Um.....it has for me.

Hey Tom, I really don't care what other people wear.  It's not the "pantylines" that bother me, it's getting "chicked" by older women !!

As you say, Tom, you're not a woman so you don't really 'get' where the contact or pressure is being exerted. Apparel is always an obvious variable to examine, but I think not enough people examine their form.

I think women who experience chronic chafing should examine how they are bearing their weight. Bearing your weight on this one sensitive area for an extended period of time will lead to discomfort and/or chafing. However, if you engage your core, you will instantly relieve the pressure. I use bike shorts that are 10 years old (or older), I don't wear panties with them, I don't use anti-chafing, and I have a relatively firm/hard saddle. Only time I've had a problem was when I was fatigued and I dropped the pressure and all my weight onto my saddle for an extended period of time.

Other variables may come into play, but I really think women should start with their posture/form.

I think one of the reasons I finally found a comfortable saddle is that I figured out where my hip bones sit. Honestly before childbirth my hips didn't sit as wide as they do now after 3 kiddos.  

I very rarely hear of anyone complaining about saddle discomfort as the result of wearing panties. Is this an issue on other forums or maybe regionally?

When I see the question, it's usually resolved by a fit or saddle adjustment, or simply needing more time in the saddle. Not panties or lack thereof.

Perhaps not.  But if you are going to try to tell me that female saddle comfort is due primarily to women wearing underwear under their bike shorts, I'm here to inform you that you are incorrect.

I've been cycling for 7 years now.  I've never once noticed a single panty line on a woman in bike shorts.  Running tights, perhaps, but not in bike shorts.  Where the hell are you riding that you are seeing so many?

"if you are going to try to tell me that female saddle comfort is due primarily to women wearing underwear under their bike shorts, I'm here to inform you that you are incorrect."

I listed four factors in the original post that contribute to (dis) comfort. You must have missed them. Here is what I wrote in the original post:

"Tight shorts. No underwear. Bike fit. Chamois Cream."

"I've been cycling for 7 years now.  I've never once noticed a single panty line on a woman in bike shorts.  Running tights, perhaps, but not in bike shorts.  Where the hell are you riding that you are seeing so many?"

I do not remember the number of female cyclists I saw on Saturday, April 21st on the north side of the river bike path in Tucson, Arizona between Alvernon and Stone at about 1:20 PM. I do remember I started thinking about it being worthy of discussion after seeing four in the first mile. Then, after that, I noticed it over and over on cyclists I could see from behind. Remember, I write about this stuff for a living, so I do notice things like this.

Maybe there is a correlation between recreational level cyclists who use bike paths as opposed to roads. I would have thought that, but these cyclists were actually wearing stretch fabric, padded, technical bike shorts. Some appeared to be experienced riders based strictly on their equipment.

... which raises the question: did you see a lot of guys doing the same thing?

Ya know, I don't think the shorts and tights come with instructions...Most sporting goods stores will happily take someone's money and not give any directions on how to use the products.  Even having high end equipment would not mean there was any training on it, and it is a well known fact that there are lots of people out there that will drop many thousands on a bike and never bother to pay the relatively small fee for a fitting...

Um, a profile pic like that, you are asking for it...

Wait a minute . . . You would need a Boolean search to make those numbers meaningful. Was that "women's" and "saddle" and "bike" etc? If not, you got a lot of junk.

I'm anti-panty under compression/lycra, but I have seen ladies that SHOULD have been wearing panties. Maybe their entire crack would not have been clearly visible through their very stretched and well worn tri shorts. My husband said maybe that was part of their strategy so that men would not pass them. Anyway, after that I'm now paranoid and check my see-through factor before leaving the house.

Just to play devil's advocate...  Sooooo. What major life event has the potential to change men's anatomy and happens to the majority of the men on the planet?  Our anatomy is dynamic, as is our fitness.   Add that to the lessons taught to us ladies by our parents about modesty and cleanliness... 

And you get a recipe for wearing panties and having trouble getting comfortable on a bike saddle, and there are fewer women in the sport for us to talk to.  It's also hard for many women to talk about in great detail with the bike tech exactly what part of our lovely lady bumps are hurting.  So we get on the internet to find help.    Besides.  I think you just have "google envy."

"Wait a minute . . . You would need a Boolean search to make those numbers meaningful. Was that 'women's' and 'saddle' and 'bike' etc? If not, you got a lot of junk."

Point taken. And valid.

That said, even if you discount the suggestion of that trend by 50% it still suggests an unusual level of debate surrounding female saddle comfort. It could suggest a lack of consensus.

This worries and interests me for a few reasons:

1. I make a living from the cycling sports. There are a lot of people in them right now and, according to the data on the USA Triathlon page, a lot of new female athletes. If I want my job to remain secure its worth trying to retain athletes in the sport. I don't want to see a "bubble" where there are a lot of transient athletes that come into the sport and then leave for any number of reasons ranging from lifestyle change to economics to even physical issues like injuries, accidents, issues like saddle discomfort. How do we prevent that? Is educating people to make the sport easier a part of it? I will suggest "yes".

2. The topic seems to be relevant to people; they seem to want to read about it based on the number of inquiries on forums about female saddle comfort. It is a common inquiry on this, and other forums. Why is that? It hasn't been "resolved" yet? There isn't adequate consensus to cause the number of inquiries to decrease?

3. It seems addressable. It seems that way: Good bike fit and position, wear good shorts that fit correctly without underwear, use chamois lubricant- the basics. For some reason that is not consensus. Is it because that thinking is wrong?

Just did a century with several others where there were certain guy cyclists I just could not follow for long.  The fits of giggles disrupted my balance.

T M I

Snerk!  You said "junk"!

Folks we have a winner and a keeper here. Also, for people to notice this, you must have some super keen eyesight. Not like they have a whale tail sprouting from the muffin top

Exactly, and I know a lot of women cyclists!  That was my point.

Tom - I don't argue that the points you made about bike fit and position matter because they absolutely do. It's just that from your post, it sounds like you feel like you just stumbled upon a major discovery and that women need to be told to remove their underwear and all their problems will be gone!  There are major factors that you left off your list like conditioning, anatomy and saddle shape.  

Yes, there are going to be a much larger % of beginner cyclists on a MUP than there would be on the road (if a MUP is available).  All the 'I"m afraid of riding on the road' posts here should indicate that.

As someone else mentioned, due to the relative lack of women in the sport, I can tell you from experience that often times the BEST place to get advice about sensitive issues related to the female anatomy and biking is the internet.  Guys can ask guys.  It would be a very rare beginner woman cyclist who is going to ask men about intimate saddle issues!  They are going to ask other women cyclists if they are lucky enough to have them in their lives, or they will ask online.  Check out teamestrogen's forums if you don't believe me.  Hell, I would have given up on cycling when I started if not for those forums because I had huge saddle problems and all the men I asked told me to just HTFU.  Boy, were they wrong.  I'm sorry if you disagree.

Yeah, I should have read the entire thread instead of just the first post. But maybe it's a regional thing since we are in the same region. j/k, not all of the female cyclists I know are in the same region.

Also, I have shared the locker room with a lot of female cyclists, so I know I'm right. :D