Gore Explore Shorts Mens

The Gore Explore Shorts Mens offer strong performance for gravel riding, and in reality they're just as good for commuting as they are for adventures. You're really paying for the privilege, though.

The Explore is a do-all pair of shorts that can be used for gravel riding, bike packing, or just for commuting. They have several features that make them particularly useful for multiple situations.

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One of the keys to them being so multi-disciplinary is the amount of stretch they give, whilst still being water and wind resistant, and maintaining a good level of breathability too.

Despite being relatively form fitting, they should be comfortable to wear regardless of your size or shape – they do not restrict movement at all. It's almost like wearing a baggier version of lycra bib shorts.

This makes them good for anything from intense gravel riding right through to sitting in pubs on a hot day, and practically anything in between. The freedom of movement is unlike I've generally found in any other commuter/gravel/adventure shorts so far.

Their multi-functional qualities are further helped by the straps on the hips, which adjust the waistband elastic running across the back. It's easy tweak them for bib shorts beneath during a commute, then readjust them for casual wear for the rest of the day.

It also means that sizing is not the critical step it can be – as long as you're in the right ball park, you'll be fine.

Another benefit of so much stretch is that the closure doesn't need to be more than a single popper and fly zip. When I initially saw these I thought they would just continually pop open, given how easy they are to open and close, but this was not the case at all. The minimal hardware means less stuff to stick into you as you ride, too.

Water repellency is good too. I stayed comfortable in rain and found them really useful over the top of regular shorts as protection. They're not water resistant all the way round, but instead have 'spray protection' – the back central panels are inherently water resistant to protect against wheel spray, but the other panels are just treated with a water repellent.

I didn't really have the opportunity to test these in extended heavy rain, but during the heavy showers and spray I experienced, I was impressed by the protection.

The Explore shorts are designed for hot weather, and this is helped by the material being quick drying and breathable. I wore these over the top of bib shorts in 32 degrees without finding I really needed to strip off midway home.

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Gore includes some nice features, such as the rubberised gripper to keep the back in place either against skin or fabric, two regular pockets and a small 'keys' pocket, a mid-calf pocket and a single rear pocket.

I found it a practical combination both off and on the bike. There are also a number of high-vis areas to help with being seen.

Value

At £119.99, this is an expensive pair of shorts. You could compare them to the Endura GV500 Foyle Shorts which come in a full £40 cheaper, but those do not have the same kind of water resistance and stretch.

The closest I have used are the Rapha Randonnee shorts, and while those are cheaper at £90, they also lack the neat, close fit and excellent stretch.

Overall

The Gore Explore Shorts Mens are a very good pair of shorts. The material has a huge amount of stretch, they're very comfortable, they offer good protection and have an impressive amount of pockets too. There's no getting around the fact they are very expensive, but if you're happy with the price, you'll be very happy with the performance.

Verdict

Impressive, comfortable and versatile shorts – worth it if you're okay with the high price