These are my first "real" pair of bike shorts. Other than this pair, I just have a cheap pair from a big box store. I didn't realize just how much better these were than my old pair until I had to go back to using my old pair just once...and it was painful! The material of these shorts is really nice - soft with good compression. The wide waistband is very comfortable, and fits at about mid-rise. I followed the size chart, which told me to get a size larger than I normally wear, and they fit great. The only reason I deducted a star was that I wish they had rubber around the leg openings.