The Great Underwear Experiment

Coundown 151 days

Just returned from the 2010 Cleveland Bike Show, and while the show was pretty good, the more exciting part was....underwear!

Let me start with a disclaimer: Underwear gives me problems. Not everyday underwear, mind you, and stop getting that weirded out look on your face. It's not like that.

What I mean is that on long distance bike trips, my underwear can give me problems. The seams on it can sometimes sit right where the edge of the seat rests against my bum and the underside of my thighs. And of course, black leather seats can get rather warm in the sunshine. That makes for a sweaty bum. Again, sorry for giving you that mental image. But the end result is that the combination of seamed underwear, heat, long term friction against a black leather surface just creates a rash of problems. And while the thought of it may chafe you, it won't bother you as much as it bothers me.

So, the big news is that at this year's bike show, I bought some 'special' underwear to try out on this trip. 600 miles in a day wearing 'problematic' underwear will seriously cut into the comfort factor. In fact, it will make doing 600 miles in a day painful and difficult.

The brand for these spiffy special shorts is "Bodz". I checked the label and learned:

They will fit perfectly as a second skin to fit smoothly under your riding gear, or any outerwear. They make it easy to slide into and out of tight-fitting leathers.
Bodz feature active breathing fibers for moisture management and thermal regulation. They will keep you drier in the summer by moving the moisture from your skin to their outer surface for evaporation, making it the perfect complement to other Goretex® gear. They will provide a soft extra layer to protect you when it gets cold.
Made with Meryl Skinlife which maintains the skin’s natural biological balance, it reduces the risk of allergies, and insures freshness and odor control.
The smooth inner surface provides greater comfort for day-long rides.

Yeah, well that's the marketing spiel. I'm not so much worried about 'insuring freshness and controlling odor' but I'm most concerned with those seams and the moisture wicking properties. These supposedly have 'welded seams'. Which leaves me with the question - If something is 'seamless' yet it has welded seams, is it truly seamless?

So when the weather turns and I get the chance to try these new undies out, I'll be sure to let you know how it goes. In the meantime, I just have to wait and wear my regular old standard undies. And not have any problems.