FINALLY some bike shorts I can say only good things about. Except for one thing: these shorts snag on stuff. Stuff like Velcro, brush, sticks, etc. So there, the bad stuff is out of the way. Now I can tell you the good: the RS short is a lighter weight short than your typical spandex offering. It’s also kind of textured, as in, not really smooth and shiny. Which is good! At least from my perspective. I think this is some sort of aerodynamic roadie thing to which I say pffffft. Stop worrying about the texture of your shorts and start worrying about your training. Seriously, the aerodynamics of spandex shorts CANNOT be the deciding factor here. What can I say, I’m not a racer and not a roadie. Maybe I just don’t get that fussy roadie thing where you have to worry about whether your spandex is textured. I like the fabric because it’s nice and light in the heat. I’ve taken these out mountain biking and I really like them for hot weather, especially because the chamois has little ventilation holes that provide a refreshing breeze on the downhills. Now, you have to understand; heat is not typically a significant problem in Alaska so heat-reducing features are all new to me. But I like this one, because there is no chamois in the world that has enough ventilation for the fairer sex, believe me. And the way my boyfriend’s laundry smells, there’s not enough for dudes either, but let them hash that out on a dude blog.

Like most bike shorts, the magic is indeed in the chamois, ventilation holes or no. Sugoi seems to really “get it,” or at least gets the simple fact that women’s chamois should NEVER be textured. Soft and gentle is the only option, and Sugoi chamois are smoother than most. They are pretty nicely padded, too, and I’ve not yet experienced any significant discomfort from the RS chamois. As is typical, I am left feeling as if the, um, frontal central area as well as the seat bone area can never get enough padding, but I pretty much feel that way about ALL bike shorts so this small weakness is not a standout. Others with less sensitive nether regions might not even notice.

A Sugoi strength is the length of their typical bike short, a category in which the RS fits nicely. It’s a lovely length, juuust after the hamstring tie-in, reducing muscular discomfort and self-consciousness-induced discomfort as well. Since I’m a mountain biker, I spend a lot of time out of the saddle, and I don’t like shorts that are so short that the saddle rubs my thighs. The RS does not ride up or cause such unfortunate chafing. The fit is standard; I’m not a fan of insanely tight shorts so I stay with a medium and all is well. The RS is not too snug in the thigh for ladies with big biker quads, and even if you do have bigger legs than most, the well-thought out length will ease your mind since the legs hit at the slimmest part of the thighs.

My pair came in chocolate brown which is unusual for bike shorts but also kind of fun. The short comes in other great colors including of course the standard black, but watch out for the white, because it is, like most things white, see-through especially when wet. Er, good luck with that. Oh, and speaking of wet, when these shorts get sweaty they will regale you with some pretty interesting squeaking when they rub against the seat. If only Alaska was hot; squeaky bike shorts would be a good bear-avoidance method. Don’t let the squeak factor deter you, though, these are good shorts.

It seems fairly obvious to me that women’s bike shorts should have chamois that are smooth. Maybe not the entire chamois, but certainly in particularly sensitive areas. This is not obvious to bike shorts designers though, and what could be a very nice pair of bike shorts is fatally flawed by the textured chamois used in the Symphony short. Pearl Izumi claims their “Elite” chamois as used in this short “reduces friction points” but I am here to tell you that no, no it does not. I’m kind of tired today so not inclined to mince words, if you haven’t noticed.

Aside from that, it’s a pretty well padded chamois which I appreciate. If it had a nice smooth chamois cover for those key friction areas, I would be much happier with these. If you can live with a textured chamois, these shorts are decent. I like the waistband for the most part since it’s low in front, wide, and smooth, without some pointless tie cord. It’s clearly designed for roadie use though, since the back of the waistband is super high and I don’t need that. Really – who DOES need that? I know that roadies lean forward but really do they lean THAT much forward? How high up do their butt cracks go? Inquiring minds, and all that. I can also tell these are intended for roadie use because they are REALLY tight. They are so tight that they dig into my non-flabby waist and give the illusion of flab which is really not my favorite thing. I don’t see why they need to be that tight, but again, maybe it’s a roadie thing. I just needed a pair of padded shorts for MTB so maybe I’m barking up the wrong tree with these, but they seem heavy on pointless features, like the leg pocket. What is it for? Some roadie thing? What could go in that pocket that is valuable enough to need to keep on your leg but not so valuable that you would risk losing it by sticking it in a kind of loose pocket? To me, the pocket just makes the shorts look goofy without giving me any function in return.

The other pointless feature I do not like is the HUGE logo. Oh, wait, the huge logos, plural (which you can’t really see in the photo above, so don’t be fooled). And the other little patch that says “ultrasensor” as if anyone would care. Not only are huge logos obnoxious to look at, but they render the breathable fabric underneath them completely airtight. When the logo is more than an inch across and in more than one location on a small item of clothing, that’s a significant downside. Little areas of reduced airflow are a big issue when you’re putting out a lot of effort riding your bike and generating a lot of sweat. I guess they just really want everyone to know these are PEARL IZUMI shorts. Perhaps they are reflective or something – but if you’re riding at night you shouldn’t be wearing black and chances are you’re not relying on reflective logos to keep yourself visible in traffic. Me, I am a little embarrassed by two giant white obnoxious logos on plain black shorts – one on the ass and one on the leg and that “ultrasensor” thing below the back waistband. I wonder if an application of high heat would get those off.

The sticky stuff on the insides of the leg openings is pretty good. The shorts don’t ride up and they don’t leave marks on my legs, so a plus for that. I also appreciate the length which is just past my hamstring tie-in. I don’t like shorts that cut off right in the middle of the hammie muscle; it seems really uncomfortable to me. So, yay on the length and the good leg grippy things, and the padding. Boo on the textured chamois and the dumb logos. The fit is individual to the person so even though these were a bit snug for my taste someone else might like that type of fit, so that is neutral.

In general these seem like a pretty decent pair of spandex shorts whose appeal is reduced by a few unnecessary flaws and a ludicrously high price point. Yes, I know bike shorts are expensive and yes, I know that I am cheap about it. For $100 though I don’t want any flaws on my shorts, since I can get a very decent pair of shorts for $60. I wonder if there is something to those logos and if the $100 price on these shorts reflects $20 per logo, or something like that. I don’t get why these are $100 and other equally good (and even better, in some areas) shorts are $60. If anyone knows – the comment button awaits.

EDIT: Since these were shorts I actually spent my own precious money on, I ended up returning them. Every single ride resulted in some seriously chafed girl parts. No one wants that. Back to the store they went.

Notice a lot of posts about bike gear lately? Yes, it’s bike season, and it’s a short season up here so for a few months it’s all about the biking. I have to admit I pretty much like most bike shorts I wear, because if they aren’t comfortable I sure won’t be wearing them. These knicker-length bike shorts are no exception – they’ve got good padding and are pretty comfortable thanks to a lower-than-usual waistband (cut higher in back for modesty). These are definitely not thermal, so they don’t do much to keep the cold at bay when it’s chilly, but they’re good for slightly cooler days and days in which bushwhacking is on the schedule. Here in Alaska we have something called cow parsnip. It’s a plant that is pretty innocuous unless you happen to come into contact with sap from broken stems or leaves, and then go out in the sun. Then it leaves horrible welts that last months. Thing is, most XC trails around here are chock full of cow parsnip, and in mid-season it grows up to completely cover the trails. If you want to ride the trails without cow parsnip issues, you have to wait for a rainy or very cloudy day, wait until the vegetation dies back in the fall, or wear long sleeves and long pants. If you don’t want to wait, then just get used to bushwhacking even though you’re on a well-traveled trail.

I’ve found that the knicker option is actually pretty effective, as I can at least bump the plants back with my knees which are protected by the knicker. My shins and calves don’t seem to contact the cow parsnip very much. So far, so good – so these knickers get a lot of action mid-season.

While these aren’t very warm, they’re still good for when weather is unpredictable. The downside is that it’s impossible to put on leg warmers with knickers – you have to put them over the knicker and then the grip doesn’t work and they slide down. You pretty much have to put pants over them or just deal with having cold shins. I like the waistband which is low-cut in front – my preference is for low-rise; it’s more comfortable – but is more than adequately cut to cover the bum in back. It has a regular string drawstring which I find I prefer to having an elastic waistband.

My other complaint about these pants is the seam that runs down the center of the legs. It’s not uncomfortable, but it does leave marks straight down the center of my legs that remain for several hours afterwards. I don’t notice it when I am actually wearing the pants, but it’s kind of annoying to have marks on my legs all day after riding. I’ve also noticed that the padding is not as long in the rear as I’m used to, and when I’m on and off my seat, it can catch on the front of my seat when I’m trying to remount the bike. When I try to get back on while going downhill, this can be a real hazard. Other than that, I find that the padding on these shorts is among the most comfortable of the shorts I own, and I have to say that’s probably the most important part of a pair of bike shorts, as far as I’m concerned.

Anyway, the sad passing of my Sugoi Neo Pro shorts made me realize that I’d never reviewed them for the site. Strange, because these have been my favorites for the last year. Yep, I wore out a pair of bike shorts in one year. And the bike season up here is only really four months long! I’ve pretty much lived in these shorts, having worn these for 90% of my rides. I can see how much I’ve been wearing these from the intense tan lines on my legs. Perhaps it’s time to try a new length to even out the tan situation, but I do love this length. They are (were) just right, hitting just at the end of the hamstring muscle – a nice length because it doesn’t feel like a boa constrictor around the muscle. They have (er, had) great padding and a nice soft chamois. The waist (about the only thing that’s left) is cut on the bias, so it’s higher in back to allow for the road-biking-hunch thing, if that’s your bag.

I really loved these shorts. Now that I’m thinking about it, it’s pretty impressive that they lasted as long as they did, because I’m not too gentle on any of my bike gear. I ride every day, sometimes more than once a day. I crash a lot, get really dirty, and greatly enjoy thrashing through bushes and tree branches. Bike shorts do not have an easy life in this household. So I can attest to the lasting power of these shorts, even as I’m off to buy another pair.