Do you? Or do you not?

Honestly, since crossing the finish line in Camsur 70.3 2009, I have never worn anything underneath my tri or cycling shorts. Nada!

Why?

Chaffe and blisters, at the sensitive areas in a part called groin. You can just imagine how painful a blister in an area where skin meets skin. Ouch! I walked bowlegged for at least two days, good thing people thought it was due to muscle aches.

Your underwear seams are also your bike saddle’s enemy. Imagine it keeping in contact with the leather all the time. Totally uncomfortable!

Cotton retains water, so a cotton underwear is at the top of the heap of the no-nos in athletic clothing…unless you want to feel wet most of the time ( pun intended ).

There are more benefits to riding or competing “commando” style for as long as you’re wearing “tights” or compression shorts. Just make sure that you don’t crash and risk ripping it and expose what doesn’t need to be seen by the world like what happened to Johnny below:

Ouchhhhh!!!! Johnny Hoogerland getting tangled with barbed wires at the 2011 Tour De France

Of course, as most knew it, Johnny’s crash was caused by an idiot driving a media car in the 2011 Tour De France.

But some just don’t mind at all. All they want is to cross the finish line, like Frederic Guesdon of FdJ professional cycling team.

If you’re a guy, it makes better sense wearing black commando style:

Not RED!

And definitely not WHITE!

Going commando style is liberating. Personally, there’s this sense of freedom that I feel whenever I race without the extra piece of clothing beneath my suit. I feel more flexible and “stretchy”, free of that garter that presses off my butt cheek.

If you’ve never done it before, I suggest you try it and experience everything I just posted.

And yeah, I’d appreciate the thank you note.

Deo P.