It's a myth that if you are a mountain biker you have to wear baggy shorts - riders competing in races, long distance events or multi-day rides almost always wear classic skin shorts. This is because they tend to be more comfortable and less intrusive to wear over a long period of time - and now Minx almost beside herself to announce, Gore has developed a bib short that is specific to mountain biking.

Starting with the nitty gritty (yes, that's a euphemism), the chamois pad is the newly developed Alp-X Lady insert. With extra padding strategically deployed for where you need it in a mountain biking, rather than road riding position, it also has ventilating foam to help keep you cooler plus rapid drying properties that make it ideal for overnight wash 'n' wear situations.

Abrasion resistant side panels and through the saddle area makes the outer more durable and the deep leg bands are extremely comfortably - staying lightly in place without a death grip tightness. A mesh back insert helps keep you cool and the front braces can be clipped together - or not- as your personal shape dictates.

The icing on this very well specified cake is that it also features the Gore patented two-zip system so that you don't have to undress completely to take what is delicately referred to as 'bio breaks' in the catalogue. To you and I that means making the fasted possible wee stop behind the tiniest tree imaginable on a hillside that is otherwise bereft of vegetation, before those ramblers catch up... Minx can confirm that this works fantastically well- but DO remember to unclip the braces first. An online demo is here. 9" inseam

Minx likes: the best high performance mountain biking short. FACT.