Shorts

The different colors are generally inspired by teams that have different colors to stand out from one another. The harder saddles are generally narrower also and are built as a performance saddle as to not restrict movement.
The padding in the bibs fit closely and is also not restrictive. I don't think shops loan bibs.........as least I never heard of it and it is probably against local and state law.
There are several threads on this forum about cycling wear and recommended brands. The biggest issue is usually size if your order fron the internet.

The key to saddle comfort is to get one with the right shape rather than one which is heavily padded. The benefit of a firm saddle is that it provides adequate support so no energy is wasted rocking your lower body from side to side. This significantly reduces fatigue and provides better freedom of movement on longer rides.
The fact that a firmer saddle is less likely to sag with time also ensures that your fit is the same throughout the ride and from ride to ride.

Many people make the mistake of assuming that, since they get saddle sores, they need a saddle with more padding. In reality it is due to the fact that they are putting pressure on the wrong places. In other words the shape of the saddle is at fault.

The fact that saddles with padding also tend to have different shapes (which some people might find comfy) tends to compound the assumption that padding is what's needed. In reality they have just found the right shape.

The chamois in bike shorts and bib shorts is not designed or intended as padding. Traditionally it was made out of an absorbent chamois leather to keep the crotch dry and hence reduce the chances of chafing. Nowadays the rôle is taken over by synthetic materials, but there is an annoying tendency in manufacturers now to add extra padded layers under the chamois, again defeating the need for support rather than padding. I always go for a thin, but durable, chamois over any padded option.

and PS: bike shorts are okay, but once you've tried some nice bibs you won't go back!

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by tafi [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

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Thanks, that's very useful. Could you post a link to some of those thinly-padded ones if you saw them on the web?
I've come across those, not sure what 'regular' means - do you think those are worn over something?

At this point, putting on something called 'bibs' sounds rather shocking but then again I didn't know about clipless pedals until a few weeks ago either!

Cheers!