RH+ MTB Trail Shorts

RH+ Mountain Bike Trail Shorts

by Chris Galley

RH+ Mountain Bike Trail Shorts
It’s adventure time!

Mountain bike shorts are not something I’ve spent much time thinking about recently. In fact, I’ve ridden in the same pair of shorts for years. However when Italian cycling brand RH+ Cycling asked us to try out their range of Trail and Mountain biking apparel, I thought it was time to get back on the trails.

There’s clearly been huge leaps forward in material technology and possibly some cross overs from specialist garments worn by elite forces across the world. The Trail Short from RH+ Cycling comes in 3 colours, with blue and black being the most popular. They cost £94.90, but there’s a whole bundle of technology built into that cost. Right out of the packet they are lightweight and appear to be very breathable. Made with their new Biomorphic Ultra Strength Adaptive Stretch fabric, it’s soft and strong at the same time providing loads of 4 way stretch and has lasered holes on the leg to increase breathability.

There’s Biomorphic Ultra Flex Adaptive Stretch inserts on the inner thigh and rear. This material is the stuff that stops your bum or thigh ripping through the seams and works brilliantly. This setup is perfect for dynamic movement on trails. Two zipped side pockets provide storage and there’s a cleverly positioned but small hidden left leg pocket too. What is particularly well designed is the waistline. High and stretchy with an elasticated velcro strap to cinch down to your exact size. Large belt loops and some reflective stripes on the rear belt loop finish the design. Press stood front fastener with a velcro surround keeps the front secure. It all works really well and allows you to get a true fit.

These shorts are long. My test pair ends just above the knee. Great for coverage for the upper legs but I do feel they would benefit from some form of cord and toggle or another velcro strap to narrow down the leg opening as my pair are just a little baggy in that area. RH+ branding on the left leg is reflective and a bold way to finish the overall design statement.

Out on the trail they are indeed very comfortable, exceptionally breathable but most importantly that stretch we’ve mentioned works perfectly. These shorts move dynamically with your body and never seem to pull or ride up. There’s no pad in these shorts but I’m not a lover of pads in trail shorts. RH+ Cycling does however provide two types of Inner pants for extra comfort. Both use a three loop fixing system but the Trail short press studs are small and quite weak. It takes only a small amount of pressure to open the studs which will allow the inner to detach from the short.

In short… these are great trail shorts. Stand out design, statement colours, very fashionable but most importantly material technology that delivers a dynamic stretch and caters for real world body movement on or of the bike.