and head straight into happy hour, I've got you covered. At the bottom of this guide, I've included some helpful insight into how to shop for bike shorts and how your riding style will affect which pair is best for you.

Here are the best bike shorts for men:

Updated on 12/4/2020 by Rachael Schultz: Updated intro, checked and updated the links where necessary, added budget bib pick, and updated the formatting throughout.

The best for an active lifestyle

duer no sweat short shorts
Duer

Duer's No Sweat Short is the perfect combination of riding comfort and off-bike casual style, and will quickly become your go-to bike short each time you hit the road.

Pros: Tough yet comfortable, machine washable, look great both on and off the bike, will stand up to the rigors of cycling

Cons: More all-around shorts than bike-specific

Finding a pair of shorts that work just as well on the bike as it does off it can be tough. If your shorts are too loose they'll snag on your bike's components but if they're too tight they'll feel confining. Cycling also puts extra strain on a pair of shorts — especially around the crotch, which is always the first place to go. Yet, if the seams are too bulky or the fabric too stiff, you'll feel like you're riding in sackcloth.

The Men's No Sweat Short from Duer strike the perfect balance in a garment you can wear all day long. The fit is snug, yet the fabric — which is both breathable and antibacterial — offers plenty of stretch. The seams are also extra-tough and there's a gusset in the crotch to reduce stress.

They look great off the bike, too, and have plenty of accessible pockets so you can carry your personal effects without having to rethink everything.

The best for urban cycling

chrome folsom 2.0 shorts
Chrome

The Chrome Folsom 2.0 bike short is a city commuter's dream, offering supreme comfort, premium durability, and practical features perfect for the everyday rider.

Pros: Tough, comfortable, incorporate bike-specific features

Cons: Hardcore image may not appeal to casual cyclists

If you're a city dweller hopping on and off the bike all day and night through a variety of weather, you want a pair of shorts that is as comfortable as it is durable. You'll also want some practical, time-saving, bike-specific features, which is exactly what the Folsom 2.0 shorts from Chrome offer.

In addition to stretchy, water-resistant fabric, these shorts feature a holster for a U-lock, as well as reflective details for enhanced visibility at night. Smart styling means they also works as casual wear, but these are decidedly for people who spend much more time on the bike than they do off of it.

The best for trail riding

rei double bike shorts
REI

REI Co-Op's Link Double Bike Shorts offer the padding and comfort you need to stay on the trail for hours on end — and they're even great for casual around town fitness rides, too.

Pros: Padded inner layer for comfort, pocketed outer layer for convenience and modesty

Cons: More complicated than a traditional Lycra cycling short

There's riding a bike to get places, then there's riding a bike just to ride. If you're biking purely for fitness and you're not planning to get off the bike until it's time to hit the showers, consider cycling shorts with a built-in padded crotch in lieu of underwear.

This pad, called a chamois, is the perfect complement to the lightweight, minimalist plastic saddles often found on sporting bikes. Not only does a chamois provide additional cushioning, but it also eliminates the chafing and irritation that regular underwear sometimes causes.

The REI Co-Op Men's Link Double Bike Shorts are an economical choice to fit this category, featuring gussets, zippered pockets, and adjustable waists. They also feature removable liners, which means you can still use them as normal shorts.

Don't let the mountain bike designation of these shorts throw you, either — they're a great choice for both trail riding and casual fitness cycling. The outer layer makes them more durable than a single layer of Lycra and the pockets mean you don't have to rely on a cycling-specific jersey with pouches in order to carry your phone or your keys. The outer is also nice for people who don't feel as comfortable wearing skin-tight bike shorts in public.

The best for fitness and road riding

Pearl Izumi shorts
Backcountry

Pearl Izumi's Attack Shorts are the perfect companion for those weekend road rides where you're looking not just to log miles but also to break a sweat.

Pros: Good value in a high-quality traditional cycling short

Cons: Waistband may slip down or feel less secure for some body types

If you primarily bike for fitness, your main concern is most likely comfort. Then, you want a pair of traditional, minimalist form-fitting cycling shorts. These Pearl Izumi's Attack Shorts are my go-to.

The brand has made high-quality cycling attire for decades and these shorts deliver. They allow for a full range of motion and an integrated chamois for comfort. There's no excess material to rub against your skin, snag on the nose of your saddle, or to flap around in the breeze. Elastic keeps the legs in place, the seams are minimal, and the chamois is designed to promote airflow while keeping you cool and moisture-free.

As a bonus, the shorts have reflective details for safety in low-light conditions, and the fabric is made from recycled materials. These shorts dry almost immediately and are the closest you'll ever get on the bike to wearing nothing at all (without the pain of actually wearing nothing).

 

The best for endurance riding

Assos Shorts
Competitive Cyclist

It's one thing to commit to cycling shorts but to get the maximum benefit, you need to roll in full-on bibs and the Assos Equipe RS Bib Shorts S9 are one of the most comfortable bibs I've tested.

Pros: Bibs help reduce chances of chafing, compression fabric promotes blood flow, low-profile chamois

Cons: Not the easiest to casually wear, more complicated for bathroom breaks=

Bib shorts versus regular cycling shorts (often referred to as half shorts) is a completely personal decision. Many cyclists like bibs because they have integrated suspenders, so your shorts never slip down and you don't have to worry about the waistband cutting in weird.

If you're ready to go bib, Assos, one of the most coveted brands in cycling attire, offers a great blend of performance and value in their Men's Equipe RS Bib Shorts S9. These deliver compression fabric designed to ease blood flow and reduce fatigue, as well as a low-profile chamois that won't feel big, bulky, or diaper-like, making them an excellent choice for putting in big miles all season long.

The advantage of bib shorts is that they fit better and offer more comfort on long, difficult rides. Of course, the disadvantage is that you need to get completely undressed in order to use the bathroom. This is a bigger deal for women typically, and most serious road cyclists who also wear special shoes and monitor their body functions don't put too much weight on this con, especially when one considers bib shorts are undeniably better for that style of riding.

Honorable mention: Specialized Men's Ultralight Liner Bib Shorts With SWAT are extremely comfortable, breathable, and moisture-wicking with convenient pockets for snacks and essentials. They aren't as luxe as the Assos pick above, but at $75, they're much more affordable.

How to shop for bike shorts

Whether you prefer road cycling or mountain biking, or just like to cruise around your neighborhood, the most vital considerations when choosing bike shorts are their breathability and flexibility. Shorts manufactured out of a fabric that won't accommodate your pedal stroke can easily cause discomfort, may tear your shorts, and just don't make riding a pleasurable experience.

Your shorts should also be fast-drying and breathable since moist fabric rubbing against your skin can cause chafing or even tinea cruris, otherwise known as jock itch. It's smart to pay attention to the seams, too. Riding in shorts with bulky seams can feel like sitting on a pencil, so if you're riding a lot, you either want flat seams or none at all.

If you're spending way more time in the saddle than you are out of it, you'll want to consider bike shorts with a pad in the crotch, which is called a chamois. Shorts with chamois are specifically designed to be worn without underwear, which eliminates a potential source of chafing and irritation. They're also more comfortable when riding bikes equipped with plastic racing saddles.

Even a reinforced crotch goes a long way toward your level of comfort because if you ride in casual clothing, this is generally the first place to fail.

A note on fit
This guide focuses on bike shorts designed for cisgender men. What this means is that these shorts have a boxier, roomier fit compared to what the industry refers to as "women's bike shorts." In the case of chamois, these are classified as "men's" based on anatomical curves and shapes of the male sex.  However, we think anyone should feel free to wear any type of shorts, regardless of gender or how the clothing is labeled. If you're seeking bike shorts with a slimmer overall profile, wider hips, and more body-hugging style, check out our guide to bike shorts for women.

Consider your riding style

There are plenty of styles of bike shorts on the market but in order to find the right pair, you need to first think of the riding you plan on doing. To help, we've field-tested a group of stand-out shorts across a variety of categories. Those categories (and relative riding styles) are:

  • Active lifestyle: A typical day might involve riding five miles to the park, hiking with friends, then hopping back on the bike and heading out for drinks before riding home. You want comfort both on and off the bike, and you want to look good no matter what.

  • Urban cycling: You live in a city and ride everywhere. You're on and off your bike all day and want something durable that can hold up to that pace.

  • Trail riding: You're riding your bike primarily for fitness or recreation, and you're spending most of your time on multi-use paths or dirt trails as opposed to an urban environment. You need extra padding in the crotch but you also want pockets and a little modesty for when you stop for coffee or to admire the view.

  • Road riding: Not only do you ride for fitness but you're chasing speed and going for distance. Off-the-bike looks aren't a consideration for you and you don't need any pockets, either, because you carry your keys and phone in a cycling jersey or handlebar bag.

  • Speed and endurance cycling: You ride a road bike or a gravel bike and like to go on long, speed-filled rides. You need a no-compromise, all-riding, all-the-time wardrobe.  The bike is the only thing that matters.

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