Women's Mountain Shorts & Pants

FAQ

What are the best mountain bike shorts for women?

• PEARL IZUMi mountain bike shorts
• Specialized mountain bike shorts
• Fox Racing Bike Shorts

How tight should mountain bike shorts be?

In general, you want your mountain bike shorts to fit a little loose off your bike but feel snug while on your bike in the riding position.

Do you wear anything under mountain bike shorts?

If your mountain bike shorts have a chamois or floating liner, then don’t wear anything under them. The padding is designed to be worn against your skin to wick away moisture and prevent chafing.

Do I need padded shorts for mountain biking?

If you’re going on a long ride, you’ll be thankful for the comfort a sewn-in chamois or floating liner provide. Padding helps prevent soreness that long hours in the saddle can cause by reducing vibrations and pressure points.

Do You Need Mountain Bike Shorts for Mountain Bike Riding?

Yes. The more comfortable you are, the more time you’ll spend on your mountain bike. Mountain bike shorts are designed to wick away sweat, enhance freedom of movement, shed water and mud, and shield you from trail debris. When it comes to mountain bike clothing, we often recommend that mountain bike shorts or mountain bike pants are one of the first things to upgrade.

What Types of Mountain Bike Shorts Are There?

There’s long and longer. You want your mountain bike shorts to fit your style of riding. If you’re chasing distance with cross-country riding, putting long hours in the saddle, you’ll want a short that enhances breathability and freedom of movement with a slightly shorter and slimmer fit. If you’re an aggressive enduro or downhill rider, charging hard on technical trails, you’ll want to kit up with baggies that offer greater coverage and comfort with a longer, and well, baggier fit.

Why Are Mountain Bike Shorts So Long?

Protection. Short shorts will lead to saddle chafe, scrapes, bruises, and other unsavory trail souvenirs. The more skin you have covered, the more protected you are on overgrown singletrack and through crashes. When riding technical terrain at speed, you’ll want longer mountain bike shorts that are articulated to fit over knee pads. On long hot summer rides, you’ll appreciate a pair that hits just above the knee when pedaling for a little more airflow.

Top Mountain Bike Short Features to Consider:

Material

• Most mountain bike shorts are built with a synthetic fabric that is light enough to dry off quick and let your skin breathe, yet burly enough to hold strong on rugged trails.
• From morning dew to muddy singletrack, water-resistant treatments go a long way to keep your comfort level high by shedding the muck of the trail.

Chamois (pronounced shammy)

• Floating liners are tight-fitting inner shorts that feature a chamois, or seat padding, that boosts your comfort in the saddle. Most floating liners are removable, letting you swap them out for a fresh feel without needing to wash the outer short.
• A sewn-in chamois is, you guessed it, seat padding that is sewn directly into the mountain bike short. Sewn-in padding shifts less to eliminate chafing and bulk.
• Liner shorts are an option for adding padding to unpadded mountain bike shorts. Plus, most liner shorts feature pockets for additional storage.

Pockets

• For quick access to fuel and tools on self-sufficient rides, you’ll want pockets, zippered pockets. A zipper closure will ensure contents won’t wriggle out during your ride.
• There are typically 3 places a pocket will be placed on mountain bike shorts. Side cargo pockets are great for your wallet and multi-tool, keeping contents to the outside of your thighs rather than sliding in toward the saddle. Front slash pockets are perfect for smaller items like gels and bars. And a center-back pocket is a secure place for your phone.

Ventilation

• Outer-thigh zippers open to boost airflow when you want it and allow access to your liner short’s pockets.
• Laser-cut perforations along the thighs reduce weight and keep air flowing throughout your ride.

Waistband

• An adjustable waistband ensures a comfortable fit that won’t dig or drop. Drawcords, hook-and-loop tabs, and even Boa dials: Whatever cinching style you prefer, there is a short that is equipped with it.
• Some mountain bike shorts feature silicone print on the internal waistband to lock in your fit.
• Most mountain bike shorts are constructed with a higher back rise for added coverage and comfort in the riding position.

Have other questions? Connect with a Gearhead for all your mountain bike short and pant needs.