Until the last couple of years, it was quite rare to come across women riding in baggies in South Africa. Nearing the end of 2015 though, female riders across all disciplines now rock light weight baggies, like Specialized brand ambassador Joanna Dobinson who completed Wines2Whales in women’s specific baggy shorts, and Beani Thies of Greg Minnaar Cycles busting out her Fox Ripley’s in XC races. Women’s baggies have begun to pop up all over the show with Fox, POC, Specialized and now Troy Lee Designs becoming easier to access in South Africa.
In mid-2015 I missioned to get myself a pair of Troy Lee Designs Skylines as they had been redesigned with appealing changes. The earlier generation of Skylines were cited as being too short, with an annoying bunched up elastic waistband, and coloured piping around the deep pockets. Additionally, they included belt loops, which I can only assume were in case one drastically lost weight from quitting chocolate. Pffft. While TLD were certainly moving away from butterflies and heaps of pink, the shorts looked more suited to the needs of a 5 year old boy verse a pair of durable, aesthetically pleasing shred threads.
The 2015 generation of shorts, although not perfect, are a serious step up from 2014. They are available in pure black (Yes! Finally!), bright coral (aka orangey pink) or the rather wild Speeda colour way, which has a leopard print pattern in a blue-green-yellow colour gradient. While the Speedas are rad, the black shorts are a win as they go with just about any top… and for ladies, this is kind of important even if we don’t want to admit it.
Technically, the shorts borrow from the TLD Women’s Moto (DH shorts) by using ribbed spandex around the groin area and just above the butt into the hips. In my opinion this is genius move, as the shorts are flexible for all kinds of leg movements and tend to mould to whatever body shape is currently filling them. This is a bonus when you’re not sure what size is right for you, as they probably stretch up a full size. So whether you’re a 10/34 or a 12/36, the Medium (TLD 5/6) will fit you and it will actually look flattering.
The shorts are made from two-way stretch fabric, so these are high-end flexible shorts that are light and dry quickly if you want to rinse them and wear them the next day. A clever addition in 2015 are the meshed ventilation strips that run down the back of the knee area to the bottom of the shorts, which means legs are kept cool while riding. Other brands build the mesh into pockets that can be unzipped for ventilation, but the TLD system means your sweaty legs receive constant fresh air without irritating dangly zips.
The fly area closing system uses two press-studs, which in my experience have never popped open while riding. Instead of a zip there is an aerated Lycra panel with a strip of Velcro. This is nice as the fly area stays flat, but I always find it a pain when you’re taking the shorts on and off as the Lycra panel tends to get stuck to the aggressive side of the Velcro and teasing it apart agitates the material. But that said it is hidden and not easily seen. One other downfall is that the material above the press studs hangs downwards like a dog with a lame floppy ear. Again, it’s not really seen as my riding top normally covers it, but it’s a bit of an oversight, and I’ve noticed it in all the pictures I’ve seen online.
Pockets are a big deal with riding shorts, and TLD have slimmed and trimmed the shorts down to include a zipped small stash pocket on the left hip, a zipped flat side pocket and a zipped stash pocket on the back. It’s ideal for a car key, a multi-tool and an energy bar, while the largest pocket easily fits an S5 Mini should you need it.
The shorts are comfortable and light, but surprised me with their durability when getting caught up in lurking brambles and lantana. While my shirt got snagged and mortally wounded, my shorts survived the ordeal fine along with a proper backside tyre buzzing on another ride. I’ve taken a couple of slams to the floor in them, and I can vouch that they allow for a graceful slide on your derriere and still remain intact. The big negative for me though is the length. I wish I could add 10cm of length on to them for the ultimate fit, as I do tend to get that annoying skin-to-short gap when wearing kneepads.
While Chain Reaction and Evans Cycles used to be the only places one could find TLD for women, they are now available locally through mxalliance.co.za retailing at R1,299.
Biggest problem with MX Alliance is that there is a big wait for the stuff and you pay +- R250 for shipping by a courier regardless of its size unless it's maybe something like MX boots.They also don't do what a lot of the other shops do and have free shipping over a certain amount. The thing is if you want something that is not readily available in SA then they are your only option.