Choosing the right VAUDE shorts
Cycling shorts fit when they sit close without constricting and don't shift as you pedal. That's what keeps pressure points and chafing away. The requirements change with the season: in summer the shorts should be light and move moisture outwards quickly, in winter they need to insulate and block wind at the exposed points.
Inner shorts, outer shorts or overshorts?
Padded shorts come in two constructions. With inner shorts the pad sits in a close-fitting liner that can be worn under various outer layers and ventilates well. Where the pad is sewn directly into the outer short, the garment as a whole is more hard-wearing. The third category is overshorts: VAUDE trousers and MTB shorts without a pad belong functionally in this group. The two are often combined — all mountain and travel shorts ship with a liner, while enduro and city shorts ship without, since a pad isn't generally used in those disciplines.
The heart of a pair of shorts: the chamois
An anatomically shaped chamois spreads pressure across the seat area and reduces the load on long rides. For longer tours VAUDE therefore recommends shorts with an integrated pad. Which pad suits you depends mainly on riding position: the more stretched out you sit, the thinner the pad can be, because more weight rests on your hands and pedals. The more upright the position, the more load lands on the sit bones — and the thicker the padding should be.
The chamois pads VAUDE uses
Some of the pads come from SQlab, a specialist in ergonomic cycling products that brings its saddle-building experience into the shape of the pads. The LesSeam liner shorts with an integrated SQlab pad are currently exclusive to VAUDE; they use notably few seams and are made from recycled polyamide.
| Chamois pad | Riding position | Thickness | Use and features |
| SQlab Pro Performance | stretched | 4 mm | Cross country, marathon and road riding at high intensity. Strongly tapered, doesn't crease over long distances and stays breathable despite its high density (360 kg/m³). |
| SQlab Pro Tour | upright | 8 mm | Relaxed mountain bike rides and sporty trekking tours. A thin gel layer over the sit bones damps vibration and spreads pressure. |
| Advanced Cycling | slightly stretched | 10 mm | Medium distances at medium intensity. Made from S-Café®, a material based on recycled coffee grounds: UV-resistant, odour-inhibiting and quick-drying. |
| Active Cycling | upright | 8 mm | Shorter distances at low intensity, for occasional and leisure riders. |
