Le Col Sport Summer Shorts

The Le Col Sport shorts are a good, well-made option for the summer.

The Sport range contains Le Col's most affordable clothing, although £99.99 is hardly cheap, obviously. Le Col are aiming at high quality here rather than going for the mass market.

Any pair of cycling shorts is only as good as the seatpad, so let's start there. Le Col use a mid-range pad from Dolomiti and I got on well with it. It offers pretty good cushioning. The soft outer fabric is 3mm thick and the inner section, with gel under your sit bones, is 8mm. The top section is perforated, which helps with breathability. There's also quite a bit of channeling in the pad which improves both the airflow and the shape.

I've done a couple of 4hr+ rides using these shorts and I've never had any problems staying comfortable in the saddle, so the pad gets a seal of approval from me. You'd maybe want a higher end pad if you're going to be out all day long.

The shorts themselves are made, as usual, from a nylon/Lyrcra mix, the same fabric all round; there aren't any mesh panels or anything like that. The seams are flatlock stitched and they're put together well. The shorts aren't going to fall apart if you ever catch a thread. I also found them pretty supportive without feeling restrictive, although the exact fit is going to vary between individuals.

The leg grippers, as you can see, are of the elasticated tape variety. I didn't find them too tight, and silicone dots on the inside hold them in place against your skin. A little reflective tab on the side/back of each leg helps with visibility at night.

The bib uppers are mesh, as is usually the case. These breathe well and the straps are wide enough that there's no noticeable pressure around your shoulders.

On the down side, the 'Le Col' lettering on the back began to peel off after the first couple of rides and washes. I lost the 'Le' so now it just says 'Col'. Hopefully the remaining letters will peel off soon because my friend Colin won't ride with me at the moment. He thinks it's a bit odd. (That's a lie. I don't have a friend called Colin. But the shorts will certainly look better if all the remaining lettering goes because it won't look like there was ever supposed to be anything there in the first place).

Apart from that, these are really good shorts. They don't have any mind blowing features, but they're unfussy and well-made, and they put in a solid performance.

Verdict

Well-made shorts that put in a solid performance