Waterproof Shorts?

I have the Endura MT500 knickers. They work well but fit best standing bolt upright and not quite best when riding but certainly good enough. My only complaint is the Velcro at the knee. Can't tighten it quite enough over knee pads and they usually fall down once or twice a ride. My 7Mesh GORETEX shorts are much much better. This past fall with all the wet weather was a good test for rain gear. I may not have ridden as much without it.

I grew up beside the ocean and spent most days in it. I'm used to being soaked for hours and amn't bothered when I'm soaked through biking. Am I alone in this? I'm curious to try waterpoof shorts since all my riding buddies who got them go on about them like they want to marry them. Am I really missing that much? Will my half human side be that blown away by the half fish side that doesn't care?

consider buying some high end ultra lightweight arcteryx goretex pro pants and then lopping them off at your preferred length.

consider buying some high end ultra lightweight arcteryx goretex pro pants and then lopping them off at your preferred length.

This is a hot move as rain pants are often easy to find on sale.

I bet cheap ones are even pretty good - how much do shorts need to breathe in the winter anyway? they're vented pretty well through the bottom after all.

This is a hot move as rain pants are often easy to find on sale.

I bet cheap ones are even pretty good - how much do shorts need to breathe in the winter anyway? they're vented pretty well through the bottom after all.

Probably more than you'd think. But it's not as big a deal as it is with jackets.

I grew up beside the ocean and spent most days in it. I'm used to being soaked for hours and amn't bothered when I'm soaked through biking. Am I alone in this? I'm curious to try waterpoof shorts since all my riding buddies who got them go on about them like they want to marry them. Am I really missing that much? Will my half human side be that blown away by the half fish side that doesn't care?

Same here, but the last couple winters I have realized I ride more when its gross out than nice and it is much easier getting the second and third laps in when you arent soaked. …or Im just getting soft in my old age.

Same here, but the last couple winters I have realized I ride more when its gross out than nice and it is much easier getting the second and third laps in when you arent soaked. …or Im just getting soft in my old age.

This is kind of my thought too… I don't mind but on a longer ride it's nice to not be frozen. For me, the main driver is my commute and keeping the chamois dry for the ride home. Being dry on the mountain is a bonus.

What about applying water proof sprays to my troy Lee shorts? Would this work?

I grew up beside the ocean and spent most days in it. I'm used to being soaked for hours and amn't bothered when I'm soaked through biking. Am I alone in this? I'm curious to try waterpoof shorts since all my riding buddies who got them go on about them like they want to marry them. Am I really missing that much? Will my half human side be that blown away by the half fish side that doesn't care?

I didn't think I had any need for these either. Until I tried them. I didn't think I minded having a soggy crotch but having a mostly dry crotch - at risk of sounding like a tampon commercial - makes me feel so fresh! It's a huge difference that I never knew I would appreciate. WP shorts sometimes makes the difference between riding and not riding.

To that end I wear the 7mesh Revo short. They are pricy but worth every penny imho. I have tried many of the others and nothing is as good. They fit like a regular short unlike those that are like overshort diapers, construction is amazing, they have good pockets and you don't look like a middle-aged commuter wearing them.

If you don't ride in the wet often the recon could be a good choice. They are made from Gore windstopper so less waterproof but pretty good. And the material has some stretch so they are more comfortable and fit even better. You can wear these on days when it might rain - or just regular days. But if it's really wet - or cold or snowy - I always grab the revos.

Great input folks. Thanks!

I just grabbed a pair of RF Agent shorts (2016 model I think) at a seadon's ending sale and hope they are up to the task. I remember that the reviews were rather positive.

Quick Review

Earlier this fall, fed up with being wet after riding (commuting and MTB - although I try to avoid riding in the heavy rain for ethical reasons) I went and bought myself some shorts.

I started out with a pair of Sugoi RPM-X waterproof shorts ($95 MSRP), they were on sale so bonus, they also seemed to fit well. Then I received a gift of a pair of 7mesh Revo short ($275) a couple of months later - I wouldn't have otherwise acquired such fancy riding shorts, after using them, I'm convinced that they are entirely worth the asking price.

Sugoi RPM-X
2.5 layer laminated fabric, seam taped, traditional short construction

The Sugoi shorts are waterproof and they work well at keeping you dry. They have a velcro closure at the bottom that helps keep water from riding up. I, however, found them to be too short - riding up mid-thigh during pedalling; this resulted in my legs being cold and wet on the uphill and then the knee pads being wet on the down. Also, when using them for commuting on colder wet days, my sub-layers would get soaked. The only real benefit was that the chamois would stay dry, which is nice. I believe that these would be a fantastic value oriented short if they were cut/available in a knicker style. Sugoi does make a pant ($145), and in retrospect, I might have been better off getting that and having my wife hem them into a knicker as I am not a fan of riding in full pants.

7mesh Revo
Gore-tex 3 ply, seam taped, no seam down the bum

By being longer and draping over the knee, the Revo shorts address all of the issues that bothered me with the RPM short. Now, my commutes and mountain rides are dryer down past the knee (shins don't care) and I'm comfortable in them for everything but the most extreme downpour - in which situation, I likely shouldn't have been riding anyways. I also find that I'm willing to be out in the elements for longer periods of time wearing these shorts as they breathe well and are comfortable to wear. I echo Cam's review linked above, they've made wet weather jaunts far more enjoyable and made my commute to work on wet days far more bearable.

One of the things you should do when trying on cycling clothes is test the fit when in a cycling position. Clothes that fit nicely standing bolt upright probably won't be so hot when bent over chuffing up a hill. Jackets need to be short in front and long in the back so they don't get bunched up out front and don't give gaposis to shorts. Raise your are all the way up to make sure the sleeves don't pull back and expose your wrist. Flex your legs up and down like when pedalling to see that the shorts aren't restrictive or leave a gumby gap over knee pads. Or pull down and expose your ass.