
I have been riding the PI Elite shorts for years and have been very happy with them but wanted to try the new Pro shorts with the new levitate pro chamois. I ride 30-45 miles on each ride on smooth bike paths. My personal opinion is that A) the PI Elite shorts are more comfortable with a little more compression B) the levitate pro chamois is only marginally better than the orange PI elite chamois C) I was sliding all over my saddle in these shorts which I do not do on my Elite shorts D) the leg grippers on the PI Elites keep my shorts from riding up my legs better E) overpriced. All of my shorts are size large. Unfortunately, once you try any apparel, they are yours.
So now I have a pair of what I thought would be awesome shorts that I do not wish to even wear again. That is the way it goes with cycling clothing sometimes. BTD would not provide any credit and I cannot disagree with them. They have been very good to me overall. I tried anyway.
I have a lot of riding gear collected over 20 years. I have always preferred the Pearl Izumi PRO shorts with the "In-R-Cool" and the red chamois. These newer shorts lack the high end design touches of the older PRO shorts: touches like the additional design stitching and leg hem are gone. The newer PRO shorts still have nice interior padding, but they are a plain material, and without any imagination in their design. The old model of PRO short used to stand out, and the material quality was visible, and also palpable when washing them. The new model works, it just looks like a lower-end version of Pearl Izumi shorts. I will only write honest reviews, and these are a slight disappointment considering the price point.
I bought an XL which size chart says is for waist sizes 33 - 37.5. My waist is about 36 inches and these were too big - both too roomy and too long. Good leg length and silicone grippers. Quality seemed good for PRO level shorts but no riding experience yet.
You have to be careful buying the PI shorts. PI ruined them with the 2019 design, which are too small and you cet the plumber�s crack effect. They fixed this with the 2022 design by adding a 1 inch waist band, but they are still a bit tight. I love the Shamir. It is very well padded. I wish that PI had stayed with the 2017 design.