Are they really waterproof/breathable?Do they last? Does water just go up the leg (sounds daft, but I’ve never quite believed this wouldn’t just make them pointless), and are they wide enough to ride with knee pads? And are they quite a long short, or do they stop above the knee on an average 5′ 10″ bloke. Not on about the 3/4 length ones. Ta for your input.

They keep you a lot drier – arse splash especially. Longer and narrower than Endura super lights.

I had mine off here second hand, used them loads and they’ve now worn away, so no longer work.
But I will buy another pair, loose fitting so great with pads, breathable & waterproof.
I’m 34 waist and a medium is perfect fit.
Waterproof shorts sound a ridiculous idea to anyone who hasn’t used them.

They are great but the seat area wore down on mine after about 6 months use and let water in.

Had Endura Superlites which were rusly and not a great fit but far better than getting a sandy, muddy crack.

Now have Attacks and wear them with knee pads… overall better that the Superlites.

Had two pairs returned due to dodgy zips.
One pair started delaminating.
Good while they work, durability lacking.

I’ve got a pair of large you can have for £30 posted…worn once…email in profile for more info…

Love mine- got 3 pairs of shorts and a pair of 3/4s for commuting. Oldest set is pretty much worn out and has lost some of hte waterproofing, and also one of hte pockets have holed, but then they’ve been worn a heck of a lot, crashed in, etc etc and also haven’t had any special handling for washing etc. Best kit I’ve bought, I think.

I had 2 pairs with exactly the same issues as flatfish. Exchanged them enduras in the end which have been great. Had same issues with attack trousers too.

Mine have done 3 years of off road commuting, looking a bit tired now but still working. I’ve complemented them now with a pair of the s Semi Dry’s as for most rides it’s standing water and mud that’s the issue not rain.

Mine are coming upto 3 years old and they’ve been great. Worn nearly every ride last “summer”, I do reproof them now and again.

My arse still gets damp but not soaked like with regular shorts. I’ll be getting another pair once these wear out.

No belt loops so they fall down a lot. Other than that they are ok. You can sort of thread a belt through the back if them. Going to sew some on.

They come up fairly big too, I’m a 32″ waist and find the small just right.

Cheers folks Opinions seem mixed – certainly the durability seems to be hit & miss, but then I hear the same about Endura MT500s. I’d probably only wear them now and then for autumn/winter epics in the wilds, so I might take a punt and hope they last if I’m not wearing them all the time. Don’t mind getting soaked when I’m closer to home.

No belt loops so they fall down a lot

Braces are your friend, I use them with all my shorts, as Endura’s belts are next to useless too.

Are they really breathable

I like mine a lot but they are not breathable, so you do get hot if it’s a warm wet day. Autumn/winter shorts for me, have I mentioned I like them a lot?

Just got mine, and took them out for a (very, very steady) pootle around Gisburn yesterday, in constant rain. My arse was pretty much the only bit of me that wasn’t wet – a little bit of sweat moisture, but you can’t really complain at that. Been a bit of a revelation to be honest.

Would agree with everyone above on fit, I’ve got a large and kinda wish I’d gone for a medium, but you can cinch them up a bit with the velcro pulls, and in fairness they didn’t fall down. Fine over Bluegrass kneepads, which are enormous. And no problems with upwards water ingress at all.

Can’t comment on the longevity, but based on yesterday I’d recommend them. Dry arse is a revelation 😉

They actually are pretty breathable, but you’ve got to be realistic, they’re unvented and windproof so you will get hotter than in summer shorts. Just like a raincoat, doesn’t matter how breathable they are you still get hot and sweaty

Good but still fail on the bum seam IME.

Using a saddle without raised stitching might prevent that.

took 2 winters of heavy use to wear through the arse of mine. so no complaints from me.
breatable? mine have got two big holes just above the knees seems to do the trick 😀
size they are cut as over shorts, so bigger. i went for a size down

Mine are great, still going strong after 3 years. I use a mudguard on the bike I use on wet/muddy rides which keeps the arse a lot cleaner/less muddy & gritty, so they wont wear anything like as badly as those who don’t use a guard and have a very muddy arse.

I use them with 3/4 tights which is a great combination so you don’t get the waterproof material rubbing on your knees… which does my head in!

Bought a pair for the Mary Towneley Loop Challenge yesterday & they did a great job of keeping my bum dry for most of the ride, right up to the point where the rain came at us sideways, then I doubt that any product on the market would have kept me dry.

I’d definately recommend them. Very comfortable, didn’t get sweaty, didn’t snag on the seat & provided the waist adjusters are used, don’t drop down either but you can get braces to use with them if you want too.

didnt like them, as above even in a size small they kept falling down, plus they were too crinkly (rustling type noise did my head in), i sold them

gore are the best, but even with them the arse wears through quickly!

my mt500’s were a good compromise as had a good waterproof arse but felt like normal shorts for the rest, plus they were pretty waterproof on the front too, but i somehow got a huge tear in the bum that i cant repair 🙁

quite like the look of them endura MTR too, look similar and a smiliar cut to mt500

Arse went on mine after about a year – liked them though. Have / had some endura singletracks, humvees (not waterproof) and superlights (waterproof) where the arse is in fine fettle after years, it’s just the stiching everywhere else that’s ripped to fk. Think I need a hybrid of the two brands.

Should have sent em back Gary…

Do Altura products come with a guarantee/warranty?

All Altura products come with a minimum 2 year warranty. This warranty covers manufacturing defects but does not cover wear and tear.
http://www.zyro.co.uk/ALTURA/content/faqs

Another reason to buy em, I had mine successfully replaced under warranty when the zip went on the pocket