Can I really give something an OK review instead of a positive review because I purchased the wrong size? I have to come clean. I’m not a skinny guy. When you think of the Clydesdale class…that’s me. I’m 6’4” (6’8” with the afro) and depending on what time of year it is or depending on how motivated I happened to be, my weight fluctuates from 250 all the way up to 288 (that was my highest actually). I was 185 in college but that is another story (I could dunk a basketball for exactly one summer.).
I currently am hovering in the 259-263 pound range and am actively trying to get down into the 220s. But I digress. Anyway, I decided that a new pair of cycling shorts were just the kind of motivational item I needed. Because of my size I am limited as to what I can purchase. I initially purchased a pair of Nashbar Liquicell Shorts which were on sale for $39.99 from their original asking price of $49.99. I chose this pair because of the price and because of the fact they offered a XXL size for people with a waist size of 44-46 according to the catalogue. Well as I stood there and held these shorts away from my body I realized that if these were designed for someone with a 46 inch waist then surely a size small would be tight on my 8 year old son. It was a joke. Ahh the limitations of mail order.
I found myself on the REI webpage and quickly discovered they offered several of their shorts in extended sizes. Not wanting to get taken in again by the small size I opted for the triple X size. As I have an REI store close to my house I was able to save on the shipping and I requested the shorts be delivered to my local store- a nice feature indeed. A week or so after ordering I received an email stating my shorts were ready for pickup. Again, this is a great feature for those who have one of these valuable resources close to their home.
I picked up the shorts and took them home without trying them on in the store. Had I done so I would have immediately had them returned and exchanged for the next smaller size. Instead I took them home and decided they were too large. Or were they? I debated for a day or two and then we got hit with a stretch of beautiful weather. The shorts were being worn that day. Big mistake.
After the initial wearing I thought they were too loose. Even if I cinched up the side straps to the tightest setting they still seemed to sag. They weren’t comfortable. They weren’t comfortable because I was wearing the wrong size. I probably could have still returned them to REI and exchanged them even though I had worn them and cut the tags because REI is that good of a store. But I kept wearing them.
Fast forward a few weeks and a few more pounds coming off of my frame and I could no longer wear the shorts without them falling down. Drastic measures were in order and I decided to have a true wizard with a sewing machine tackle the project for me. My mom looked them over and after carefully assessing the situation determined this would be a tricky job because of the construction of the pants. I told her that they were of no use to me at this point so whatever she could do to fix them would be better than nothing. She took some measurements and did some sewing. She complained shortly after beginning the job because the nylon material was too tough to actually sew easily. The only way she could fix the situation was to render the cinch straps useless.
I have worn these on multiple rides since having them retrofitted to my body size and they are indeed a comfortable pair of cycling shorts. They fit perfectly. They are of the double short variety meaning that instead of having the chamois sewed directly to the outer layer there is basically an outer layer and then an inner layer which contains the chamois. The one complaint I do have and it basically is with all baggie shorts, is that periodically the shorts get hung up on the nose of the saddle. Considering I never wear Lycra when riding (even on the road) this is a trait that I have grown accustomed to.
Overall these are quality shorts and should be considered for your cycling wardrobe. They will not break your piggybank and are made of considerable quality. REI offers exceptional customer service and just remember if you order the wrong size, return it promptly and you won’t have to go through what I did.