Whats wrong with spending £70 on shorts? I bought a pair of Sombrio Highlines for that much, best fitting shorts ever! Long but not baggy and no stupid pockets. I liked them so much i bought a second pair (in a sale though). In fact i have several shorts at around that price, come to think of it.

Then again, i'll happily spend £100 on a pair of jeans!

Easily corrected Gary:

"Possibly the best shorts ever for urban cycling and commuting through the countryside"

I'm not a big Rapha fan but baggies sold without a liner/padding is far from a pointless idea. The liners on most are cheap (even on expensive baggies) so I always wear bib shorts under my baggies so either look for baggies sans inners or just bin the inners as I never use them.

Whats wrong with spending £70 on shorts?

There's nothing wrong with it, but they're a pair of unpadded fashion shorts, people are saying they wouldn't buy overpriced 'branded' casual clothing, but that's all these are! There's no difference between Diesel jeans, and these shorts. There's nowt wrong with that, but don't delude yourself!

They're Worth £70 if only to wind some people up on here. 😉

I've got a few bit's of Rapha clothing and have no problem with the price of it. It's well designed, looks good (no huge flashy names everywhere), washes well, fit's well and is hard wearing. So it cost a little bit more, so what most quality stuff does.

Oh and BTW i've got a normal run of the mill job too. 😆

Sales & marketing. As illustrated once again with the above example: some are good at it & some simply don't understand it.

The Rapha hate is strong in this thread.

*feeds*

Delude myself how exactly?

But they add nothing at all to cycling, they make you less self-conscious walking into the office. that's what I don't get, some £2 Umbro shorts would achieve the same, pull them on before you walk in!

But they also give me a nice back pocket to keep my phone and cards in when the zip pocket on my jersey has keys in it. Why should I get some cheap tat shorts to waer – just to keep people like you from getting stressed about what I wear.

Oh and the ladies love me in them.

As an example of paying a litle bit more is worth it.

I got a Rapha top a couple of years ago as a present.
The top got used a lot and was in better condition than other tops I have that had the same kind of use. There was however a small amout of discouloration on the shoulders where sunlight had faded the colour.
No problem as it was standing up to time better than other tops.
Then I get an email from Rapha asking me if i'm happy with the top as they'd had a few return with discolouration on the shoulders.
So i sent it back and they sent me a new top and matching arm warmers.

You don't get that from Endura…

>Oh and the ladies love them<

That was my first thought – ladies shorts.

importantly they dont have huge bloody great side pockets and flap around and make me look like a 14yr old

Having the bloody great side pockets is the most important bit to me as they carry the stuff that digs into your hip like keys wallet and phone.Also they are multi purpose because I wear them to work

I guess they may not be rad enough for some of you rufty tufty mountain bikers.

I've found the Wiggle (dhb) own brand to be quite excellent, regardless of price. They get excellent reviews and if the kit's not to your liking, send it back, which makes sense when they have no high st stores.

Their new £90 bib shorts have a lot of white in them, making them rather unsuitable for 50% of the British XC riding I'd suggest! More Rd than XC – which is a shame.

Gary_M – Member

I guess they may not be rad enough for some of you rufty tufty mountain bikers.

Not sure about that.

Rapha arm warmers in mincecoreallmountain action 😆

£90 for shorts! Clearly you are insane.

I'd rather spend £70 on a pair of those and £15 on a pair of jeans than the other way round. Well made, versatile and understated kit. Rather spend the money with them than some inerchangable bit of tosh only differentiated by the label sewn on, whether it's Diesel/Fred Perry/D&G/Animal/Evisu/Ted Baker etc etc.

yep real clothes in the sale and down tk max – spend money on bike stuff instead

My commments were aimed at Rootes and Vinny as above.

Anywho, like I said, I just don't get most of the Rapha kit, 100% form over function IMO, in line with the comments made re other brands.

I've never ridden in baggy shorts, so I guess I'm not the target audience. Saying that, I do own some Fox High Voltage and some Sugoi Gustos to wear as casual shorts.

100% form over function IMO

Explain why in your opinion most of rapha kit is form over function.

I love rapha threads. I'm just waiting on that quote to be rolled out, I'll not reveal which phrase yet though.

Levi 501 list at £90 these days, doubt many class those as toff's clothing.

That said, that rather shocked me!

How about the Spinal Tap approach – £70 on decent lycra, then stick a courgette down them before you exit the bike cage 😀

jes, the guy bought some shorts and likes them…

My commments were aimed at Rootes and Vinny as above.

take aim and fire – chuckles..

i bought a nice icebreaker top – would never spend that on a shirt for work or going out… people can do what they want with their cash.

I don't own any rapha, bit too expensive, but tried their fixed shorts on once – fitted very nice – but i have a racing snake shape..

Njee20,

what bike do you ride?

Cheers
Si

£70 on decent lycra

Does not compute.

I'll not reveal which phrase yet though.

"You could buy some xtr for that"?

I don't ride in baggies either. Chameleon.

Is it important?

Saying that, I do own some Fox High Voltage and some Sugoi Gustos to wear as casual shorts.

Njee20 why did you buy those shorts and not some cheap tat from asda or some umbro shorts from jjb.

No, thats not the one cynic-al.

what bike do you ride?

Why does that matter!?

I must say I'm not quite sure why I don't like Rapha, I wear a lot of Assos kit, so it's not the money per se. They're obviously doing something right, enough people swear by it!

what bike do you ride?
Why does that matter!?

I must say I'm not quite sure why I don't like Rapha, I wear a lot of Assos kit, so it's not the money per se. They're obviously doing something right, enough people swear by it!

just interested in your choice of steed to see if it was purely function over form..

Re Assos now they know how to make comfy shorts – great padding – must save up for some

Si

Assos, ah that explains it then.

My bike:

I sold the carbon wheels and carbon stem it came with, as they were form over function, and fitted some cheaper, lighter aluminium bits 🙂

Re Assos now they know how to make comfy shorts – great padding – must save up for some

They certainly do, but I think they've gone downhill, the latest FI.13 S5s are obscenely expensive, and the quality's not as good as it used to be, mis-stitched panels and what not. All my Assos kit is at least 2-3 years old, I tend to buy Gore stuff now, their shorts are good for a lot less money.

NJee20,

Nice bike! not sure about those graphics though def form over function 😉

Yes I use gore shorts – 3/4 bibs.. which on my legs are more like normal shorts lol

I have the other problem, pull my 3/4s down and my socks up and they meet. Not a good look!

I'm wearing them now in the office. Got to say I'm feeling pretty fabulous.

Mrs Mcboo knows nothng about cycling or bike gear, eyes roll when yet another white package arrives from CRC.

"Mmmm, they're nice shorts"

>Oh and the ladies love them<

That was my first thought – ladies shorts.

How odd that a woman would (attempt to) belittle a man with an unkind, some might say sexist, reference to her own gender just because of some cycling shorts.

Besides …ladies' shorts, surely?

Cycling shorts, specific for cycling, with a pad of some sort are indeed worth 70 of my quids to get a comfortable pair.

Without the pad they are just shorts and as such would max at £15 for me, but I do like the idea of fewer, less baggy pockets which I just don't use.

Maybe not the best shorts ever!!! But i bought a pair of Assos bibs for under my baggies earlier. All i can say is that they're a revelation how much comfier they are than the other liner shorts i have & have used in the past. They were however quite expensive though i believe they last really well, from what i've been told.

>How odd that a woman would (attempt to) belittle a man with an unkind, some might say sexist, reference to her own gender just because of some cycling shorts. <

Oh ffs get a life – it's just a bit of banter. There's no sport finer than puncturing the brand whoreage on here.

The shorts look fine (in a metrosexual kinda way 😉

The OP's shorts look fantastic, exactly what I'm looking for but not at 70 quid.

ASSOS IS UNBEATABLE ALL OTHERS ARE INFERIOR.
(spoken by my fair bum)

bikerbruce – Member

ASSOS IS UNBEATABLE ALL OTHERS ARE INFERIOR.
(spoken by my fair bum)

WOW! That's amazing! I've heard of people talking out of their arses before but typing that's entirely new & amazing.

The shorts I make are indeed the best in the world and our baggies have basically the same inner short (in a thinner meryl nato fabric) with italian chamois and a lovely baggy outer for those concerned about wandering around in lycra….honestly i've got loads of other shorts and i still prefer our ones Ahahahaha I'm always going to say that, its the we pockets see, they are really useful. 😛