Alpinestars’ Pathfinder Base shorts are relatively lightweight trail offerings, which don’t come with a padded liner. The fabric has enough stretch to ensure that movement remains unrestricted and your bum crack is kept covered when you’re sat down climbing. There’s also enough weight to the material that the shorts hang as they should and don’t ride up over your knee pads when pedalling. The two hip pockets are handy for stashing things in when off the bike but, with no zips, are more or less redundant when you’re in the saddle. This is irritating (though obviously less of an issue for those carrying packs), particularly as the only zipped pocket sits halfway down the thigh, which means the contents flap around as you turn the cranks or move around the bike. Waist adjustment comes courtesy of two Velcro tabs, which make it easy to get the fit right. We like the really soft fabric that lines the inside of the waistband for maximum comfort.
Price $105