When it comes to practical tests, it's always good to be able to call on experienced material connoisseurs. Textile bitches, princes and princesses on the pea. And when one of them writes in the letter accompanying her completed test forms "You can clearly see that the manufacturers have made more effort than in last year's test" - that's reassuring. After all, we are talking about the top class of cycling shorts with a 235 euro model at the top of the price range, while in
BIKE 7/08
a 100-euro limit applied.
What distinguishes the top class from the mediocre in purely technical terms reads like a rocket manufacturer's shopping list: Memory Foam, Elastic Interface Technology, Carbon Fibre Mesh or Lasercut. Sure, these are marketing words. But some of them conceal tangible gains in comfort.
Ideally, a tight constructed with all the finer details should fit as close to the skin and unobtrusive as if it had been painted on. One of the main opponents of the perfect fit is the elasticity in the construction of the trousers. What use is the skin-flattering fabric if the seams pinch, what use is the perfect cut if the edges of the inflexible padding rub? Problems always lurk where two materials meet.
Trouser cutter Assos calculates that 6000 kilometres a year correspond to almost two million load changes on cycling shorts. The number of abrasion cycles between shorts and bum is just as high. Elasticated padding causes fewer creases, reduces skin irritation at the edge of the padding and prolongs the life of the shorts, as the seam between the elasticated padding and the shorts is less stressed than with rigid materials. For this reason, longitudinally and transversely elasticated seat pads are now mandatory in the top class.
