Favorite baggy shorts for mtb

[Kimmyt]

I'm looking to buy some shorts for mtb, mostly I've been using my roadie stuff but I'd rather have something with a pocket. I don't really want to drive around to a thousand different stores to try a bunch of brands on (the stores only seem to carry 1-2 types of shorts for women and a lot of them don't have pockets? wtf). Does anyone have recommendations? I'd like something a little looser through the thigh, I tried on some Patagonia ones that felt almost like my road shorts but just had a bit of room in the knee and the bigger sizes were huge around the waist so I guess I need a brand that is more generous through the thigh.

As for my body type, I'm small and vaguely ruler-shaped through the hips but have larger thighs, proportionally.

What are your favorite baggy shorts atm? Has anyone tried the shredly or wild rye? They're all over my social media feeds atm but I don't know how they fit or function.

 

[ski diva]

I have a pair from LLBean that I recently wore on a biking trip to the Netherlands, and they were great. Good pockets and very comfortable. You can see them here. I did have them taken up a bit because they were longer than I liked, but that's a matter of personal preference.

 

[geargrrl]

aha, the holy grail... mtb shorts for women....
Currently my faves are some Dakine I got on sale and my shredlys. I am very excited about a new company, "Abit" that will offer two fits: regular and biker thigh.

If you are curvy at all, most shorts will be too big in the waist to fit in the thigh. It's all about the waist adjusters.

 

[SqueakySnow]

Chrome Industries in San Francisco is known for bike courier gear, but the apparel is great for any type of biking. Here's a link to my favorite men's shorts, and a link for the women's shorts collection. The women's section is fairly new, so I can't speak directly to their use case, but my Natoma shorts wear like iron and are super comfortable... I kinda live in them during the summer.

 

[contesstant]

My favorites by FAR are Zoic. I even prefer their chamois. Lots of pockets, including one big enough for my phone, elastic adjustable waist (so no butt crack gap in the back, ever.) They are VERY lightweight but deceptively tough. I don't like to wear the heavier weight shorts because they always bind on my thighs. They're not baggy, but they're not skin tight. They don't bind at the waist, they don't gap at the waist, they are just almost like wearing nothing (except the chamois, of course.) The chamois have a yoga waist band, which is a must for me. If I have ONE complaint, it's that the zippers could be tougher. I had one fail in a pair and they sent me a warranty replacement within days, and I didn't have to return the other pair.

Second favorites are Troy Lee Designs and I can't remember which model.

I have some Yeti's that the butt got worn in about two rides. I should have returned them...

 

[altagirl]

Shredly are my favorite. They are cute, durable and have a lot of stretch. Because the liners are separate, I wear them for casual use and hiking sometimes too....

 

[geargrrl]

Speaking of zippers, I have been consulting with the new company ABIT and they will not be using the small #3 zippers (the ones that break all the times) or welding construction.

 

[SallyCat]

I have a couple pair of Race Face Piper shorts that are bomber and have tons of pocket space and are roomy in the thigh. Also, the pockets are on the leg part of the shorts rather than closer to your hip. Hip pockets in biking shorts are a mystery to me: What am I going to put in there that isn't going to be a constant nuisance when I pedal?

Alas, RF doesn't make the Piper any more, I see, and I notice that there are nine options for men's shorts but only three for women. Ugh.

The other MTB shorts I like a lot are Sombrio V'als. Not as much pocket space but durable, comfortable, and non-restrictive without being overly baggy.

 

[Soujan]

I'm using Endura Humvee Lite 3/4 length. Provides a little extra abrasion resistance for my legs but the material is thin and lite. The detachable liners have pad that is not that big so it doesn't feel like I'm wearing a diaper. It also has 2 zipper pockets. Does run large. I sized down one size.