Got to be more durable than waterproof shorts, any other advantages?

Thanks. 🙂

Surely there’s some guys out there who wear them?

Try defining “soft-shell”. I struggle with it and have done since I first heard of it in the 90’s.

No soft shell shorts here. Most likely too warm is my thinking.

softshell meaning thick fleece lined or like the regatta jackets?

Never heard of them…but they sound nice

Try defining “soft-shell”. I struggle with it and have done since I first heard of it in the 90’s.

I heard of them first in the 80’s…..they did Tainted Love

Well, I live in my soft shell jacket for 3 seasons of the year so curious about these:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/gore-bike-wear-fusion-34-windstopper-so-cycling-trousers/

I wear the Gore Alp X shorts and they are fantastic but not durable, ie got a small hole probably from barbed wire. Don’t always need waterproof and certainly my soft shell jacket withstands a fair amount of rain before it seeps in.

double post glitchiness

c_g – I’ll try to be a lttle more helpful 😉

I have a pair of the Gore 3/4 windstopper shorts. They really are excellent. probably good for three season use. Not sure that I’d wear them in full summer (although the vents do work well). That’s as much down to length as “thickness”.

They aren’t waterproof, but dont really need to be. Even when wet the windproof properties stops the windchill you often get through wet clothes.

Fit is close compared to baggies, but not stretch fit like lycra.

Been using both the fusion 3/4 and full trouser versions for a while now. Use them pretty much every day to commute in, on and off road so pretty hard wearing so far, both can be a bit warm but the 3/4s have decent vents on the legs so temperature control is good. The only problem i’ve had was a flicked up stick/log pulling the seam apart for 6 inches on the front of my 3/4s, had to have them fixed by a seamstress friend as not any easy fix for me. I’d recommend them too.

Thanks for the helpful replies. 🙂

OK, so they don’t have a chamois so do you guys wear full length tights under the shorts? Trying to get an idea of overheating/bulky issues. I guess you could wear leg warmers?

I normally wear unpadded Gore Windstopper tights with Alp X over them but if the soft shell shorts can deflect a fair bit of wet, then full-on waterproof is not necessary. Also don’t use mud guards, which is a bit silly. 😳

Another Gore fetishist ❓ It is good kit

Standard winter commuting kit is Gore tights under baggies – never needed the tights under the 3/4 windstopper shorts. Normally wear an old pair of lycra shorts for the comfort padding

Everytime I look at a piece of GORE equipment, my mind says, “blimey, they’re expensive…”

Everytime I wear a piece of GORE equipment, my mind says, “blimey, they’re brilliant…”

Re the £89 trousers, they are still in the former category!!!

I just use bib shorts under the 3/4s and when its that bit colder its just the same again bibs under the full length fusions.

How waterproof are softshell garments meant to be?

I have a softshell top from decathlon and it’s great as long as it’s not raining – a light shower and it downs tools and calls it a day, hopeless.

I gather they’re not designed to be fully waterproof, but I thought they could stand up to some light rain.

I gather they’re not designed to be fully waterproof, but I thought they could stand up to some light rain.

You need Gore! Seriously my Gore soft shell has seen a couple of hours of heavy-ish rain before it gives up! Same as my Gore gloves!

Definitely fetishist. 😆

Yes, it’s expensive but it works and last for years. Keeps me warm and dry just as it says on the tin.

Edit: now’s the time to be looking out for reduced Gore.

Softshell stuff eventually wets out but it should (in theory) still keep you warm. I’ve got a few softshell jackets from Rapha and Endura and they’re brilliant bits of kit but they’re not fully waterproof if you’re in torrential rain.

Very durable and softshell doesn’t rustle like full waterproof stuff does so that’s a bonus.

I’ve been using a pair of Haglöfs Lizard soft shell shorts for a couple of years now, on and off the bike. They’re a stretch double weave fabric – no membrane, but closely woven so they’re quite wind and water resistant and they’ve done really well.

They’re a bit closer fitting than most mountain bike baggies, which actually means they work better when things get wet and gritty. I wear them over lycra or a liner short, use them a lot for general banging about on the cross bike.

They’ve lasted well too. The seat’s a bit faded, but mostly they’ve survived nicely.

I haven’t had good experiences with Gore’s Windstopper Soft Shell fabric in the Peak. Tried some of their 3/4s and they wore through the seat where it contacts the saddle in the space of three or four wet and gritty rides. I think it was partly the seam placement, but also because the fabric’s slightly stiff and just seems to abrade easily as a result. Similar experience with waterproof Endura shorts. They might last longer somewhere less gritty.

The whole what is soft shell thing is a mess. It’s anything from non-membrane, fairly wind and water-resistant stretch Nylon woven stuff at one end to membrane-based fabrics like Windstopper at the other, which are basically waterproof, but don’t have taped seams, so eventually leak there and from contamination. As a general rule, the more water resistant the fabric is, the less breathable it’ll be…

And wasn’t that fascinating 😐

BWD – Haglofs sound interesting and a quick Google shows they’re cheaper than Gore but girlie version is in very short supply!

And wasn’t that fascinating

Yes, you’re a good person to ask about technical outdoor clothing especially as you’ve knowledge and experience of non-bikey specific garments. 🙂