Good budget shorts

[niggle]

I have never had a problem with budget Shorts, they tend to last longer than the top brands and they aren't any slower. I do believe shorts is one area where you pay for the name or even worse pay a premium for Someone else toy use your bum as Billboard

Depends on the brand - I find the lower-end Specialized ones are normally built to last, for instance. You're still paying extra for the name though. Me, I find budget shorts often have bulky, awkward and ineffective padding so I tend to push the budget up to the £30 mark and look out for sales.

The great thing about budget shorts is that they often don't bother with those stupid and unnecessary silicone leg grippers. (or in my case, "leg hair grippers". Ouch. )

Bought some Lusso 6 panel shorts off ebay for £13.99 recently. Not tested long distance comfort yet but they seem good for the money, and its nice to not have leg grippers. The pad is very generous but I was surprised that only the pad edge stitching is flat lock and not the rest, though I cannot feel the seams when riding.

I have a three years old pair of Aldi shorts that have given good service, though sometimes the pad gets clammy/sticky and bunches up on long hot rides, and now the material is becoming indecently thin.

[AlastairS]

Thankyou all for posts. Quite a few suggestions: Mainly Tenn, Cycle-Clothing.co.uk, Lusso (via ebay),Cycle-Clothes.co.uk, Aldi and Karrimor (via sports.com).
I have a pair of Aldi shorts already. I bought the wrong size, but they are fine, though I'm sure there are more comfortable ones I could wear. Aldi's material seems thicker than say the Edinburgh Bicycle(EB) 6 panel shorts, which seem better quality. The padding looks the same on both the EB and Aldi ones, but the EB ones seem to have a fringe round the edge of the padding which looks like they would be more comfortable.

Lusso - are their products generally good quality? I could be tempted to buy the lusso pro 25 large lycra cycling £13.99 shorts on ebay
SPEG ones just outside my price limit of £20.
Mens 8 Panel Cycling Shorts with Professional Moulded Pad £13.99- cycle-clothes.co.uk - any good?
tenn ebay - Cycle Shorts 8 Panel Mens Premier Cycling £12.99 ?

[fatboy]

AND a chamois / foam insert ( off e-bay ).

Where from?

[pedalsheep]

Lusso - are their products generally good quality?

I've got Lusso shorts and tights and have found them to be excellent and very good value (especially if bought via Ebay!).

[ferrit worrier]

Got home from work last night, Mrs FW had been shopping in Aldi. Pair of shorts nice snug fit £7.99 sorted

[AlastairS]

I too visited Aldi and bought a short seleve top and a pair of shorts. The shorts are quite good, though I don't think they are as strechy as i would like. If I remember. they are made mainly from polyester with a little say 5% or so of spandex. What should the stretchy shorts be made of and roughly what proportions?

[timmyhiggy]

has anyone had any experience with the ones from mountain warehouse? They sell a pair at just over £20 which are baggy with removable inners. I have a hi-viz rain jacket from there and all of my jerseys I get from there too (cheap, which as far as I can tell only means no pockets on the back) and its all pretty good.

[Swallow]

I have a pair of the baggies from Mountain Warehouse, excellent shorts and very good value. I used them on the Nantes-Brest canal last year. I also have some of their fleece cycle tops that went down to £4.99 and some base layers, very good kit. I have one of their HI-Viz waterproof jackets which is also good value IMHO Noticed this morning my local branch has the shorts reduced to £19.99

[timmyhiggy]

I have a pair of the baggies from Mountain Warehouse, excellent shorts and very good value. I used them on the Nantes-Brest canal last year. I also have some of their fleece cycle tops that went down to £4.99 and some base layers, very good kit. I have one of their HI-Viz waterproof jackets which is also good value IMHO Noticed this morning my local branch has the shorts reduced to £19.99

Excellent, I will probably stop by there and pick up a pair soon!

[ferrit worrier]

I too visited Aldi and bought a short seleve top and a pair of shorts. The shorts are quite good, though I don't think they are as strechy as i would like. If I remember. they are made mainly from polyester with a little say 5% or so of spandex. What should the stretchy shorts be made of and roughly what proportions?

Would agree with the stretchy point, but still comfy I was hoping for a sceond pair tonight but she'd been to Tescos instead

[AlastairS]

Yes the Aldi shorts are definitely comfortable. What would the better (not expensive) reasonable stretchy shorts be made of - lycra? If so, I guessswould be a mix of something else too like polyester?

[SJSBrompton]

I've just road tested the Tenn Outdoors 'boxer short' style shorts, designed to be worn under normal clothes. I've had them a while and wasn't sure I liked them - the pad is a thinner foam, rather than the proper shaped pad on shorts meant for wear as an outer layer. The material is cotton stretch like some standard boxers, and they are shorter on the leg than usual cycle shorts.

For a short hop/commute/discretion, they are actually pretty comfy - I will start using these regularly. I currently wear them under a skirt/dress and over opaque tights - just whip them off when I get into the office, change into heels, and I'm done.

[tatanab]

If so, I guessswould be a mix of something else too like polyester?

Looking at my labels -
Not very stretchy are 100% Polyester. A bit more stretchy are 16% Lycra 84% Polyester. Stretchy are 12% Lycra 88% Nylon. Most simply say 100% synthetic.

[AlastairS]

Thank you for the propotions on shorts material - that's a great help. I'll look out for the stretchy ones (Nylon and lycra) mix.
SJSBrompton, when I go cycling I normally wear cycling shorts or winter full length cycling leggings with padding built in - I'm sure those undershorts you wrote of are good and maybe someone will be tempted- thanks for letting us know.

[JohnW]

My experience is to beware budget shorts.

I know from another recent thread that padding in the delicate regions can cause all sorts of discomfort - and that's my experience too.

So Many "budget" shorts proclaim the benefit of their padding - I presume to pursuade potential buyers that although the price is "budget", the features aren't skimped. In fact, for some years, I dispaired of getting comfortable shorts without paying a fortune - the Hebden Cord type shorts of yesteryear not being available. "Budget" shorts always seemed to me to be "budget" padded, or not cycling shorts at all and far too long and fashionable.

I finally found a style of M&S shorts which suited me, and for several years used them.

Then came a thread on this forum, from someone who was experiencing the same conundrum as I was, and wanting advice with respect to some shorts to wear on a CtoC ride he was planning. I posted about these shorts that I was using, he bought some, and had the most unimaginable discomfort for several days. I felt awful, and resolved never to reccomend again!!!!

I've abandoned the idea of "budget" for shorts now, and some years ago I discovered Corinne Dennis Men's Touring Shorts.

I'm not recommending you understand, but I've got three pairs now, and I can tell you one thing, they're really hard wearing and resilient - and probably cheaper in the long run than "Budget" shorts. They are not, however, padded. They are of slightly stretch material, double seat, not exactly 'Baggy' but not tight - you get a bit of ventilation where you need a bit of ventilation - and they don't look overtly like cycling shorts, you can wear them anywhere.