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review

Rose Windbreaker Undershorts

5
£23.90

VERDICT:

5
10
Pants as pants and not so great on the bike either
Weight: 
80g
Contact: 
www.rosebikes.co.uk

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These undershorts from German mail order giants Rose should be a great boon for the casual street warrior but the poor fit lets them down.

I have to say that my dear wife has rarely laughed so hard as when I paraded these in front of her. Apart from looking like the kind of old fashioned thermal drawers as sold in the small ads of the Sunday Express, they are cut very low round the waist and the thin pad comes up at just the right height for a chap's apparatus to perch neatly on top, like a defrosted chicken on an ironing board. It doesn't help that they're called Windbreaker. Windbreaker! Arf!

On the bike they feel awkward and uncomfortable. The low-cut back might spare you from flashing a gleaming white waistband at the traffic behind you but it feels draughty and somewhat insecure. That pesky waistband is also far too shallow, which means it rolls round on itself as you bend forward. The pad is thin and gives just enough protection for short rides but it's very wide and bunches up in your groin.

Off the bike they just feel...wrong. I spend a day wearing these round the office and frankly, I understand how ladies used to feel before wings were invented. At nearly £24 they're pretty darn pricey too. Oh and did I mention that they're called Windbreaker? After the excellent bib shorts I tested from the same maker, these are a disappointment.

Verdict

Pants as pants and not so great on the bike either.

road.cc test report

Make and model: Rose Windbreaker Undershorts

Size tested: L

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
5/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
4/10
Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

Did you enjoy using the product? No

Would you consider buying the product? No

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Only if they wanted to give their wife a laugh

Overall rating: 5/10

About the tester

Age: 40  Height: 5\' 8  Weight: er....86kg

I usually ride: GT Rave - singlespeed conversion  My best bike is: Guess SC1 scandium

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed,

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3 comments

Avatar
rokapotamus | 13 years ago
0 likes

Hmm, coupling the words 'windbreaker' and 'undershort'. Have no one in marketing thought about this?

Or maybe it's a reflection on my sense of humour?  4

Avatar
Rob Simmonds | 14 years ago
0 likes

Fair point, but if you look at the individual scores you'll see that they only scored a 4 for comfort and the review makes it clear what their failings are.

Avatar
pedalingparamedic | 14 years ago
0 likes

If they're really that bad, how come they manage to earn 2.5 stars (5/10) - surely they should get less?

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