Buying advice

Which model has which pad?

The short answer

Cycling shorts and bibs have a different pad depending on their use, MTB and trail shorts come without a pad and are combined with an underpant. The tables below show every model with its pad.

Cycling shorts and chamois pads at a glance

Two pairs of shorts from the same collection can feel completely different in the saddle because they have a different pad. Every product page states which P-TEC pad is fitted, but if you want to compare models, you quickly end up clicking through a dozen pages. This overview saves you that: every model, its pad, its use.

The pads in one line each

  • ICON: 8 mm thick, 80 kg/m³ dense seating area. For rides up to 2 hours.
  • ELASTIC INTERFACE: flat and highly breathable. For sporty rides of 2 to 4 hours.
  • TEOSPORT: single layer with a low profile. For racing and fast rides of 2 to 4 hours.
  • TRAVERSE: 11 mm with Poron inserts at the pressure points. For anything over 4 hours.

What is behind the pads and how to choose the right pad thickness is explained in the chamois pad guide. Important for the tables: women’s models have the women’s version of each pad, with a wider seating area positioned further back.

Men: model and pad

ModelPadUse
P-Icon, cycling shortsICONTraining and commuting, up to 2 hours
P-Icon BIB, bib shortsICONUp to 2 hours, no waistband at the stomach
P-Shadowplay, winter tightsICONWinter rides up to 2 hours
P-Trail, bib tightsICONWinter rides up to 2 hours
P-Traverse, cycling shortsTRAVERSELong rides, over 4 hours
P-Blaze, gravel bib shortsELASTIC INTERFACEGravel and road, sporty with a low riding position
P-River Rock, gravel bib shortsELASTIC INTERFACEGravel and road, sporty with a low riding position
P-Aero Fusion, winter bibTEOSPORTWinter, rides of 2 to 4 hours
P-Wind Chaser, winter bibTEOSPORTWinter, rides of 2 to 4 hours
P-Combat Rock, bib shortsTEOSPORT Gravel PadGravel and rough long distance
P-Factory Team, bib shortsTEOSPORTRacing and fast rides, 2 to 4 hours
P-Underpant, padded underpantsPerformance pad from ItalyUnder shorts without a pad

Not listed? Some models have a pad without its own pad name, more on that in the questions below.

Women: model and pad

ModelPadUse
P-Icon W, cycling shortsICONTraining and commuting, up to 2 hours
P-Icon 3/4, 3/4 cycling tightsICONUp to 2 hours, in-between weather
P-Transition W, winter tightsICONWinter, wind-resistant front
P-Shadowplay W, winter tightsICONWinter rides up to 2 hours
P-Traverse W, cycling shortsTRAVERSELong rides, over 4 hours
P-Blaze W, gravel bib shortsELASTIC INTERFACEGravel and road, sporty with a low riding position
P-River Rock W, gravel bib shortsELASTIC INTERFACEGravel and road, sporty with a low riding position
P-Aero Fusion W, winter bibTEOSPORTWinter, rides of 2 to 4 hours
P-Wind Chaser W, winter bibTEOSPORTWinter, rides of 2 to 4 hours
P-Underpant W, padded underpantsPerformance pad from ItalyUnder shorts without a pad

Shorts come without a pad

All MTB and trail shorts, such as P-Bounce 4.0, P-Sound, P-Flying High or the women’s models P-Lite W and P-New Toy W, deliberately come without a sewn-in pad. The same applies to overtrousers such as the P-Seattle rain trousers and to wind and thermal tights such as P-Shadowmoon, P-Woodland, P-100 Miles, P-Trace, P-Combat Rock Therm and the P-Motion W. You wear the pad underneath, as an underpant:

The advantage of keeping them separate: you wash the pad after every ride and the shorts only when needed, and one underpant works under several pairs of shorts.

FAQ

My product page only says P-TEC pad, with no name. What applies then?

Some models have a pad without its own pad name. In that case the rule of thumb based on ride length from the chamois pad guide helps: short and fast means flat and dense, long and rough means thicker, with more cushioning.

Do women’s and men’s models have the same pad?

The same pad family, but not the same pad. The women’s version has a wider seating area positioned further back, to match the anatomy of the sit bones.

Why do MTB shorts not have a sewn-in pad?

So you can wash the pad and the shorts separately. The pad belongs in the wash after every ride, the shorts do not. Also, one underpant works under all your shorts.

Can I change or add a pad?

Not with shorts that have a sewn-in pad, the pad is a fixed part of the model. With shorts, you choose which pad you ride via the underpant. How to make the pad last is explained in the washing guide.