Protective Undershort

Protective under shorts are a natural choice for commuting and other utility riding, retaining the seamless, flattering profile of ¾,lengths and/or smart cotton trews thanks to the Polyester based material’s wicking prowess and neatly contoured synthetic chamois. However, worn under heavier pile touring plusses, cut closer to boxer shorts they rode up my thighs, resulting in bunching and painful chafing, so stick with more traditional inserts for longer/faster paced riding.

Wearing traditional Lycra shorts beneath civilian apparel works to a point but spoils their graceful lines and leads to a clammy crotch-especially in warmer weathers. Protective have overcome this by using a sophisticated polyester fabric impregnated with Lycra for some additional stretch properties. Climate control is pretty good for polyester, these stayed odour free after a full day and moderately paced eight mile commute, meaning you can pop to the pub or other gathering without necessitating a change or courting unfavourable looks.

Sizing is typically Protective, generous, and yet precise. Our medium fitted my thirty-two inch waist perfectly while the tactile elastic and obligatory silicone leg grippers prevented them wandering. Many years a kit test pilot, it’s easy to dismiss acronyms such as AFT (Anatomic fitting technology) as little more than marketing speak but, in fairness this and Protective's body mapping concept has resulted in a medium density synthetic chamois that moulds readily to my contours and to most perches without feeling like the proverbial slab of steak off the bike.

Wearing them beneath heavier plus fours resulted in unsightly and uncomfortable bunching around the groin eight miles into a fast paced 20-mile circuit. This instantly induced flashbacks of riding twenty-five miles in tennis shorts as a 12 year old and saw the remaining five miles completed out of the saddle.

Verdict

Great for medium paced riding in street clothes