Gaping waistbands, stifling fabric, seams that hinder athletic butts and thighs—if you’re a female mountain biker who has shopped for a pair of overshorts, you’re likely familiar with these problems. Riders need breathable yet protective bottoms that can fend off abrasive rocks and snaggy branches. Plus, baggies blend in better during après. But, like many women’s bottoms, they don’t always fit as well as we’d like.
So I recruited six women to put the current crop of overshorts through the wringer. Our testers ranged from straight-hipped to pear-shaped, 4’11” to 5’5”, and sizes 4 to 16. They tested shorts on loamy paths near Mt. Hood, sandstone ledges around Moab, and rooty trails in Colorado; on shuttle-assisted rides, rock-hammering downhills, and 4,000-foot climbs; and in conditions ranging from spring sleet to late-summer scorchers. These are the overshorts that delighted us all with their fit, comfort, and performance.