The Impacts are Royal’s top-of-the-line trail shorts. Being both lightweight and ventilated, they’re ideal for summer missions at home and abroad. Made of four-way stretch fabric, they don’t inhibit movement in the slightest, and laserperforated front and rear panels give great airflow. The 33cm (13in) inseam on the medium size covered the tops of our knee pads nicely. What we don’t like about these shorts is the cut. The legs are square and boxy, which makes the Impacts look and feel too baggy. There’s no danger of them falling down, though, thanks to the clip and twin-popper front closure and chunky Velcro waistband tabs. Four zipped pockets provide plenty of storage and they’re positioned high up, so the contents don’t bang about on your thighs when pedalling. Colour wise, they come in black, orange or ‘sand’ – the greenish khaki colour seen here, which we think looks pretty cool.
Price $135