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review
£59.99
VERDICT:
They look like proper shorts, yet they're comfortable enough for upright riding
Weight:
270g
Contact:
www.madison.co.uk
At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.
What the road.cc scores meanGood scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
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The Canyon Shorts from Pearl Izumi are casual-looking summery shorts; just what the doctor ordered for summer café rides and trips to the local fete.
The Canyons are designed primarily as mountain bike shorts, with Pearl Izumi's specialist mountain bike chamois pad, and are aimed at warmer weather spring and summer use, being fairly short in length (7' inseam) and light of fabric. The fabric of the outer short is a lightweight stretchy polyester while the detachable liners are a mesh fabric with synthetic female specific chamois and leg grippers. The outer shorts have a flat shaped waistband with belt loops, fitted with adjustment tabs on the inside to tailor the fit to your requirements exactly. They fasten with a zipped fly with one button inside and two press studs outside. The outer shorts also have two side pockets and a pocket on one leg with flap closure.
Taking into account that these are aimed at mountain bikers, they are perfectly comfortable on all bikes with a more upright riding position. You'd not want to use them for out and out sportier road riding, but that's not really a surprise and not what they are intended for.
The pad is fine for about town use, or relaxed rides, and even long touring days, while the length of the shorts and laid back looks of the outer make them a doubly good option for summer casual wear and touring. When riding the outers didn't flap about or get bunched up, and the fabric had enough stretch that there was no feeling of binding on the thigh muscles.
The waistband was incredibly comfortable, with the adjustment making it easy to tailor the fit to suit. Why more casual styled shorts don't come with this kind of adjustment tab I don't know, as it's a really great idea. They stood up well to warmer temperatures, both outer and liner wicking moisture quickly and effectively and drying fast. Some sort of zipped pocket, perhaps instead of the pocket with flap (or a zipped section inside that one) would have been ideal as there was nowhere to put keys or the like, but that wasn't a serious problem.
Verdict
They look like proper shorts, yet they're comfortable enough for upright riding.
road.cc test report
Make and model: Pearl Izumi Canyon Shorts
Size tested: n/a
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?
Aimed at mountain bikers for summer use
Good for anyone on a bike with a more upright riding position, for casual use, cafe rides and even touring.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
100% polyester
Outer shorts stretch lightweight fabric
Removable liner shorts stretch mesh fabric
Synthetic 3d MTB chamois
2 side pockets
1 thigh pocket with flap fastening
Internal waist adjustment
Machine washable at 30
Available in sizes XS-XXL
Rate the product for quality of construction:
9/10
Well made using good quality fabrics.
Rate the product for performance:
9/10
Performed very well.
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
Should last just fine.
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
9/10
Nice and light.
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
9/10
Provided you're not using them in too sporty a position, extremely comfortable, even for long days in the saddle
Rate the product for value:
9/10
Good value for money as they are so versatile. You'll wear them a lot during the warmer months.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Spot on for casual summer riding.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Style, stretch fabric, waist adjustment.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Nothing.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.
Would you consider buying the product? Definitely.
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.
Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?
Good value for money, relaxed casual style and decent levels of comfort.
About the tester
Age: 37 Height: 1.65m Weight: 67kg
I usually ride: My best bike is:
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, general fitness riding, mtb,
Lara has been riding bikes for longer than she'd care to admit, and writing about them nearly as long. Since 2009 she has been working as part of the road.cc review team whilst championing women's cycling on the side, most notably via two years as editor of the, sadly now defunct, UK's first and only women's cycling mag, erm, Women's Cycling.
Believing fervently that cycling will save the world, she wishes that more people would just ride a bike and be pleasant to each other.
She will ride anything with two wheels, occasionally likes to go fast, definitely likes to go far and is always up for a bit of exploring somewhere new and exciting.
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