Regardless of how many features your shorts have, if they don’t fit correctly they’ll never be worth the outlay. This is why we recommend always trying shorts on.

The waistband is the foundation of any mountain bike shorts’ construction because unlike the best cycling shorts for road bikes, mountain bike shorts don’t tend to rely on bib straps to hold the shorts up.

The best examples often look very low on the front when laid flat. This is because they are designed not to cut into your waist when you’re on the bike, but are high enough at the back not to fall down when you’re riding.

Velcro adjustment tabs on the waist are a common way to tune the fit. Look for elasticated versions of these tabs because they will help the shorts move with you and keep you comfortable as a result.

Some shorts now have elasticated ‘grown-on-waists’, which work just as well as traditional fly and popper closure designs.

More traditional, and less obviously cycling-specific, short designs, often have belt loops too.

Fabric

Are you an enduro racer or do you ride a cross-country bike? Do you like to ride fast and clock up the miles or is downhill more your thing?

Fabric will often determine what type of riding a pair of shorts is most suitable for because it provides protection and comfort.

If you’re into gravity riding, look for shorts with more heavy-duty fabrics and abrasion-resistant materials that will cope with spills.

If cross-country is more your thing – or you’re just less likely to be heading downhill at warp speeds – then lightweight and stretchy fabrics are advisable because they’ll help the shorts move with you and not be cumbersome to pedal in.

Enduro riders will need something in between, and it is good to look for robust fabrics that have ventilation to balance protection on descents without overheating on uphill sections.

Details to look for in mountain bike shorts

High-backed waist

When a pair of shorts is laid flat, the rear of the waist should be clearly visible above the front to ensure it’ll sit high enough to keep your backside covered while you’re riding.

Perforations

Placed strategically through the shorts, these little holes in the material aid airflow and are especially useful in summer, when you want to maintain coverage but not overheat.

Elastic adjustment

Shorts that have stretchy fabric incorporated into the waist adjustment enable you to get a good balance between comfort and fit that isn’t restrictive across the stomach.

Long zip pulls

Often overlooked but essential if you always ride with full-finger mountain bike gloves or for days when the chill has reached your fingers.

Pockets

Alex Evans

Shorts come with all types and sizes of pocket, or none, so decide what you need. Do you use a hydration pack with storage, or are you reliant on your shorts to carry what you need? Do you like to carry your smartphone close to hand or do you just need a small zipped pocket for a key and card?

Liner

Some mountain bike shorts are just the exterior shell, and others come with liners that improve comfort. If serious distance is your aim, go for the best you can afford – buying separately if necessary. It’s essential that a liner sits snugly against your body to avoid chaffing.

DWR coating

Alex Evans

DWR (durable water repellency) coatings on fabrics will help you stay drier for longer, and it’s a good shout to look out for shorts with this feature if you’re riding anywhere wet or muddy. Over time, the DWR coating may need renewing because the effectiveness of the DWR may decrease over time due to use and going through the washing machine.

Mountain bike shorts glossary

Ultrasonic seams

Also known as welded seams, this process fuses seams together rather than stitching them. It reduces weight and bulk, helps maintain stretch from one panel to another and removes the potential of chafing from stitched seams.

Rise

The length from the front of the waist to the crotch seam. Too high a rise and there’ll be excess fabric at the front of the shorts, which will potentially catch on the nose of your saddle.

Grown-on waist

Rather than a separate waistband, a grown-on waist has no band. Instead, the fabric is cut and shaped to the body of the shorts. This removes bulk and increases comfort because there’s no band to dig into your stomach.

Dropped knee

Steve Behr

A construction method with the leg cut higher behind the knee and dropping down lower at the front. This maintains protection over the knee while reducing bulk behind it for better pedalling comfort. It also prevents a gap if you’re wearing knee pads.

Gripper

A raised silicone or sticky print, usually applied to the rear of the waist to stop baggy shorts from slipping down over the smooth surface of a liner short. This means you don’t need a liner with dedicated fastenings for a particular pair of shorts.

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