Baggies are all the rage these days, didn’t you know? Actually, uh, no I didn’t. These days? I’ve been wearing shorts, jeans – anything over and above underpants, really – for as long as I’ve been on two wheels. Lycra? No, never, not even once. When Fox sent over this pair of shorts, I was pretty surprised and a bit uneasy when I saw the detachable inner lining with chamois padding. Do these make me look like I’m wearing a nappy?
The Attack Q4 shorts are Fox’s trail/all mountain offering and come in two pieces: the outer shorts as you see them, and the inner mesh with chamois and elastic thigh grabbers. Out the box (bag?) you have to cut the inners out of the outers, and from there you can choose to use them separately or together. It’s a neat system.
The actual shorts are a mixture of polyester and spandex with a 4-way stretch main body. They have two solid buttons holding them together with two elasticated and velcroed waste bands that adjust the waste width. There’s also mesh venting to keep things cool and zipper pockets to keep the valuables from flying about the trail.
If the shorts fit
I found myself pulling the inners quite high up so the chamois wasn’t hanging low and making me look a fool. However, if I was topless you would see the tops of the inners sitting at about belly button height, which isn’t very flattering, I’ll tell you. But keep your shirt on and you have no worries. It tended to slip a bit, but that was mostly when riding, so aesthetics are out the window already.
The shorts feel akin to boardshorts – though the fancy stretchy kind that last more than two swims. So I don’t see these being dismantled any time soon. I can’t say too much about overall durability because I haven’t had them for ages, but I have yet to pull a thread or see so much as a indication that there’s trouble on the horizon.
I was particularly surprised at how warm the Attacks were. Having a ride in the Cape winter rain with only the shorts to keep my legs warm, they did a commendable job at keeping the heat in. I think it was mostly to do with the mesh inner liner, surprisingly enough. The mesh isn’t too closely knit, but the extra layer certainly does a good job of retaining heat.
The straps could be a bit pesky to get tight because they are on the inside of the waist, but once set they didn’t let loose. If you’re coming from a lycra background you may find that the chamois padding is insufficient compared to other bib shorts, but for someone looking for a bit more comfort for their ride, the padding is plenty. It’s less of a support padding and more a softening for your hard-as-nails saddle.
In the end
It didn’t take long with the Fox Attack Q4 shorts to realise that my usual cargo shorts with their holes and absolute ragged nature are just not cutting it anymore. I have seen the light. I’ve also realised that my arse doesn’t need to get used to the saddle I sit on, it can actually be comfortable for once. I guess my only gripe would be the colour of the shorts. Army green can only go with so many other colours – like black, and some shades of grey. That isn’t a problem on the trail, but these shorts are comfortable, so I want to use them elsewhere too. Just maybe without the chamois.
RRP: R 1,149.00
I was going to say fox canalwalk had, did the run around myself...
Fox headoffice said to me that the demand is too small, that is why their options are limited.
Also told me that they make their money off the bigger retail companies like edgars, stuttafords etc, who bring in bulk casual wear.
LBS cannot match the demand or bulk order quantities so hence limited stock available in SA.