Race Face Ambush

Race Face has had a place in my cycling wardrobe ever since my first trip to Canada in 2001. Like its bottom brackets, some Race Face apparel of yore was a bit hit and miss quality-wise. The new Ambush shorts are a real comeback story for Race Face with a seemingly excellent build quality, no faff and all the bits you’d expect from the North Shore-approved dirt merchant.

The material is firmly aimed at the park and trail-riding fraternity, or those of us who crash a lot. The ‘Tweedster’ material is more reminiscent of a low-grade Cordura than tweed and should shrug off all but the sharpest slate, while not feeling as restrictive as a downhill short. Venting along the front panels gives a bit of a cooling breeze. However, it could be a short to cook in when the temperature goes up as the material is not the most breathable. The one time I did ride in the rain with the Ambush short I was impressed about how much of the ‘trail rain’ it kept out before it wetted out completely. Definitely one to keep in the wardrobe for those winter trail centre rides.

Two normal pockets as well as two lower stash pockets gave ample room for things. They came up quite baggy so would have ample room for armour underneath too. Belt loops and two super-strong buttons added to the velcro internal fasteners keeping everything above board and legal. Day-to-day the shorts dealt with normal wear as a pair of work shorts without drawing too much attraction; perfect for an after-ride pub session.

Overall: Good on and off the trail. More of a midwinter warmer than a midsummer’s dream, though.