If you have ever pulled on a pair of bib shorts, poked the pad, and thought “thicker has to be better,” you are not alone. Most riders start there. Then they do a long ride, sweat buckets, and realize the real problem is not just cushion - it is pressure, heat, movement, and friction all happening at once.
That is the heart of cycling chamois thickness explained in plain English: thickness is only one part of comfort. Sometimes it helps. Sometimes it makes things worse.
Cycling chamois thickness explained (without the marketing)
A chamois (the pad in bib shorts) is basically a small piece of engineered foam and fabric designed to manage pressure and reduce rubbing between your body and the saddle. “Thickness” is the easiest spec to talk about, so brands love to talk about it. But your body does not feel thickness. Your body feels pressure distribution, stability, and moisture.
A thick pad can spread pressure over a wider area, which can feel great when you are new to longer rides or when your saddle fit is not dialed yet. The trade-off is that more material can hold more heat and sweat, and it can bunch or shift if the pad shape or short fit is not right.
A thinner pad can feel “faster” and more connected to the bike. It usually breathes better and dries quicker. The trade-off is that if the foam density is too low, or your saddle and position concentrate pressure in one spot, you can feel sore sooner.
So thickness is not a quality score. It is a design choice.
Why thicker is not always more comfortable
In hot and humid riding, the biggest enemy of comfort is often not impact. It is moisture plus motion. When a pad is very thick, there is simply more material to warm up and soak. Once that happens, you can get a pad that feels heavy, stays wet, and increases friction.
There is also stability. A thick, soft pad can compress unevenly as you pedal. That can create a tiny rocking feeling at the contact points, especially if you are doing higher cadence work or you tend to move around on the saddle. That micro-movement is a classic recipe for hot spots.
And then there is fit. Thick pads are less forgiving if your bib shorts are slightly loose, because the pad can sit a bit off-center. When the pad is thin and firm, a small positioning error is still not ideal, but it is less likely to bunch.
None of this means thick pads are bad. It just means thick pads only work when the rest of the system is working too: good fit, stable saddle position, and the right density.
Thickness vs density: the part most riders miss
Two pads can be the same thickness and feel totally different. That is density.
Think of density as how strongly the foam resists compression. Low density foam compresses easily. High density foam resists compression and “holds you up” longer.
If a pad is thick but low density, you can sink into it. That can feel plush for the first 20 minutes, then feel worse later because you are basically sitting deeper in warm, damp foam. If a pad is thinner but higher density, it can feel firmer at first but may support you better over distance.
That is why “I bought the thickest pad and still got sore” is a real thing. You did not need more foam. You needed better support and less movement.
What thickness is really trying to solve
A well-designed pad uses thickness strategically, not everywhere. Most modern performance pads are built with multiple zones.
You generally want more material under the main pressure areas and less material where you need flexibility and breathability. If a pad is uniformly thick like a mattress topper, it can limit how naturally it follows your pedaling motion.
This is also where rider posture matters. A more upright position often shifts pressure slightly rearward. A more aggressive position shifts pressure forward. The “right” pad is the one that matches where you actually carry load, not where the catalog photo assumes you sit.
The comfort triangle: pad, saddle, and bib fit
Chamois thickness gets blamed for almost everything, but saddle comfort is a three-part relationship.
First is your saddle shape and width. If your saddle is too narrow, no amount of padding will stop pressure from concentrating in the wrong place. Second is bib fit. The shorts need enough compression to keep the pad locked in place without feeling like it is cutting circulation. Third is the pad design itself.
When riders change only one thing (usually the shorts) but keep a saddle that does not suit their anatomy, the result is mixed. It is not that the pad “failed.” It is that the system stayed unbalanced.
Choosing thickness by ride length and conditions
If you mainly ride 30-80 km, you are in the sweet spot where pad choice can either make riding feel easier or quietly ruin your day.
For shorter rides or indoor trainer sessions, thinner pads are often more comfortable because you sweat more and move less. Less bulk helps with ventilation, and you do not need as much long-term support.
For steady endurance rides, mid-thickness pads tend to work well because they balance support and moisture management. You want enough structure to avoid pressure build-up after the first hour, but not so much foam that it turns into a wet sponge.
For long rides and events, more thickness can help, but only if it is paired with higher density support and a shape that stays stable. A thick pad that collapses will not stay comfortable at hour four.
And for hot climates, it is worth favoring breathability and quick drying over pure thickness. When the pad stays drier, your skin stays calmer. Your future self will thank you.
Signs your chamois is too thick (or too soft)
This is where you can troubleshoot without guessing.
If you feel like you are “floating” on the saddle, or you keep shifting to find a stable spot, your pad may be too thick or too soft for your saddle and posture. If you finish a ride and the irritation is more about rubbing than pressure, that is another hint that the pad is moving or holding too much moisture.
Some riders also notice numbness with overly soft pads, because sinking in can increase pressure in sensitive areas. That is not a universal rule, but if numbness shows up after switching to a thicker, softer pad, it is worth reconsidering.
Signs your chamois is too thin (or too firm)
If the discomfort feels like concentrated pressure on the sit bones, and it comes on gradually as distance increases, you may need more support under load. That could mean more thickness, higher density, or a better match in pad shape.
If you feel fine for 30-45 minutes and then it becomes a “countdown clock” to soreness, that often points to a pad that bottoms out. In other words, it is compressing until you are basically sitting on the saddle through the pad.
A practical way to pick the right pad
Instead of asking “how thick,” ask three questions.
First: how long are your rides, really? Not your best day. Your typical week. Second: do you ride mostly outdoors in heat and humidity, or do you spend a lot of time on the trainer? Third: are you getting pressure pain (support problem) or rubbing irritation (movement and moisture problem)?
Once you answer those, thickness becomes easier.
If your issue is rubbing, going thicker rarely fixes it. You usually want a pad that is stable, not bulky, and shorts that hold it in the right place. If your issue is pressure after two hours, then yes, more structured padding can help, but look for density and zoned design, not just “maximum thickness.”
This is also why performance tiers can be useful when they are organized honestly. At Bizkut, we grade bib shorts by padding levels (L1-L6) so riders can move up as their distance and intensity grow, rather than guessing based on a single number on a product page. If you want to see how that structure works in real products, it is all laid out at https://www.bizkut.co.
One more thing: your saddle time changes what you need
Newer riders often need more forgiveness because their contact points are still adapting. More experienced riders sometimes prefer a slightly firmer, more breathable pad because their position is steadier and their body is used to load.
So if you rode a thick pad as a beginner and loved it, but now it feels too warm or bulky, that is not you being “picky.” That is progression. Your pedaling is smoother, your rides are longer, and your comfort needs shift.
The goal is not to find the thickest chamois. It is to find the pad that disappears while you ride - supportive enough that pressure stays manageable, breathable enough that humidity does not turn into friction, and stable enough that you stop thinking about your shorts at all.
Close your next shopping tab for a second and think about your last two rides: where did discomfort show up, and when did it start? Answer that honestly, and the right thickness tends to pick itself.
