Thanks to the other reviewers, I ordered up a size (or more). I ordered a large and they fit perfectly; I can't imagine being able to wear a smaller size because of the really tight band around the thigh. I ordered these Tri shorts because I wanted something with a minimal pad/chamois that didn't feel like a diaper. Previously, I bought a clearance pair of Orca Tri shorts that were wrong: not the color advertised (bright purple), returned for a bigger size, and a pad/chamois that feels like a diaper and uncomfortably digs into my back end. In normal everyday clothes, I wear about a size 6 (sometimes 8) pants, which often is a size small. But I'm discovering that Tri shorts are so tight that I would probably expect to be a size medium. I am 5' 5" and 136 lbs with a large waist and small hips. So, given that I am a size medium in triathlon clothes, I ordered up and got a large. Thanks so much to the previous reviewers for helping me make this sizing decision because otherwise I would've probably had another return and waste of shipping fees. I actually really like the lower waist line that dips below the belly button in these Pearl Izumi shorts. I will definitely wear these for my next sprint triathlon.UPDATE: I'm changing my mind on these shorts... I have a triathlon in 10 days, so I decided to try the shorts for a swim (oops, should have done that a while ago). They've been great for cycling so I haven't worried about it yet. But they were TERRIBLE for the swim. The tight band around the thigh (to keep them down and in place for cycling) didn't allow the shorts to fit tightly around the chamois area (i.e., they kept pulling the shorts down my thigh). So there was A LOT of movement, friction, and water leaking into the shorts. I think that ordering a bigger size to accommodate the tight leg band means that there is too much space/looseness in the rest of the shorts. So watch out for "ordering up a size" because it may introduce other dilemmas. Additionally, I discovered that I can't stand a fleece chamois (which these shorts have) because it adds to the friction and causes me a lot of discomfort in the chamois/crotch area. I had to hurriedly run downtown to our boutique Triathlon/cycling store to try on another brand (super expensive!) because I've only got a short time left to find a pair of shorts that will work for my triathlon. (By the way, my other Tri shorts (Orca) have a pad too big for running that digs into my rear end). Last minute anxiety and stress... wish I didn't have to go through this! Finding the RIGHT pair of shorts for each event is tougher than I thought.I really like the feel of these shorts! The material is very smooth, and the chamois is nice and soft. I mostly used it for training this summer, and they were so comfy I decided to wear them for my half-ironman, despite having only had them for a few weeks before the race! Luckily I had no problems with them.I especially like the pocket in the back. For training runs, the pocket is actually large enough to hold my iPhone securely, and I hardly notice it's there while I'm running. For race day, I was able to put a few Gu's in there for during the run. I also like that the pocket has a fold-over flap to keep whatever's in there from slipping out.A note about the sizing though.... I ordered a large due to a few reviews saying they were tight. I'm a size 6 so normally would go with a medium, but sized up as per suggested by a previous reviewer. I found that the shorts were a bit long and there seemed to be a lot of extra material. They weren't so big that they were falling off (the material around the legs are rubbery so they stay put on your leg pretty well, and the top has a drawstring), but I probably would have preferred a medium. In fact, I'm almost certainly going to re-order another pair for next season, and I'll definitely make it a medium next time.I bought these for my first sprint tri that's this weekend. I've tried all three sports with them on and they work fine. I truly have nothing to compare them to since these are the only pair of tri shorts I've ever purchased. I just wanted to help with sizing choices. I'm 5'9, 133 lbs. I mostly wear a size 4 or 6 (a 2 and some weird stores that obviously have odd sizes). Sadly, my legs are not super muscular, just long...so 7 inches above the top of my knee cap the circumfrence of my thigh is 17 inches. Okay - So, that being said, I ordered the medium thinking I'd order a size up as everyone recommends. These are SNUG!!! The waist/butt/hips area fits perfectly, but the band around my thigh is super tight. Almost too tight. Again, maybe that's how their suppose to be?, but my legs are NOT that big and I have "sausage" legs when I wear these. Otherwise, they're great and I'll keep them because it's too late to try anything else that might not be so tight.I bought these because I've been needing a new pair of bike shorts for a long time. The price was right and this design is attractive.I'm 5'3 and weigh 134 lbs. I've got a compact muscular build so I bought myself a small, which is the size I pretty much wear in Nike, Adidas and other brands. It's got a fold-over pocket in the back for a key and some bills and the cuff of the legs have dots of silicone, instead of a long strip all the way around, to help keep down the leg parts. Great for people like me who have allergies to silicone.This is sized so small, however, that though I could get it on, the leg openings physically choked my thighs.This is a guesstimate but unless you were of the complexion of Miranda Carfrae (and even she would have problems with this short, I suspect!), you would do yourself a service of getting a size or two bigger.The four stars are for the styling. The sizing, as mentioned, is a little dubious.I bought these for my first tri sprint. As other reviewers suggested....size up! I am a size 4/6 in clothes and 5'3" and 135 and ordered a large b.c the bottom of the leg holes are so tight. Now they do have the "sausage roll" effect but surprinsingly are not uncomfortable. They fit snug with little gel dots to stay in place and not ride up. The waist is a bit big on me so I had a lot of slack in the draw string but again were fine for a sprint distance. I did wear them at the gym first for a spin class followed by a run just to test them. I had no issues with comfort for the hour long class either. I wore them under my wetsuit and they dried quickly out of the water. I bought the black ones expecting to have a yellow waist line but they were solid black which was a pleasant surprise.When I took these out of the packet, I knew I was going to be sending them back! Being new to multi-event sports, I hadn't tried these type of shorts on before and I found them very tight, to the point that I thought they would tear before they cut off my circulation. I'm 10-12 size and got the medium.Trage auf dem Rennrad keine Radhosen mehr, sondern nur noch diese Tri-Hose. Das Polster ist sehr angenehm, nicht so groß wie bei speziellen Radhosen. Gute Qualität!Buen producto, tela ajustable y de calidad, queda bien.