TESTED: Creux Urban Enduro Shorts
Shorts that go from short track, to commuting, to bar hopping and more? Do tell!
I’ve had previous experience with the Creux Detour Shorts, as well as some of their Merino shirts and denim range. Aside from digging the subtle styling, I’ve been really impressed with the quality of the workmanship that goes into their garments. Their stuff might not be 100% designed for mountain bikers, but the functionality and versatility is certainly there, and I love being able to get out for after work rides without having to don the boy-racer look. Especially when there’s a pub involved after the ride.
Creux claim that their new Urban Enduro’s are the most technically advanced shorts they’ve ever made. They’re designed to be comfortable for all-day riding, whether you’re dodging traffic or hitting the singletrack.
The Urban Enduro shorts are available in Mudslide or Olive colours, and they come in waist sizes from 28” up to 36”.
Swish Swiss Fabric
While not strictly an MTB product, the Urban Enduros are easily Creux’s most dirt-capable product yet. They’re crafted from a beautiful fabric supplied by Swiss tech brand Schoeller. This high-end Dryskin fabric is made from a combination of Nylon, Polyester and Elastane, which delivers a lightweight and supple shell that flexes and moves with the rider. It’s also fast drying, and Creux treat it with a clever Nanosphere coating for water and dirt resistance.
As with the Detour shorts, the Urban Enduro’s have a 2mm thick chamois sewn directly into the short body. This is about 1/3rd of the thickness of a traditional chamois, so you don’t get the same cushioning level as wearing a liner underneath, but you do get better flexibility and less of that nappy-look while you’re ordering an IPA at the bar.
The overall fit of the Urban Enduro shorts is on the snug side, and their mid-length cut sees the cuff sit a couple of inches above the knee for uninterrupted pedalling.
Other cycling specific touches include a reinforced crotch gusset, deep front pockets, side ventilation zippers, and double Riri snap lock buttons that feature a neat slide closure system. You’ll also notice that Creux have removed all rear pockets to produce less interference and friction between rider and saddle.
Camouflaged Versatility
Given the versatile nature of the Urban Enduro Shorts, I’ve been using them for a mixture of commuting, training rides, mid-week dirt crits, and bar-hopping. As a commuter short, they’re absolutely brilliant. They fit comfortably and look stylish, and the 2mm chamois has just enough support for sub-1 hour rides.
While mountain biking, the Schoeller Dryskin fabric’s 4-way stretch means they’re impressively flexible while on or off the bike. The supple fibre also feels luxuriously soft against your skin, making these head and shoulders above the crunchy Nylon baggy shorts that many mountain bikers battle with. I really can’t emphasise enough just how good this fabric feels to the touch. Their slim fit also sees them far less likely to get hooked up on the nose of the saddle while dancing on the pedals.
For longer mountain bike rides, I decided to try the Urban Enduro’s with a pair of bib shorts underneath. With the extra padding, the shorts were taken to a new level of comfort that could have seen me fall asleep on top of the saddle. For me, this eliminated any doubt I had initially as to the shorts effectiveness outside of the city environment.
That said, they’re not perfect. Over time, I found the initially snug fit loosened off enough to make me want some kind of waist adjustment. There are belt loops, but I prefer not to wear a belt while cycling. Take this as a sign that you’re better off downsizing rather than upsizing with the Urban Enduro shorts if you’re borderline between sizes.
The zippered thigh vents are extremely effective at introducing cool air, but without a mesh lining behind them, you’ll be baring your skin to the world if you’re just wearing undies underneath. I’d rather people look at the shorts and not my pasty white skin.
I also found that while very secure, the sliding Riri buttons were a bit of a faff to open and close compared to a traditional button. That said, they never opened up on me while riding, which my riding companions were pleased about.
The Skinnny
With the high-tech fabric and clever integration, the new Urban Enduro’s certainly live up to their claim of being Creux’s most technically advanced short yet. They’re also super comfortable and built to a very high standard. Given the versatility of these shorts, I reckon they’re ideal for the rider who has multiple bikes in the garage and wants high quality riding gear to match that versatility.
Brand: Creux Cycling
Model: Urban Enduro Shorts
RRP: $184.95
