Help please! My partner wants bike shorts for his birthday, he has a huge phone about 17 x 9cm and wants a pocket big enough for it. I’ve looked online but ofc none specify pocket sizes. Has anyone got shorts that would match his requirements? His last pair were Endura and he loves them but had a smaller phone back then. Thanks in advance for any ideas.

Troy Lee designs Flowline.

Massive pockets but weirdly no zip.

He might be better off just getting a small, cheap, weather-resistant ride phone rather than risk falling off and landing on his giant mobile tbh. It sounds like a recipe for expensive disaster. Or a small bum-bag rather than shorts?

I have a massive phone but as BWD suggests, I don’t ride with it.

That’s not a phone, it’s a laptop. (-:

As above, I’d either get a beater phone or fit a bar mount for it. Or carry a small rucksack or an under-saddle bag. Who the hell wants something like that in their pocket when riding?

Who would want to ride a bike with something that massive in their trousers?

Who would want to ride a bike with something that massive in their trousers?

Something that large might not sit well in a pocket…bound to be something but not that common.

I’d also suggest getting a smaller phone to use whilst riding as that size is going to get damaged without much effort – can it go in a bag as that will likely have more protection?

Sorry for sounding so negative.

+1 on get a cheap second hand phone and PAYG sim. We’ve two in the house for taking on adventures when you don’t want expensive phone there or have WhatsApp or emails pinging up…

How about something like the specialised swat bib shorts, where there are pockets on the liner bib. I think specialized do some MTB shorts that come with the swat liner bibs, or you can buy them separately and then just add any suitable over short. Others may make something similar.

I would much rather carry my phone in a pocket on the back section of a liner short, or a cycling jersey than on the leg pocket of MTB shorts.

Madison Zenith shorts have pretty big zip pockets, they fit my phone easily which is a little smaller

When he snaps his phone in two he’ll find another place to stash the thing. I ride with mine in a small camelbak. I occasionally carry it in a zipped pocket in my shorts if I’m taking lots of photos, but it feels very exposed there. Not a solution for everyone but in a pocket is an accident waiting to happen IMO.

Makes sure the pocket is weatherproof…even if the phone is waterproof, it doesn’t do it many favours sitting in a puddle of water for prolonged periods.

I find a sandwich bag (IKEA ones are sturdy) as the best waterproof solution for a phone.