Profile Designs Splice Tri Shorts Review

Out of the box:

These shorts look good.  I personally like a bit of color and found the black/cardinal color visually pleasing.  The first thing I noticed about the Profile Designs Tri Shorts was the lack of leg grippers.  These grippers are great to keep the legs of the shorts from riding up during the bike and run.  Very similar to what you find on normal bike shorts.  The next thing I noticed was the seams.  Nothing too special, just a flat seam, but this is essential, especially on an Olympic distance race.

Comfort:

My first test of these shorts was on a bike.  I hopped on for my normal 26 mile ride around Parris Island.  The shorts fit well and the chamois seemed to be well placed.  Though not my standard bike shorts, the Splice Tri Shorts provide a decent amount of comfort for short to medium distance rides.  I went 26 miles that day without any problem.  Be warned, the chamois is a bit small, especially if you purchase an XL or XXL.  Again, not a huge problem, but if you’re a bigger person, you might find the chamois lacking in the width area.

In the pool, there’s not much to talk about really.  The shorts are 80% Nylon and 20% Lycra, so the fit is snug.  Getting out of the pool, the shorts dry quickly, even the chamois.

Out of the pool, I took off for a quick 3 mile jog to see how these short feel during a run.  As I mentioned above, the shorts dry pretty quickly, so there was no discomfort there.  Surprisingly, the shorts didn’t ride up too quickly, even without the leg elastic/silicon.  Towards the end of the roughly three mile run, I noticed that the shorts were bunching a bit.

Durability:

These aren’t the only shorts I wear, but I’ve made a point to wear them on most of my pool swims.  After a full season, plus a little more, they’re doing OK.  The fabric is getting a bit thin around the chamois and the cardinal has faded to almost a pink color.  That’s what a season of chlorine can do…  The seams are still holding up, no fraying or loosening of seams.  The elastic is still strong in the waist.

Overall:

These shorts retail for $44.95 and I’m sure you can find them much cheaper.  They’re low-end shorts: no elastic in the legs, think chamois, etc.  But they’re pretty durable and look good.  You can’t expect the world in an entry level pair of shorts.  I’d recommend these shorts for new triathletes that don’t want to make a significant investment.  Without spending $80-$100, the Profile Designs Splice Tri Shorts provide solid construction and good performance.