Look, while many of us who ride a lot choose cycling shorts to do it in, it's simply a comfort choice. Much of what goes on in cycling these days is driven by marketing and profit-making. Until the 1990's, most people rode bikes just fine without any cycling-specific clothing. So, don't feel that you have to wear tight lycra if you don't want to. If you do end up with comfort issues on the saddle, then try some mountain bike or touring type of loose-fitting shorts, as has already been suggested.
I often ride my road bike without changing into even just the cycling shorts. It just depends on how far I plan to ride. I also choose to use a saddle which is a bit wider and flatter than your typical, modern, super-minimal racing saddle. I don't care about the few ounces of added weight, and the slightly wider saddle seems to be better suited for riding in every day civilian shorts and pants. But then, my kind of road bike riding does not involve racing or dropping other cyclists.
