Published by Andrew on 13 February 2024
Bob Zeller knows a thing or two about cycling shorts and what works well when touring. Here he reviews a pair made by Corinne Dennis.
Traditional Style Touring Shorts
Sold by Corinne Dennis
£57.99
Cycling shorts these days come in all sizes, colours, amounts of padding and prices. If you are out for just a short ride, what you wear is really unimportant. On tour, it's a different matter. And while it is always easy to slip into a jacket, should it get chilly or wet, the wrong shorts can be somewhat more complicated. I know, it has happened to me – too many times.
Corinne Dennis, a British cycling clothes maker, offers a variety of cycling shorts for men and women, many of whom would describe themselves as classical touring cyclists. Over the years I have bought many shorts from the company, but recently I tried a pair that are very different from what I usually wear and I very much liked them.
Designed for both men and women, these shorts, simply named Traditional Style Touring Shorts and available only in black, are a design not much different in style or function at first glance from what I wore when I started touring years ago. They include the very welcome belt loops. But look closer and you will see that the fabric is very modern polyester and viscose, very soft to the touch, and mixed with a small bit of Lycra to give it a bit of gentle stretch. As a result, the shorts fit evenly with no bunching all the way down to just above the knee. I am 170cm tall and while the shorts are not tight in any way, they stay in place because of the Lycra. Another advantage of the unusually gentle stretch is that the often very real concern about modesty when one is off the bike and wearing today's tight shorts is not a factor here. You won't feel the need to slip on a pair of 'normal' shorts over the cycling ones before entering a restaurant. Thank goodness!
Another bonus with these shorts is that there are four pockets. They are a wonderful addition for me because many of the shirts I wear when touring aren't regular cycling jerseys with pockets in the back. Some mountain bike and gravel bike enthusiasts have for some time been wearing 3/4 length trousers that have pockets but I have not seen pockets on touring shorts for years. And these pockets have been particularly well designed in that they are positioned so they work well when pedalling – nothing bunches up. There are two pockets, one at each side similar to what you might have on regular summer shorts. Further down the left leg, there is another pocket. This one is cargo-style and it too has a zipper. At the back of the shorts, there is another zippered pocket. And incidentally, as far as zippers are concerned there is a zipper fly – a significant improvement.
What the shorts don't have is thick padding. Instead, there is what is what the company calls a 'comfort lined seat'. I expect that some touring cyclists will find this unusual because newcomers to cycling often think that comfort on a saddle is due to the thickness of the padding in their shorts and they want lots of it. In fact, comfort on a saddle comes primarily from the shape of the saddle and the shape's suitability for your bottom.
Incidentally, not having thick padding means these shorts dry much faster than others, a real bonus for touring cyclists. Mine took less than six hours to dry after a 'wool' type wash. With these, you only need two pairs when touring, one to wear and one pair for a spare.
Are they worth £57.99, the current price? Yes, very much so in my opinion. The design is well thought out and they are equally well made. But the company makes a number of cycling shorts, all with different features. I would suggest you have a gander at their website to see what might suit you best. And if you need more advice, drop Ms Dennis an email with your questions. You'll get a prompt reply. Try doing that with the owners or designers of the huge multi-national cycling clothing companies.
About our contributor
Bob Zeller, a now-retired UK-based Canadian journalist, spent much of his professional life covering major European and North American professional cycle racing for the (Toronto), Globe & Mail, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Winning Magazine and others. His beat included the spring and autumn Classics, the Tour de France and world championships. While he has enjoyed just about all types of cycling – sportives, audax and just riding his bike to the shops – it's touring that he has always loved the most. And it's touring in France that he enjoys most of all.
