The Men‘s Ridge Short by Dakine is marketed as a loose fit cycling short, but I feel that these would be better marketed as an Outdoorsman short. Whatever your reasoning may be for opting to wear a loose fitting short over the standard skin-tight racing short, you can‘t go wrong with the Ridge.
Straight out of the package, I was able to see the quality in workmanship. The sewing and seams are solid and strong. I also found that the 100% polyester material stretches pretty well.
This short features two velcro waist straps inside. I have heard of inside velcro straps being itchy and uncomfortable, but that is not the case with these at all. The fly zips very smoothly and the short is cinched up with two heavy duty snaps at the top. You certainly won‘t have to worry about any wardrobe malfunctions when wearing these. They do not feature an inner liner, but they worked well with my Canari chamois.
The Ridge features three pockets; two in the front and one in the rear. I find that the two front pockets are deep and angled so that anything I stuff in them stays put. While on my rides, I didn‘t have to worry about my iPod sliding up and out no matter how fast I was pedaling. The rear pocket is secured by velcro, which I am sure can be useful to some though I personally did not use it.
Looks are where the Ridge really rocks. I found that this short became my go-to choice for chilling around the house or working in the garage on my VW. I would not hesitate to wear them out and about for any reason. It comes in two colors; Black Pirate and Jean. I purchased them in Black Pirate.
Now for the $64,000 question, “How do they perform?” I‘m happy to report that, the Ridge Short performs as well as it looks. They breathe well and are so lightweight, I barely notice them. The polyester material does a good job of resisting mud and dirt. After 2 weeks of almost daily use, they show no signs of wear. I found that the sizing is spot on. I am a pretty big guy and normally wear pants between 36 and 38 inch waist. I decided to be conservative and purchased them in a 38. I felt that the 38 was just a tad bit big for me, but the waist straps took care of that. There is still plenty of room for adjusting just in case I shed a few pounds or have a bit too much to eat over Thanksgiving.
The Bottom Line
The Dakine Ridge short is excellent. It has the appearance of a nice street short but the durability and comfort of a cycling short. I am already planning on picking up another pair to replace my current hiking/camping short. My only real complaint is that Dakine only offers this short in two colors. Dakine.com
-Andy