“Find out what you like doing best, and get someone to pay you for it.” Katharine Whitehorn.
As the company newbie, I felt inclined to test the products out for myself. So, last week I ordered my first pair of stolen goat cycling shorts. I chose the ‘Bodyline one’ with the red leg stripe. They arrived the next day, so I put them straight into action!
As company policy at stolen goat, we work a 5 hour day, leaving us plenty of down time to go out and adventure more. Usually, we get out on the road bikes as a team to get some mileage in.
Coming from my previous job where it was long tiring hours, this is a great change. I’m feeling less stressed, happier and healthier. I’m very thankful to Tim for hiring me and I believe that a solid five hours of work, is more productive than a minimally focused 8 hours. This is the most productive way to work and live! Read Tim’s blog about it here.
With all this riding we’ve been doing, I thought it would be a good idea to buy some kit and express my opinion too! Here is my personal guide of the Bodyline One shorts. I’ve not been biased in any way, I’ve compared them to existing shorts that cost a lot more money…
Size Guide
Let’s start off with the size guide. The guide is plain, simple and straightforward to follow. 100% stick to our guide and don’t assume because you’re a medium in one brand’s shorts, that you’ll be a medium in another. Every company measures differently so always check.
Most people are either apple-shaped (weight in the middle) or pear-shaped (weight around the hips). Choose what body shape you are and measure accordingly, or measure both ways and choose the biggest measurement.
When measuring, I measured in two places (twice) just to be sure. I started off by measuring around the centre point between the bottom of my rib cage and the top of my hip while breathed out. This would be the correct way to measure if you are apple-shaped. As a second measurement, I measured around the widest part of my hips, usually where the trouser line would be. This measurement is for someone who is pear-shaped. From your measurement, compare to our size guide. I did both of these measurements to cover all bases and without cheating, I ordered the right size (not my fantasy size). The size guide is located near the bottom of each product page – stick to it and you’ll be fine!
Because the shorts are made from a 4-way stretch material they are extremely comfortable and supportive. If stretched too far then they have a tendency to go a little transparent. So if you’re thinking about squeezing into a size too small for you, I wouldn’t chance it.
Fit
The shorts fit well, they’re close, comfortable and to be honest, hardly noticeable! The shorts are comfortable and support the body, this is due to the 4-way stretch material and the one-piece construction. The bibshorts have minimal seems (1 to be exact) which means there’s virtually nothing to irritate your skin while riding.
The elasticated band around each leg is a nice change compared to my previous cycling shorts. These bands create a tight, non-noticeable fit to the leg and there isn’t the usual silicone gripper like most shorts have. This meant that there wasn’t any pulling on the hairs or skin. I also noticed that the shorts stayed in the same position on my legs, not once did the leg ride up. Something which my previous shorts did.
Pad
I was sceptical about the pad at first, I thought to myself, why do we only offer one pad – why do we not offer different levels of pad at different price points, like other brands. But as an adventure brand, we use a pad that encourages riders to go out on the bike regardless of mileage. Having the best pad available, fitted to each of our shorts means you have the best most comfort, no matter which cycling shorts you chose! We didn’t want to produce a cheaper pad just to accommodate the market.
The pad has different layers, densities, dimples and a honeycomb construction to ensure maximum breath-ability and comfort. The pad is anti-bacterial and quick drying. Very good in hot conditions when a lot of sweat can build up… it didn’t. I felt a nice fresh, cool breeze it was rather refreshing. Strangely, when I rode in colder conditions, I didn’t feel the cool ventilation as much. Which I assume is the materials in the short keeping me at the optimum temperature for performance, very clever! Super impressed.
Materials / Features
Onto the materials and features of the bibshorts. You may be wondering what can possibly differ stolen goat from the rest of the market?
‘coldblack technology’ – a treatment applied to the fabric that helps reflect the sun’s rays. This helps your legs stay at the right temperature and adds a level of UV protection. Now I’m not sure how I can test if the short has UV protection or not but I can definitely vouch for the ‘coldblack’ being able to keep the legs at the right temperature! I did notice the difference between warmer and colder conditions and I’m very impressed at how they adapted.
It’s not a feature that is talked about often, however, I would like to express it in my review. I found that as well as keeping the legs at the right temperature, the bibshorts did the same for my back. It adapted to suit the different temperature conditions. I felt that in warmer conditions the back was extremely breathable, cool and kept me fairly dry. In the cooler conditions, I noticed the short kept me warm. This isn’t due to the ‘coldblack’, I believe it’s down to the integrated baselayer-type design of the back of the bibshorts and the materials used.
For these reasons, I believe these cycling shorts are suitable for an array of conditions, not just for summer cycling.
The pad is positioned slightly further forwards than other cycle shorts and this allows greater comfort for those times when you’re out forwards or in the drops.
Conclusion
I genuinely really love these shorts. I cannot express enough, how much of a pleasure they are to ride in. I’m definitely going to get another pair – I need the Belgian blue pair in my life!
This review is not biased in any way, it was a review of how the shorts performed for myself and how they compared to my £175 shorts. Please don’t think that I have been influenced in any way (thanks Tim for this months bonus). Just joking, but seriously these are great shorts and well worth buying!
Make sure you buy yourself a pair!
SHOP NOW – BODYLINE ONE CYCLING SHORTS