Running Bottoms

Reviewed by Andrew F.

The Gravel Shorts are made for mountain biking and double as a good pair of hiking shorts. Some cycling-related features and adjustments make these a good choice for biking. The shorts have no padding, so I liked these better with a padded undershort for longer and rougher rides. For hiking and cycling, these shorts are a winner.

BASIC INFORMATION The Showers Pass Gravel Shorts are made for mountain biking. They are made from a 95% nylon/5% spandex fabric that has a nice bit of stretchiness that cyclists will appreciate. They have two big front pockets and one smaller, rear pocket, all with mesh liner material that helps with ventilation. The rear pocket is actually a dual pocket—it’s an open pocket, but within that, there’s a section that’s secured by a zipper.  The shorts have a number of design elements that make them particularly good for their mountain-biking purpose.

Read more: Showers Pass Gravel 10" Shorts review (1)

Reviewed by Twig

The Fjällräven Abisko Trekking Tights are the perfect solution for comfortable and durable trekking pants as well as a thermal baselayer, all wrapped up into one. They feature functional pockets and robust construction, providing so much utility that one may find that no other pants are ever needed.

Specifications: Design: Reinforced Knees/Rear, gusseted crotch, articulated knees, and flat-lock seams Knees/Rear Material: 62% polyamide, 16% aramid, 12% elastane, 10% polyester; Stretch material: 82% polyamide, 18% elastane Pockets: 3 Weight: 265 g in size small (my sample, size small, weighs 9.7 oz/276 g) Conditions of Test Period: When I say that I lived in these tights for four months, I am not exaggerating much. These were the only pair of pants that I brought during a thru-hike of Te Araroa, New Zealand’s long pathway.

Read more: Fjallraven Abisko Trekking Tights review (1)

Featured review by Ashleigh

Patagonia's Baggies are my go-to, do it all shorts. They are lightweight, breathable, packable, abrasion-resistant, water-resistant, quick drying nylon shorts. The DWR treated Baggies sport a 5" inseam, two quick drain pockets with mesh in the bottom, and a stretchy elastic waistband with tie. I hike, kayak, wakeboard, play tennis, jog, work out and do just about everything in these shorts! If I had only one pair of shorts, these would be the ones. Patagonia has been making these for years and are made for babies on up to men's and women's.

My Patagonia Baggies have been through it all. I love these shorts! I would literally wear them every day if I could. I bought them primarily for hiking because I had heard so many great things about them. They are perfect for hiking because they have pockets (but they are not big baggy cargo pockets), they resist abrasion and water, they are breathable and comfortable, and they do not chafe. Nowadays, ladies' shorts tend to be rather short (3" inseam), but the 5" inseam in these is the perfect length for me.

Read more: Patagonia Baggies Shorts 5" reviews (5)

Featured review by Jakuchu

Light but protective short that gets out of the way, yet lets you carry tons of stuff.

Fit I will say it up front, I love the Strider Pro shorts. When trail running or hiking up steep hills I love the fit of them. The 5" inseam means they do not pull on your quads when going up steep terrain. They have a split on the side to give you extra freedom of movement while covering you up well enough. For me a 5" inseam is perfect. The waistband is a good elastic, but also has a lace that you can tie in case they would sag on you. I can't speak for everybody of course, but the fit on me is great, and the adjustability makes me think it would fit most people very well..

Read more: Patagonia Strider Pro Short reviews (3)

Reviewed by OutdoorKelly

The Patagonia women's Dirt Roamer Bike Shorts pack a host of straightforward, well thought out features into a simple pair of shorts. The material and seams stretch together, offering an unrestricted range of motion, and the lightweight fabric wicks moisture, repels water, and dries rapidly. They were hands down my favorite shorts to ride in this past season.

Testing Conditions: I tested the Patagonia women’s Dirt Roamer Bike Shorts as a member of the Trailspace Review Corps. I wore the shorts mountain biking in and around the White Mountains of northern New Hampshire from June through October 2018. I also brought them with me on an October road trip, mountain biking in Bentonville, Arkansas, and around Asheville, North Carolina. Temperatures during testing ranged from about 50 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.                                                       Out for a spin Fit and Comfort: I’m 5'4" with a fairly curvy lower body (35" hip, 27" waist).

Read more: Patagonia Dirt Roamer Bike Shorts review (1)

Reviewed by Alicia MacLeay

Ridge Merino's Crowley Tights are a highly compressive, warm, and durable running tight for women. Made from a nylon-spandex-merino wool blend, they offer the best of synthetics (stretch and durability) with merino wool (comfort and odor control) for cold-weather active pursuits. I've been wearing the Crowley Tights for running during Maine winters and find them most comfortable in temps below freezing. These tights are...tight, so if you're not looking for a lot of compression consider sizing up. If you want a durable, warm compression tight that includes wool, keeps its shape, doesn't get stinky, and is comfortable on the run, check these out. Ladies, you'll have to wait till fall to get a pair as they sold out. Gentlemen, Ridge Merino is planning a men's version, but probably not for this year.

  Material The Crowley Tights from Ridge Merino are made from panels of Polartec Power Wool, a synthetic-wool compression combo. The garment is one fabric, but inside against the skin it's a soft merino wool twill (288 g/sm) for comfort, moisture wicking, temperature regulation, and odor control; while the exterior is nylon jersey for durability and stretch. Inner face of Crowley Tights with Polartec Power Wool Exterior of Crowley Tights with Polartec Power Wool Polartec Power Wool's material breakdown is 53 percent nylon, 26 percent Spandex, and 21 percent wool.

Read more: Ridge Merino Crowley Tights review (1)

Featured review by Lester M

The iconic product, which still works, after all these years. Super-light, stretchy, tough, comfy, versatile, and easy to care for. Extensively copied, but still relevant.

Ron Hill was an English long-distance runner, in an era when all athletes wore cotton. Best known, to US readers, as the first British winner of the Boston Marathon (1970), he pioneered carbo loading, redesigned shoes and clothing, and used his academic background as a Textile Chemist to shift the entire paradigm of sportswear, to make it less restrictive and thus, more efficient. I've been wearing Trackster tights since the 1980s. They're light—almost filmy—crazy-stretchy, wind resistant and bug-resistant, for those days, when shorts would be a bad idea.

Read more: Ronhill Trackster Classic reviews (2)

Reviewed by Kayakoholic

Skiing and snowboarding and running are good for our mind, body and soul, yet we all acknowledge the toll it takes on our knees. Each time our feet absorb impact, the impact travels from the feet to the knees, pushing our knee joints to the outside. This creates wear points on the inside of the joint where most of the "load" is born. Oddly enough, this seems to increase as we age. The Opedix S1 Knee Support System tights, developed in conjunction with the Steadman Hawkins Sports Medicine Foundation, acts to counter these forces by keeping the knee positioned correctly to improve stability and function, and reduce the stresses on the knee joint that can cause pain and do long term damage.

Read more: Opedix S1 Tights review (1)

Reviewed by Alicia MacLeay

The Trail Skirt from Blyss Running is a comfortable running skirt that provides both plenty of coverage and room to move on the trails. This skirt makes me happy for two major reasons—no chafing and ample pockets. Made in the USA, primarily out of recycled fabric, the Trail Skirt can easily fit my iPhone in either of the two thigh pockets or in the zippered back waist pocket (though I use that for an EpiPen). This capacity means I can go out for shorter summer runs carrying both a phone and an EpiPen without needing a waistbelt for storage (hooray!) and still have room to spare. Plus, when I return from a sweaty session I don't have any uncomfortable chafing on my legs.

Front Back, with zippered waist pocket Fit The Trail Skirt from Blyss Running is among this young company's newest offerings and currently is only available in women's small, medium, and large. Virtually all of my running bottoms are medium, and I found Blyss's medium comfortable and true to size. S (4-6): 27-28" waist / 36-38" hips M (8-10): 29-31" waist / 39-41" hips L (14-16): 32-34" waist /42-44" hips While sizing is limited for now, other Blyss skirts, shorts, and capris come in a wider range of options—XS/0-2 to XL/18-20.

Read more: Blyss Running Trail Skirt review (1)

Reviewed by Jeremy McDuffie

I own four pairs of these shorts. I'm a big fan.

These shorts fit true to size and have a nice built-in liner. It's nice and comfortable, unlike the liners of shorts from some other brands that I've worn. The shorts rest a couple of inches above the knee, and they are comfortable when moving. They work well in activities ranging from running to swimming. A drawstring helps keep the shorts tight in the water. The shorts dry pretty quickly—maybe 15 minutes in the sun or 30-45 outside of the sun. Also, the liner wicks some sweat away from the body, but it isn't a significant amount. The shorts are pretty thin, so they fit well underneath a pair of pants if you want to wear layers.

Read more: The North Face Class V Trunk review (1)