Sometimes the best bike shorts aren't bike shorts

Biking had started to get a little uncomfortable in normal shorts and briefs, so I went out yesterday to find some real bike shorts.  Surprisingly Mad Dog Cycles didn't have a very big selection and none that I tried on were very comfortable or the right size.

My next stop was 26.2 Running Company because I knew they had some triathlon gear and I figured I would give that a chance and see if I liked the feel better.  Spoiler alert, they were much more comfortable.  Traditional bike shorts have this thick padding in the seat, which feels clunky and awkward but does help avoid saddle sores.  Tri shorts are similar to bike shorts, but they are waterproof and the shammy is thinner so you can still run in them. If I was training for a longer race and doing four hour rides I probably would have just bitten the bullet and got used to the bulkier shorts to have the cushioning.  But most of my bike workouts are pretty short and I am out of the saddle a lot climbing hills, so the thinner tri shorts seemed like the best bet.

The running store didn't have the shorts I wanted in the right size, so I made one more stop at Poco Loco Swim Shop because I knew they also had some tri gear.  They had the shorts I wanted in the right size, so my shopping trek terminated there (If Provo had a triathlon shop I wouldn't have had to go to three different stores, but such are the complications of multisport.)  I ended up with the Sugoi Turbo Tri Short, a simple black short with a sleek cut and a smooth feel.  Like all tri gear it's pretty form fitting and feels a bit like you're wearing nothing at all:

So the moral of the story is that sometimes the best bike shorts aren't bike shorts at all.  And don't go skiing with Ned Flanders.