#6: Fox Racing Demo Shorts
Fox Racing designed the Demo shorts for DH riding, with features like a ratcheting waist closure, a sleek, single zippered pocket, and “Rider Attack Position” construction to keep gravity riders comfy all day long. These shorts don’t feature a traditional chamois because, well, DH riders don’t spend much time sitting in the saddle. Instead, the Demo shorts feature a breathable mesh liner.
The graphics on the Demo shorts (two colors to choose from) are sublimated rather than printed to minimize fading over time. In addition to the Demo shorts, Fox Racing also offers a couple full-length pant versions of the Demo shorts, again, for DH riding. Pricing for the Demo shorts starts at $109.95 and goes up to $149.95 for the top of the line Demo DH Pant. Women’s versions of the Demo shorts are available as well.
#7: Pearl Izumi Canyon Shorts
Pearl Izumi offers a number of baggy shorts to choose from, but none are more popular (among the mountain bikers we talked to, anyway) than the Canyon shorts. Like most of the other baggy shorts on our list, the Canyons feature an included detachable chamois liner.
With a 12″ inseam, the Canyon shorts are designed to fall roughly at the knee for most riders. There’s an internal adjustable waistband to go along with the single button, zippered fly closure. Pearl Izumi offers the Canyons in just two solid colors, though there is a slightly more expensive plaid version for those who need a little extra style. A single zippered cargo pocket on the right gives these shorts a clean, sleek look on the trail.
There is a women’s version of the Canyon shorts that is slightly shorter and is offered in a wider variety of colors. Suggested retail price starts at $80 for the women’s Canyon shorts, $85 for men’s.
#8: Pearl Izumi Elite Short
This is the only non-baggy, lycra-style pair of shorts on our list and honestly, the Pearl Izumi’s Elite line is pretty broad. All of the Elite shorts feature a high quality chamois and can be worn alone or underneath a pair of outer shorts.
With these shorts, pricing and comfort all come down to the chamois, so there is a wide range of choices and price points, from $100 all the way up to $170. There are even long and bib versions of the Elite shorts, which many riders (myself included) tend to favor.
#9: Troy Lee Designs Moto Shorts
The Troy Lee Designs Moto shorts are designed with gravity riders in mind. There’s no chamois here–just a mesh liner–and the shorts are constructed from durable 600 denier polyester. There’s an external ratcheting waist system and zippered cargo pockets on the legs.
The Moto shorts are available in one of two solid colors for $90, and for $95 buyers can upgrade to the eye-popping “Caustic” version pictured above.
#10: Troy Lee Designs Sprint Short
Troy Lee Designs bills the Sprint short as a “lightweight protective short,” which to me is pretty much code for enduro. These shorts feature a mesh liner (no chamois), zippered pockets, and external rubber waist adjusters. There are seven different colors/designs to choose from, all at a suggested retail price of $95.
Other Notable Responses
Some of my personal favorite responses from the survey include shorts from Costco, Target, and Walmart. Several riders mentioned rocking Levi’s brand shorts/pants, and there are more than a couple folks in Army-issue fatigues and Dickies work shorts. Some guy is even wearing a Nike bathing suit out there. While there’s nothing wrong with these choices, especially when paired with a decent chamois liner, our survey makes it clear that most riders tend to appreciate shorts that are designed with mountain biking in mind.
