Rapha Touring Shorts £70

Satisfactory alternatives to Lycra shorts for performance cycling are few, with the baggy, heavy duty type favoured by many mountain bikers perhaps the number one choice. Rapha’s Touring Shorts, which have proven a massive hit for the Kentish Town company, aim to address this shortfall and do so very successfully, being much better suited to fast road riding than ‘baggies’ while offering a distinctly alternative aesthetic to tight-fitting Lycra.

The fabric is a lightweight, moisture wicking stretch polyamide that provides just enough elasticity for easy pedalling without constriction. The weight is such that the shorts can be stuffed in a back jersey pocket without straining the jersey. Leg length is to just above the knees, with a snug, flap-free fit around – er – larger thighs. Chris Hoy might find them a bit too tight; the tester found them close to perfection. The waist band incorporates a ‘knitted’ panel to ensure they stay put without compressing the diaphragm and hindering breathing. There is also a tab and pair of buttons on each side to allow adjustment around the waist.

The cut includes a ‘gusset’ strip that runs inside each leg to avoid a seam where it is not wanted. At the bottom of each leg is a satin effect strip that stops the fabric catching on the skin or on unshaven hair. A small zippered pocket on the front of the waistband is about big enough for a small bunch of keys; another at the rear will take a wallet or mobile. Better, in the reviewer’s opinion, would be a pocket on each buttock where it could be made bigger without the content impinging on the pedalling experience.

Otherwise, these are almost beyond criticism as a garment for cycle touring in fine weather. They do require some sort of underwear and are designed to be worn over bib shorts with a chamois. Comfortable enough to be worn all day on a fast ride, they almost make more sense as a garment to be carried and donned for that lunchtime or café stop, since bib shorts have to be worn underneath. Trouble is, they look so good you’ll want to wear them on the bike.

Sizes 30″ to 38″ waist, charcoal grey only.