1. A tri short chamois is small. What's a chamois? It's that pad that sits under your, um, sensitive bits. Traditional bike shorts have a large pad that makes long rides comfortable, but in a triathlon you have to swim AND run in these things. A thick chamois turns into a soggy diaper after swimming, and no one likes a soggy diaper. Then, when you run, a big chamois turns into a horrible chafing pancake in your pants. Yikes. A good tri short features a small chamois that provides a little padding, but stays out of the way during running, which brings us to point number two...

2. No underwear! Yup, you understood correctly. In a triathlon, you go commando (note that, for the ladies, you WILL wear a sports bra in a triathlon, but that's another subject for another day). If you wear underwear, it tends to bunch and chafe between the short, chamois, and you, and that's just uncomfortable. Don't fret—a good tri-short provides plenty of coverage and modesty, which brings us to point number three...

3. A good tri short uses high quality fabric that doesn't become see-through after a few washes, and moves with you during training and racing. Wattie Ink. shorts utilize high-performance Italian fabrics that stretch in all directions, decreasing bunching, and we build in a "modesty panel" from waist to chamois that sits behind the outer fabric, leaving you more, um, confident. All of our tri shorts get a durable water repellant (DWR) treatment, which helps the shorts start dry and stay dry.

4. A good tri-short stays where you left it. We've all seen those post-race photos in which shorts roll up and bunch, creating the dreaded "sausage thigh." We deploy an effective leg gripper on the inside hem of the short, so you can focus on racing instead of keeping your pants in place.

5. A good tri-short provides storage without stress. Our hideaway pockets lie flat against the hip when empty, but expand to carry what you need, whether in a race or a training run. Gels, chews, car keys, some cash, or a card all slide easily into a pair of Wattie Ink. shorts, allowing you to focus on the task at hand: running.