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Cycling shorts are short, skin-tight garments designed to improve comfort and efficiency while cycling.
Their useful properties are:
Historically, cycling shorts were made of knit black wool, which hides wear marks caused by sitting on an oiled leather saddle for extended periods of time, with a chamois leather padding inside the shorts in the crotch area, which reduces chafing from the bicycle saddle. Modern cycling shorts are often made of spandex with a synthetic chamois which acts as an elastic interface between the cyclist's body and the saddle, and are produced in a variety of shapes and styles to suit the needs of different riders. On some cycling shorts different materials are often placed on different parts of the shorts to take advantage of each material's benefit, providing a very efficient cycling short. For example, the patterns used for the chamois on women's cycling shorts tend to be quite different from those used for men's. The hem of each leg is usually lined with elastic and/or silicone that clings to the skin, keeping it in a fixed position. These shorts made from several panels fit better and are more beneficial, especially for racers, but cost more.
Short-legged elastic tights commonly worn as street wear, under girls' skirts and dresses, with longer oversized t-shirts, sweat shirts and sweaters, for gymnastics and ballet practice, or under athletic and running shorts, are sometimes also referred to as "bike shorts", but they are typically simpler and lighter garments than those worn by cyclists and generally lack the chamois or faux-chamois lining and may have plain or lace trimmed hems.