Canari Cyclewear Velo II Bike Shorts–Initial Review

We picked these Canari Velo II shorts up during the fall, in preparation for our winter spinning classes.  We purchased these online and were able to find them for a decent discount from the MSRP of $39.99.  These are pretty entry level shorts, nothing too fancy, but a reasonably priced pair of shorts.  After using them in our spinning classes during the winter, we continued using them once the weather allowed us to get back on the bike.

Appearance:

Our shorts are basic black.  There are no large or small pockets, so you’ll need to find some other place to store your energy gels or keys.  The shorts are a bit longer than our previous pair of bike shorts, the inseams are advertised at 8″.  The shorts are made of 6 panels of fabric, which makes for a good looking pair of shorts without being bulky or mis-shapen.

Comfort and Fit:

As mentioned above, we purchased these shorts online and used the online sizing chart to select the proper size.  For us, these shorts run a bit large. We could have easily dropped a size and had a better fitting pair of shorts.  It’s impossible for us to determine if the mistake was based on Canari’s information or the online store’s information.  Though the shorts are a little large, we aren’t going to harp on this; we don’t believe this impacts the performance enough to complain too much.

The shorts feature a long inseam and have a pretty high rise.  We’re not the skinniest of triathletes, so we really appreciate the higher rise, it gives us a bit more fabric to work with and provides a comfortable fit.

In addition to being pleased with the rise, we’re really happy with the leg grippers.  The grippers keep the legs in place no matter how far or how aggressively we ride.  We think the longer inseam contributes to the good fit and the ability of the legs to stay put.

The chamois pad is pretty thick and comfortable, but a little too wide at the back.  This could be a result of the larger size we received, so we’re not going to complain about this either.

Overall:

We’ve worn these shorts in intense spinning classes, on short to medium distance rides, and on a 62 mile metric century.  In every case we found these shorts to be supportive, comfortable, breathable, and moisture wicking.  Even on the longest rides, the chamois stayed dry and comfortable.  In our spinning classes, the chamois and shorts in general didn’t bunch or ride.

Though we’re not completely done with the review, we can safely say these shorts are an excellent deal, especially for the average rider.  While we hope you’ll wait for our final review, we don’t have any problem recommending these shorts for nearly any rider in the market for a great pair of short at a very reasonable price.