Sugoi Greta Capri

The Greta Capri from Sugoi is a godsend for tourists, commuters, recreational riders or anyone who just wants to avoid looking too much like a cyclist. For many cyclists a pair of trousers or capris in the wardrobe is a very handy thing indeed, bridging, as it does, the gap between casual street wear and practical on bike performance. The key however, is finding a pair that look relaxed enough, but also take into account the needs of the rider, be they sporty or otherwise.

Made from tough stretch soft-shell type fabric, these are styled to be loose, but not too loose, and come with a pair of padded liner shorts. The liners are fastened in with fabric tags, but can easily be snipped out to allow for liner swapping.

The fit is relaxed and baggy without being a nuisance on the bike, and press studs at the bottoms allow for cinching them in a little to prevent flapping. They are designed to fit quite low on the waist, for a bit of street style and there are belt loops to add a belt. Two Velcro fastening side pockets and two discrete back pockets with zip closures mean there are plenty of options for places to squirrel bits and pieces away, although you'd not want to stick your phone in one of the back pockets! The crotch area is constructed without seams where they could be uncomfortable, as you'd hope from a dedicated piece of cycling kit, but the best feature is the combination of stretch fabric and slightly articulated knees which make pedaling much easier than some more traditionally styled capris.

The liner shorts are well padded, with a shaped and pre-contoured and female specific pad, the RC Pro chamois, and are made from a lightweight moisture wicking stretch mesh fabric. They have leg grippers and a broad comfort waistband.

In wear, the first thing I noticed about these was the big difference between the sizes. Sizing is slightly on the small side, especially with the liner shorts (narrow at legs and boxy at waist) so having tried both, I went up a size to be on the safe side. However, there's a substantial difference between the sizes, meaning that although the smaller one is snug, the larger is really quite generous, particularly at the waist. Ideally I'd have liked some sort of tab to cinch in or customize the waist as Sugoi use on some of their other shorts, rather than just a belt option. I have encountered similar sizing issues with Sugoi's liner shorts in the past, and these appear to carry on that tradition. The liner shorts are designed to sit very low at the waist (to work with the waistband of the capris) and if they are on the large size they can migrate.

Aside from sizing issues, the were comfortable for long rides and great to walk around in too, making them ideal for touring and caf rides. The stretch in the fabric meant they didn't bind on the thigh when pedaling either.

All in all, these are an incredibly comfortable and great looking pair of cycling , it's just worth trying a couple of pairs to see which size suits best. They would also be improved by an adjustable waist of some sort.

Verdict

Really versatile 3/4 style trousers, perfect for touring and urban use, but some issues with sizing and an adjustable waist would be nice.