Huez Utility Shorts

Huez says its Utility Shorts are 'designed to be everything you could want in a short; comfortable, durable, water resistant and undeniably stylish'. As long as you stick to using them for their intended purpose, as shorts for riding around town, and are happy to accept the rather high price tag, you won’t be disappointed.

> Buy these online here

First off, the length and cut is beautifully civilian – perfect for meeting friends in town and other contexts where Lycra attracts the wrong sort of glances. They’re shorter than my ideal for riding – at least compared with my regular messenger types – but shorter shorts are very much à la mode.

They're made from a very tactile 200g 'Swedish' nylon canvas, which supposedly doesn't inhibit movement, and treated with a DWR (durable, water repelling) fluoro polymer coating. Theory goes: moderate to heavy showery rain simply beads up and rolls away. Huez says it has incorporated mesh pockets to accelerate the drying process – and no need for swim shorts should you fancy an impromptu dip.

There are plenty of pockets – two at the hip for parking hands, loose change or other little essentials, and a capacious cargo type on the right thigh big enough for wallet/smartphone or a compact camera. This also sports a really nicely executed reflective strip that's genuinely incognito during the day but comes alive under vehicle or street lighting – good for junctions, roundabouts and the like.

There are also two rear pockets, and beefy belt loops continue the smart utilitarian theme, the sort of stuff that came over from the messenger circuit some years back. The fit is really tailored and there's no internal adjustment, so I went the (recycled bicycle tyre) belt route with no problems.

Bearing in mind that Huez has marketed these for city riding, the Utility Shorts have no padded liner – unlike its Daily Chino Shorts, which come with a Cytech chamois (Huez suggests the Daily Chino one can be used here, and it's planning on selling these separately next season).

I recommend you don’t bother, though. On 10-mile round trip utility runs they were absolutely fine; the legs tended to gather a bit but didn't give rise to chafing or other discomfort. Some short but sharp showers confirmed the outer's water repelling magic – nice to watch and no soggy crotch faux pas upon arrival 15 minutes later. I also took Huez at its word and took a trip to and a dip into the nearby river Blackwater, to test their prowess as swimming shorts (they do that job admirably too).

> Check out our guide to the best casual cycling commuter wear

Don’t be tempted to take them touring, though, or to think they can do more than perform as short distance shorts, for combining cycling and looking suitably civvy. They’re actually not that great with a liner underneath – not even the Huez Daily Chino one. I found they would ride up over the liner – any liner I tried – and on longer distances at higher speeds they would chafe uncomfortably.

Overall, there’s no doubt that the Huez Utility Shorts do their job, albeit a limited one, very well. As long as you accept they’re not the most versatile of cycling garments then you won’t be disappointed; for me personally, I’d like a bit more usefulness for my cash.

Verdict

Smart shorts that perform their intended task well, pricey though