Getting back into longer rides as winter departed, I needed decent legwear. I had been considering the Assos F.I. Uno S5 after being fitted to them at last years Cycleshow in London. I knew Assos country of manufacture could vary and was interested in their ‘made by ethos’.
As I was looking around and reading forums and twitter I did see more and more mention of Shutt VR – An English company who made their products in England! This is a rare thing so I thought, why not try them?
Shutt VR were a relatively new entrant to bike clothing – one formed by bike fanatics during a ride!
What better basis could there be for starting a bike related company?
A quick phone call to Simon, a credit card number handover proceeded and a Jersey and a pair of Pro Bib COOLMAX shorts were on the way.
Yes, I bought the item I’m reviewing. I’m sorry, I will really try not to do this again.
I decided to only write something after using them in a variety of rides – I was appointed a head marshal for the Tweed Run London and this meant a number of ‘Recce rides’ through central London and good time on the bike. Additionally a 40 odd mile trip or two gave me a good feel for how they performed when used in non-urban sustained speed situations.
First of all then, the pad.
This pad converted the oh so hard Specialised Toupe into a sofa. A 5.5 hour ride (Tweed Run London 2010) no problem at all. Whilst doing faster paced stuff /climbing and moving around the saddle it was way better than the Specialized shorts that I had been using before.
The pad itself has multiple layers – the gel layer plus additional padding. It was superb. A back to back comparison with an equivalently priced Specialized item was not even close. This pad is VERY good.
A non riding comparison was made with a pair of Assos Fi Shorts from a friend – we agreed the feel of the pad was similar.
Next, do they stay in the right place?
Short answer yes. The leg grips worked, no skin irritation resulted. Slight indentations were left in my legs afterwards.
Will they last? I think so and here’s why:
The seams were compared to the Assos. Almost identical. No loose threads, no irritation from the seams.
The lycra itself seems quite thick and strong – there’s no sign of any wear yet – will report back on this.
Fit
I’m 5’ 11”, 145(ish) lbs – Medium worked pretty well. If I’d been taller I think the next size up would be the one I’d go for.
They’re long enough on my legs to be comfortable – they don’t feel ‘short’ shorts.
Summary: Good value shorts, awesome pad.
Note: My set is part of the first production run – no white trimming and a few other changes. Check here for the latest details. They’re on twitter here
Worn for : 200+ Miles total – Single long rides of up to 5.5hrs.
Saddles : Specialised Toupe (non-gel), Fi:zi’k Aliante Gamma
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