[Photography by Georgina Hinton]
7Mesh has designed a high-end lightweight short with a simple aesthetic and some lovely, nuanced details. The excellent fit and high level of breathability all make the Transition shorts a cracking option for warm weather riding. Yes, they’re quite expensive, and they don’t come with a liner, but they will prove durable in the long run. If you’re serious about comfort and have the budget, give them a look.
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7Mesh Transition Short 13” – Technical details
Hailing from Squamish, British Columbia, 7Mesh is known for producing some pretty refined and premium-priced mountain bike kit. The Transition Short 13”, as you may have surmised, features a 13” inseam, which is the sweet spot for length and pedalling proficiency – in my opinion, at least.
They’re a lightweight pair of shorts made from PFC and PFAS Free Bluesign approved fabric, which blends nylon, polyester and elastane to create lots of proper four-way stretch and gets a DWR (durable water repellent) treatment to keep water and mud at bay.
The stripped-back, clean aesthetic looks on the money with the 13” inseam that sits just on the knee. They also hide some nice features. The two hip pockets get simple cord zip pulls and are rearward-facing. This, in theory, should seat your phone, for example, neatly against the thigh, for maximum pedalling comfort.
The belt system is another refined detail and looks like it should be very comfortable in use. Rather than using elasticated velcro tabs to tailor fit, 7Mesh has designed a thin nylon webbing belt which is sewn in at the front with small exposed sections at both sides, which adjust fit and fasten with simple locking low-profile plastic push buckles. The rubberised ports for the belt are a next-level finishing detail. 7Mesh states that this adjustment should provide one full waist size adjustment in fit.
A one-piece gusset is designed to keep seams away from your sensitive areas, and to further enhance its comfort levels, the Transition short strips back all unnecessary material and stitching at the waistband using one piece of thin fabric sewn along the top edge and finished with a taped seam inside. It’s another detail that points towards one hell of a comfortable short.
My size small weighed in at a scant 205g, with a true 13” 33cm inseam. Sizes and inseams vary with size, with the XS getting 12.5”/31.8cm inseam, the S, M and L all getting the 13”/33cm inseam and XL and XXL both getting a slightly longer 13.5”/34.3cm inseam. They are only available in Black and Alpine Blue.
7Mesh Transition Short 13” – Performance
My size small fitted my 30” waist perfectly, the website size guide states a 29-31” size range, which I’d agree with, so I only needed to tighten the side waist adjusters a tiny bit to get a comfortable and secure fit. The fit is, as they say, trim.
Sitting closely to my legs with enough room for low-profile pads, providing a nice close to the body silhouette. They sit just on the knee, which makes pedalling in them a breezy and comfortable action, and without pads, I was getting tons of cooling airflow, especially in warmer weather.
I like the two rearward-facing hip pockets, they make total sense. My phone stayed flat against my thigh and didn’t move around when pedalling, which can be annoying with a regular pocket. My only gripe would be that the minimal cord pulls on the pockets, although easy to locate and unzip, are quite hard to do up on the fly.
The lightweight four-way stretch material makes perfect sense for a close-cut short offering lots of stretch when pedalling. And although these get a DWR treatment, they do feel like a proper summer short. They breathe really effectively, and I can’t remember a ride where I finished with any sweaty patches. Admittedly, it’s been hard to find any of the wet stuff, so testing the DWR treatment has been superficial to say the least.
Something that is a must is decent durability, especially as I have a penchant for riding tight, bramble-strewn trails and a habit of snagging up gear. So far, the Transition Shorts have held up well, so, barring a good crash, I’m intending to be wearing these and giving the DWR treatment a good battering well into autumn.
7Mesh Transition Short 13” – Verdict
These are great shorts, but there’s no getting away from the fact that they’ll cost you. Performance is paramount when deciding what riding shorts to spend your money on, and there are a lot ot choose from.
At £120, the Rapha Trail Lightweight shorts are another premium model which balances durability, style with an excellent cut, but they don’t get the DWR treatment, which limits them a bit to drier conditions.
Both Liam and I can agree that the Gore Fernflow shorts are cracking. They’ll take on anything you throw at them and are packed full of features, like taped seams and a DWR-treated back panel to protect your rear from the wet stuff. They now retail for £89.99, which is pretty good considering they’re a year-round short.
If you’re after a simple aesthetic, great cut and top performance in a pair of shorts that will also fend off the wet stuff, and excel in warm weather, these could be for you. But you’ll need deep pockets.
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