Skip to main content

Dakine 8 Track shorts


Most of the shorts in this review are of the silky, lightweight variety. Dakine’s 8 Track shorts, however, aren’t playing that game. Think of these things as the industrial-strength Carhartt models of the mountain biking world–the 8 Track’s polyester, canvas shell is burly as hell. These things shrug off spills and abuse without flinching. If you’re hard on your gear or are looking for shorts that are a bit warmer than the rest, the 8 Tracks, with their bomber build and hefty Durable Water Repellant coating, are the perfect choice.

If you’re more of a summertime rider, you might find the 8 Tracks a bit too toasty. Dakine has equipped the 8 Tracks with zippered, inner leg vents, but these shorts will never feel as light and airy as shorts constructed from lighter materials. It’s all a matter of tradeoffs. As for fit, the 8 Track features both interior Velcro waist adjusters and exterior belt loops, so adjusting the waistline to compensate for last month’s pork rind binge is never a problem.

Price 95$


Popular posts from this blog

KONA SHRED

With a reputation for no-nonsense ruggedness and a background in the always progressive and punishing riding of Canada, Kona have been building hardcore hardtails for longer than almost anyone else. The Shred is the most expensive bike on test but it’s a proper trail tank.

Nukeproof Vector AM Comp Cro-Mo saddle

The Vector AM is pretty race focused, with minimal padding. There’s a deep (if narrow) pressurerelief channel to keep the blood flowing where it’s meant to. Used with bib shorts, we found it pretty comfortable for shorter rides and suffered no pain or discomfort in the central region. On steep climbs the slightly downturned nose provides a reasonable forward perch, while the svelte profile and smooth edges make it particularly unobtrusive when moving about on the descents. It’s quite stiff though, and can feel harsh on long rides or bumpy ground. We definitely wouldn’t want to spend much time on it without a chamois. It’s heavier than we’d expect for such a lightly padded perch too. There’s a lighter Pro version with titanium rails for $105, but at 241g it’s only 10g lighter. Weight 251g Price $67

GT Zaskar Evolution

While some bike models last just a couple of years, others change with the times to stay at the top of riders’ wishlists. In the second part of this series looking at the evolution of bikes that enjoy enduring popularity with UK riders, we turn to the GT Zaskar – a bike that was at the forefront of our sport for a long time and still has plenty of appeal today.

Cannondale Trail SL 29 SS

The fat aluminium tubes are a constrast to the skinny items seen elsewhere in the test, but this rigid Cannondale uses them to create one of the most old-school - and lightest - rides here.

Merida Big Seven 100

We've rolled up to our local woods, with a meandering blue trail, some natural wooded tracks and a bit of fire road chucked into the mix to see how the Big Seven 100 tackles trails that entry-level riders are likely to cut their teeth on.