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review

BTwin 500 Women's Mountain Bike Shorts

7
£14.99

VERDICT:

7
10
Above average shorts for a well below average price
Weight: 
190g

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At a penny shy of £15, the BTwin 500 Women's Mountain Bike Shorts are incredibly cheap for a pair of casual riding shorts, but they don't look it and have many of the features you'd expect from pricier gear.

These include a one-piece seamless gusset made from stretch fabric for freedom of movement when pedalling, a stretch yoke below the rear waist, which means the waistband doesn't pull down at the back when you're riding, plus internal waistband adjustment. This is basic but functional, consisting of a 12mm-wide strip of elastic with slits along its length, and a button.

> Find your nearest Decathlon store here

> Buy these online here

The material is lightweight and quick drying, making these ideal for summer rides even if there's the odd shower. You can also wear them over tights on cooler days, which I found has an advantage in that the legs slide better over Lycra than bare skin when pedalling.

BTwin 500 Womens Mountain Bike Shorts - riding.jpg

They are described as loose fit, and maybe they are if you have super-slim thighs, but I found the legs to be fairly close fitting and as a result I was aware of them pulling on my legs on the up stroke. The oversize hem didn't help as the material has no give.

BTwin 500 Womens Mountain Bike Shorts - logo and hem.jpg

If the rest of the shorts were made from the same 10% elastane/90% polyester fabric as the stretch panels then I think they would be more comfortable.

> Check out our guide to the best casual cyclewear here

The BTwin 500 shorts have several usefully sized pockets: two front hand pockets, a handy zipped back pocket and a roomy cargo pocket. The latter has a ridiculously large flap (with popper) that stuck out and looked daft, so I tucked it in. There's also a small reflective logo on the left leg, these being of European origin.

BTwin 500 Womens Mountain Bike Shorts - side.jpg

Despite a few niggles that, for the price, would seem almost churlish to quibble over, these are a decent pair of shorts for jaunts out on your bike.

Verdict

Above average shorts for a well below average price

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road.cc test report

Make and model: BTwin 500 Women's Mountain Bike Shorts

Size tested: Medium

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Decathlon says: "Women's loose fit mountain bike shorts for a comfortable ride."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Snag-resistant 100% polyamide fabric

Stretch gusset panel and rear yoke

Elasticated waist

Internal waist adjustment

Zipped back pocket and cargo leg pocket

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10
Rate the product for fit:
 
7/10

Waist was a little big but legs quite close fitting.

Rate the product for sizing:
 
5/10

Website says the EU 42/M is a UK size 10, when normally an EU 38 is a UK 10. I was the EU M, so needed to size up.

Rate the product for weight:
 
10/10
Rate the product for comfort:
 
7/10

If I had slimmer thighs they would have scored higher on comfort!

Rate the product for value:
 
10/10

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

Machine wash at 30 degrees.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very well considering the extremely low price.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The price tag!

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The oversized pocket flap.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? No

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your score

Decent features and performance considering the pittance of a price. Marked up for value.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 43  Height: 170cm  Weight: 60kg

I usually ride: Marin Point Reyes 29er  My best bike is: Giant Anthem X1

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, club rides, mountain biking, audax

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2 comments

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fukawitribe | 7 years ago
1 like

Inflammatory Bowel Disease ? Is it in need of support ?

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Andy68 | 7 years ago
0 likes

Good to see we are supporting British IBDs

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