FINDRA’s Relaxed Fit mountain bike shorts are the ultimate all-round women’s outdoor shorts. I got my first pair of these shorts two years ago, and have essentially worn them for anything and everything since then.
They’re made of a thin softshell fabric, which makes them comfy to wear as they are soft and slightly stretchy. Although slightly warmer than a regular short fabric, there have been fine to wear in warm weather as well as cool. It also means they don’t absorb much water and are nicely quick-drying. This makes them great for all sorts of adventures from mountain biking and cycle touring to hiking and even swimming in lakes on the way! (They’re also super comfy around the house…).
They have been perfect for our cycle touring expeditions – I have worn them across Tibet and Mongolia amongst other places – as they can be worn on and off the bike. I like wearing baggies when I tour as often lycra is looked on a bit strangely in countries where it is not the norm! Their quick-drying properties also come into their own whilst touring as they can be easily rinsed out in the evening and would dry overnight so no need to pack another pair.
The shorts are cut knee-length which I really like in terms of the look and styling. There are two deep side pockets and a zippy one for valuables which is really useful. The waist-fastening (previously a button, now two poppers) lies flat so the waistband isn’t lumpy under a lycra top, which is a huge improvement on other baggies that I own.
In terms of durability, well the two-year old pair are still going strong, although they are showing signs of being much loved and used: a bit of fading, the stitching round the rear pockets wearing through. But they have been worn very regularly for mountain biking at home, commuting, several long bike tours, plenty of hiking and also a lot just at home (when I was pregnant and with a new baby they were so comfy I wore them constantly!). So I think that’s pretty impressive.
FINDRA have just launched a new edition of the shorts with a few slight updates, in French Navy and Nine Iron grey colourways:
Although they’re not the cheapest short out there, you will definitely get your money’s worth out of them – you get what you pay for in terms of quality and functionality. In summary they are highly recommended!