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Cycling shorts, also known as biker - or bicycling shorts, are short, skin-tight legwear designed to improve comfort and effiency while cycling.
Historically, cycling shorts were made with black wool and a leather chamois. Most modern cycling shorts are made with spandex and contain a synthetic chamois in the seat and crotch area for optimal comfort. The hem of each leg is usually lined with a ring of material that clings to the skin, keeping it in a fixed position. They are designed to be worn alone with no undergarments, snugly fitting the body (which works better with more panels, but is also more expensive) to minimise friction and moisture, in fact doubling as underwear.
The chamois is a patch of highly absorbent fabric that usually surrounds the area where the pelvis rests on the seat. Its main purpose is to pad the cyclist's bottom, which is especially important when using hard race saddles. The chamois also absorbs moisture produced by the body, helping to prevent chafing and rashes that can result from the repetitive motion of the legs. They are produced in a variety of shapes and styles to suit the needs of different riders. For example, the pattens used for the chamois on women's cycling shorts tend to be quite different from those used for men's.*
Spandex is the most commonly used fabric in bicycle shorts for a variety of reasons. The elastic nature of it allows the shorts to cling tightly to the leg, offering support for the quadriceps. This also reduces wind resistance, allowing greater speed, and prevents foreign objects from getting entangled in the clothing. The thin, breathable natue of the material also allows sweat to evaporate more easily, cooling the body.
Bibshorts
Bibshorts are cycling shorts which are held up by a bib (like an overall), not a tight waistband which could impede breathing. The bib part of the short is often made of spandex with large sections of netting to help cool down the rider. The idea of bib shorts likely from the braces that cyclists used to use to hold up old fashioned woolen shorts which after absorbing lots of sweat would have a tendency to fall down.
"Cycling shorts"