This is one of the oddest, most entertaining conversation threads I’ve read in a while. I think the rider of the original post is at the beginning of a learning curve, or his crotch is bullet proof. Mine isn’t. Those of us who have been putting thousands of miles a year on our trusty steeds know that bibs eventually wear out. Replacing them is just the cost of depreciation investment.
Why spend so much on bike bibs? Innovations in materials science costs. The padding in the $150+ bibs’ is better designed for supporting your sitz bones while not impinging on thigh muscle movement. This doesn’t mean that the padding is necessarily thicker. The chamois pattern plus differentiated layers of padding in these shorts is constructed to allow more freedom of movement without binding different parts in the crouch area as you move about on and off the saddle. The lycra material in these bibs is significantly more breathable while doing a much better job wicking away moisture from the crotch area. No diaper rash. The lycra in some bibs also have better leg compression for supporting thigh muscles. On long rides in hot weather, I really appreciate these last two properties - the quicker the moisture is wicked away the cooler you feel and the less fatigued are your quads and hammies. Lastly, some of these bibs are designed to hold your junk more comfortably instead of squeezing it.
I am a strong believer in shopping at high-end clearance sales. These sales usually occur at the end of a season (summer, shoulder seasons, winter) or are special sales sponsored by bike clothing manufacturers. Sometimes manufacturers use discounts to move out current inventory, or sometimes they offer really large discounts when they are about to launch a new model line. Almost all of the bibs I’ve purchased are $200+ but I got them for 20-50% off. I look for bibs designed for endurance/training rides. On a 5-hour ride, I don’t want my butt to hurt more that it has to. Featherweight racing bibs go for $300+ and are cut for a really thin racer’s body (which ain’t me).