Zone Performance Wear
Long-Ride Shorts
Most riding shorts on the market today offer moderate-yet-adequate padding between you and the seat for dirt riding. The Zone shorts go further with a very substantial, thicker pad akin to bicycle short chamois.
While sitting down on dual-sport rides or putting in a ton of miles in a day, the extra padding is a godsend. I rode in these shorts on back-to-back days in Costa Rica in hot weather with a lot of butt time on the seat and was extremely happy with the padding. They ventilate great, are quick drying and are holding up well to a couple months of consistent use in unspeakable environments.
Padded shorts aren't for everyone, and for most of us this can be too much cushion for MX since we're moving around on the bike so much more. Also, the shorter leg length started to creep up as our sit-to-stand movements increased. However, on tough trail rides, the padding starts to shine. I still wish the legs were longer.
These are really good off-road riding shorts, and if you have some serious miles ahead, I guarantee the $44.95 Zone Long-Ride shorts will make them much more pleasurable. They're available for men and women in S, M, L sizes-I'm a 32-inch waist and the men's Small fit me well around the waist but a little tight on the shortish legs. Call for fitting help. The bottom line: The longer the ride, the better they get. -Jesse Ziegler