Review: Sombrio Highline Shorts

By Sanny

Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

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Sombrio have been completely off of my radar for the last couple of years which is a bit of a strange admission – one of my favourite and longest lasting pairs of shorts is from Sombrio. Despite several years of hard use and abuse, my old shorts continue to show their mettle with nary a loose thread to speak of. They have endured some fairly atrocious winter rides, and while the colour has faded, they still come back for more. Looking through my cupboard of riding kit, I can’t think of any other piece of kit that has survived as long, shoes included. As such, Sombrio’s latest ‘Highline’ lightweight shorts carry with them a heavy burden of expectation. Do Sombrio still lead the way in durable and well-fitting riding shorts? Only one way to find out…

The Highline shorts are marketed as a lightweight riding short capable of tackling multi day rides as well as all day epics. Constructed from a 90/10 mix of polyester and elastane, the shorts feel incredibly soft to the touch while the inherent stretch in them means at no time do they feel in any way constrictive. Despite being a skinny malink, my previous experience with Sombrio shorts taught me to size up and go for a large. For my 32 inch waist, the fit is spot on with very little in the way of saggy bottom flapping fabric to catch on the nose of my saddle when dropping off the back of the bike on steep descents. Around the waist are two plastic backed Velcro straps which can be used to cinch the waist down for a close fit; simple but effective. The zippered fly features a Velcro and double popper studded closure which has proven to be an excellent piece of design that stops your flies undoing when hunched over the bars. It’s a small detail but having previously worn a set of shorts where the popper kept popping, it can be mildly infuriating!

Signalling the shorts’ lightweight and milder clime intentions, there is a series of small holes in the lower leg at the front which appear to be designed to promote air flow. I can’t say how effective the design is as I never noticed them working but then perhaps that is the point? There are no hand pockets, but there are zippered mid-thigh pockets cut at an angle which are perfectly sized for a phone, money or credit card. A neat touch is the inclusion of an elasticated clip for a lift pass. At the back, there is one of those (to my mind, singularly useless) zipper pockets at the base of your spine. It’s pointless, but it’s not a deal breaker and I imagine there are riders who like that sort of thing.

All of the stitching is at least double stitched while the crotch and back area are triple stitched for extra strength. While there is the odd piece of loose thread where I have caught the shorts on something, none of the threads have pulled through and don’t look likely to either.

So how do they compare to my old shorts then? In terms of fit, I think they have the upper hand. The hem extends down to just below the knee while the shorts are sufficiently baggy to work well with knee guards. The stretch in the fabric helps ensure a comfortable fit at all times while the lighter weight fabric means that they pack down small for multi day adventures. They are also noticeably faster drying. While all this may be at the expense of ultimate longevity, it’s a price worth paying as far as I am concerned. Having worn them on several horrid days, I can attest to the fact that they are decently windproof. They aren’t waterproof but they’re not supposed to be.

So is there anything I don’t like? Purely as a matter of personal preference, I would have designed in zipped hand pockets and a single thigh pocket arrangement. That aside, I think they are a terrific three season short. They have so far proven to be comfortable, light, durable and fast drying. They also look smart too, eschewing fluro Enduro trendiness for a subtle mid blue that doesn’t look out of place off the bike. If they last half as long as my old pair of shorts, I will be delighted.

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