I bought my first cycling shorts in 1974. I was a starving student and couldn't afford to chunk out $25 for a pair of Sergal wool shorts. I settled for some Mexican made Lambertini acrylic shorts for $10 instead.
I didn't do much riding between the early 80s and early 90s. All of my cycling gear was packed away. In 1992 I stared riding again and dug out my cycling clothes. The moths made Swiss cheese out of about 4-5 pairs of wool shorts including my favorite Sergals. The Cheap acrylic Lambertinis were untouched.
I replaced the wool shorts with a set of Trek Lycra bibs and I also bought a pair of Giordano shorts. After that here was another 10 year spell of not riding much.
I got back on the bike in 2006 I started wearing the brand new Giordano shorts that I bought in 92. They started looking funny after several uses and the last time I wore them, they fell off in a pile like a snake shedding it's skin. The Lycra had deteriorated.
I tried several brands of Lycra shorts over the past few years. I was about to try some wool shorts again but discovered Kucharik 8 panel Lycra shorts with the HAP crotch. It's a thin synthetic liner that doesn't feel like I'm sitting on a max-pad.
I still have the Lambertini shorts but haven't worn them in a long time.
Chas. Colerich Oakland, CA USA
Robert Clair wrote:
> ... when did you switch over ...
>
> ... was down at ft hunt, virginia (back in the not very distant past ...
> (1977 ? maybe) ) ... in my weekly (weakly) attempt to ride a bicycle ...
> when someone went by in those "newfangled" shiney shorts.
>
> ... here i was in wool shorts, rainbow suspenders, and a wool top ... in
> the middle of the hotest, most humid day of july. goodness knows how i
> got home that afternoon.
>
> ... needless to say a couple of weeks later we were on the horn to
> Branford Bikes in Stamford, CT (anyone remember them) with my two week
> paycheck for whatever they had in my (over) size Assos stuff. went
> through a few of those over the years.
>
> ... anyone recall a cigarette commercial around then to ... "i'd rather
> fight than switch". we swithched.
>
> ... innovation can be hard to accept, but that doesn't mean one can
> simply drop off the past either. but those shorts had to go ... the
> chamois must have been made out of 60-grit sandpaper :)
>
> robert clair
> downtown alexandria, virginia, usa