Clothes - Bicycle clothing
Are shorts made specifically for MTB worth it?
https://www.reddit.com/r/MTB/comments/14on4hp/are_shorts_made_specifically_for_mtb_worth_it/
Some names mentioned in the post
- Leatt shorts
- Fox ranger shorts
- Troy lees
- Dakine syncline shorts
- TLD
- Gerry shorts from Costco
- $20 sale jerseys from Zoic (for tops - not shorts)
- I’ve been wearing wrangler ATG shorts with my road bike chamois underneath. They tick all the boxes and are like 20 bucks.
- Assos
- DK Gravel Short II 3/4 shorts
- zoic shorts on sale. They are usually around 40 on sale or so. They are generally my every day shorts as well.
- endura mt500’s
- PNW Shuttle shorts
- I like endura and dakine and you can often find them a lot cheaper than brands like Troy Lee or fox
- I REALLY like the KETL shorts. Bought a pair on sale and now wish I had bought more. Looks good, comfortable, and functional. It’s pretty much my go to shorts for almost everything.
Opinions
Just wait for shit to go on sale, don’t pay msrp for clothes.
I own multiple pairs of MTB shorts and not sure how folks ride w/o them. They flex and stretch to accommodate riding movements while wicking sweat, resisting abrasions and holding my valuables in secure pockets.
Stretch, abrasion resistance and a zippered pocket. I also run my riding shorts long so that on the bike they get to my knee and comfortably fit over pads and don’t get hung up.
Athletic clothes are made of synthetic fabrics which wick moisture well and dry off quickly. Ride in cotton and you’ll be sopping wet with your own sweat and clammy and miserable.
Also the padded shorts are completely obligatory for a ride of any distance. Don’t wear one and your saddle will absolutely destroy you.
Other types of shorts have annoying ass seams not designed for being on the bike for long amounts of time. For bicycling, the length of the seams have to be just right.
It’s about where the pockets sit. On the shorts I have, I have my phone and keys in “front” pockets that sit on the back of my thigh and I forget they are even there while pedaling. Hiking and other athletic shorts are not designed this way. That’s my main reason for getting MTB shorts over others. If I am bringing a camelback or something on my back, I don’t need the MTB specific shorts myself.
Start with cheap Amazon shorts and work your way up it those don’t work for you. The Amazon shorts I’ve used all have Velcro fasteners and have limited life. Pretty comfortable and plenty of options. Recently I started using padded shorts with my hiking shorts (prana Zion II shorts). I just bought $100 bike specific shorts and they’re the best I’ve used. To each their own OP.
The 30 dollar Amazon versions are fine. Own a couple pairs amd they’ve held up very well. Key point is to have shorts that address the purpose of the task
Shorts rip all the time! Ever ride thru a pricker bush? or bail out on a jump? Or etc etc. Its literally the reason companies spend millions of dollars on fabric research every year. How u think Cordura came to be? Or any type of rip stop fabric? Or water resistant, fade resistant, etc. The top quality products use top quality materials.
For me, I don’t spend the $150 msrp, I find these shorts either thrifting or at a high end consignment shop like we have here in boulder. I pay around $30 for those high end shorts, a year or two old. Still in perfect shape!
Bibs under whatever works well for me. I have ridden with padded mtb shorts and prefer bibs under shorts.
They are 5 for $60. I could buy 2 weeks worth vs one pair of “real mtb” shorts
Mainly it’s cuts and shapes. They are optimized for being in a pedaling/riding position. For instance, my Troy Lee pants are low in the front (to not bunch up) and high in the back (cover more of lower back and not get caught on the saddle as much). Then the pockets are in positions where my phone is on a flatter surface than regular pockets and less likely to break ona crash or break my hip. Then there are lots of abrasion resistant areas to deal with crashes. Also there is more space in the knees for knee pads (which if you got shorts they extend to the kneepads while seated and pedalling to avoid the dreaded knee pad gap they everyone hates).
Essentially it’s like most things. You are used to what you do and “this is just how clothes are” and then you switch to extremely optimized things and often can’t go back once you feel the difference. So if you are happy, maybe just plug your ears and ignore it.
If you’re riding a lot, yes it’s worth it. They will last for years. I think I have a total of five pairs in rotation, the same five pairs I’ve had for 5 years, and I honestly don’t see why they won’t last another 5 years. The shorts are pretty expensive though, they’re the Patagonia Dirt shorts. I did manage to get most of them on sale, but even then they’re pricey but comfortable and worth it. The shorts came with a matching padded chamois underwear which is also high quality and comfortable and great for long rides, not too thick not too thin.
I have a few different jerseys from Fox, poc, yeti, and others. My favorite are the yeti brand jerseys, just the material on the fit is always great on those. For budget brand, Baleaf make some decent UPF long sleeve shirts.
Yes, MTB specific shorts are absolutely worth it. I’ve been wearing one pair of TLD shorts for three years (bought on sale) and I don’t know if they’ll ever wear out. Comfort in the saddle, adjustable, breathable, durable. I happen to like zip pockets so well placed pockets are very nice to have.
Having your shorts NOT stick to your thighs and getting caught on the front of the seat is 100% the reason why you need MTB specific shorts
Yes. I first purchased a set of no name off amazon they were good. purchased 1 diffrent pair of fox shorts on Amazon on sale for about 50. I went back and bought a pair of pnw shorts and 2 more pair of fox shorts. They fit in all the right places. They don’t get in the way. Super comfy. I also wear my fox ones to work.
Buy some padded shorts from Cognitive MTB ($40) and then throw what ever shorts you feel like wearing and don’t care if they get dirty on top.
I finally got a pair of Pactimo shorts and they’re so much more comfortable. Better stretch and recovery, plus they don’t dig into my stomach or gap in the back. They were on sale, totally worth it.
In short YES, the first time you wear a pair of normal athletic shorts and catch them on the horn of the saddle you will understand your question. Good MTB shorts have multiple panels to accommodate the movement without hanging down and catching on the saddle. As others have said, look through multiple sites for those on sale.
I used to think meh, not really but the shorts from Ketl Mtn have truly changed that opinion. They are so comfortable, but also have good breathability and stretch to them. I wear them almost exclusively now, biking or not.
Yes, I didn’t own any for awhile then fox and TLD had a sale. Figured I’d try some with a removable chamois in them.. I’ll never go back. The comfort and stretch is unparalleled when dealing with normal clothes, and the breathability of them is a much overlooked plus for those of us that deal with a high amount of humidity.
Absolutely yes. Before I got some, I was constantly having to readjust my shorts from going up my legs, now I don’t have to think about my shorts at all and it’s great.
I just posted in the gear thread the other day, but Dakine has some of their Syncline shorts on sale for $20 a pair. I just bought 2 of them.
yes. If you ride a lot yes. Cheap shorts break down quickly, don’t shed sweat as well, and will tear in a crash. If you ride once a week or so cheap is fine. 3+ days a week? Get good shorts
I think they are. To save money on them, check out Yeti’s website and look at the stuff on sale from previous seasons. They usually have a good selection of items and they’re significantly discounted. You can also sign up for e-mails from various online retailers like Competitive Cyclist, Jenson USA, Bike Tires Direct, etc and they frequently have sales on clothing.
Yeah the shorts/pants are cut and shaped to fit better while pedaling, especially if you’re wearing pads under them. For shirts I just use cheap tech tees that I get from Sierra. I have a couple Smartwool layers that I use during the colder months. I personally think MTB jerseys look extremely dorky, so I’m not spending money on them.
Like others have said you just gotta look often for sales. I recently grabbed a pair of the PNW Shuttle shorts on sale for like 30 bucks on Amazon which was like 60 percent off.
The MTB shorts are just more hearty, virtually always zip close and are usually cut so they kinda fit around the seat better. I would say in terms of value for dollar towards improving the MTB experience shorts are on the better end of “unnecessary” things you could buy
Edit: on the topic of jerseys i just couldn’t take myself seriously rocking those crazy Troy Lee designs Ed Hardy looking bike jerseys (cool if that’s your thing I just can’t pull it off as a middle aged dude with bad knees). I just wear those tech tees they give you for running 5ks and they work perfect for me!
Get one pair of outer shorts and multiple short liners.
Ally MTB shorts from Amazon with the removable chamois underwear. Cheap and great quality. I’m not riding today, and I am wearing mine (without the chamois of course) around town and the house because they are so comfortable.
Good shorts are the inky way to ride any kind of distance. The sore ass gets tired fast.