Rapha 3/4 Shorts

If you wanted to make the perfect pair of trousers to pedal around town what would you be looking for? I’d go for something just below the knee, slim fitting with a low waist band so it doesn’t dig into your tum when you are bent over your bars, nicely tailored so it wouldn’t chafe and made in a material that is tough yet breathable and can handle the UK weather. Oh yeah, it has to look great too.

Well mes amis, in my opinion, Rapha has answered my call. The Rapha ¾ Trouser or Long Shorts are a truly a fantastic garment even if they do cost twice the amount of some of their rivals, at a princely sum of £135. The cut of this slim ‘plus four’ style shorts is excellent and sympathetic to the cyclists needs with an articulated knee and a twin skin seamless gusset which reduces chafing and wear to a minimum.

When a garment fits you really well, even when it is sodden with rain, it still holds its shape and performs without fault. The fabric used is a slightly stretchy, breathable, nylon based material, coated with millions of infintesimaly small grains of silicon. It looks like cotton but the material, made by Schoeller Switzerland called Nanosphere, manages to be moderately water and dirt repellent, anti-adhesive and self cleaning, the absorbent part is actually the weave of the fabric.

Importantly these 3/4 shorts dry very quickly and don’t sag when wet and remarkably they manage to shrug off most off the dirt, which is lucky because I know I shouldn’t be doing bike mechanicing or DIY in them, not at this price. But this is the thing, I do, and you can treat these shorts like any other because they can take the abuse. Even after a few months of solid riding in them, they still look like new.

Neat features like a zipped rear pocket for important loose stuff with the other rear pocket reinforced to take a mini U lock being stuffed in there. Flat fronted pockets make the shorts look uncluttered and a little zippered pocket keeps notes safe. Belt loops are provided should you wish to add security or accessorise with a belt. 2 belt loops are re-enforced and coloured in tweed to carry a U lock, I found this a little uncomfortable to carry my lock and it kept interfering with my saddle unlike the Fabric Horse holster which is fantastic but a Kryptonite mini U lock in the rear pocket worked great. A matching bit of tweed can be found on the bottom of each leg on the buttoned cuff adjusters.

Off the bike, these long shorts look smart, the dark navy blue is a nice change from black and the tiny embroidered Rapha logo on the left hand pocket lets people know in the most subtle way. The main difference between these and the Fixed shorts that I can tell is the gusset isn’t padded in these and it is in the Fixed pair but I still can’t work out why this makes them £15 dearer?

Verdict

Probably the best un-padded, casual looking, cycling shorts out there, but at a price.