Gore Base Layer Lady Shorty+

These are pants – but they're not just any pants. These are luxuriously comfortable, silkily soft Gore Base Layer Lady Shorty+ padded cycle pants... All right, enough of that. Suffice to say they're a quality, if rather pricey, pair of cushioned kecks for women who prefer the discreetness of padded underwear to the overtness of Lycra shorts. They're ideal for commuting and short to medium length leisure rides.

Their snug girl-boxer cut means you can wear them underneath close-fitting shorts or trousers without the dreaded VPL. Under most clothing there is no hint of a nappy lurking beneath, although, while the pad profile is fairly slim, it's still big enough to show through if you're wearing body-hugging bottoms, and if these are made from thin material as well, then you can see the pants' vertical seams up each cheek.

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Gore says the Contest women's triple-density seat insert is specifically designed to provide maximum protection and give support on the main pressure points when riding in a more upright, recreational bike position, with your bodyweight shifted backwards. It claims it's good for rides of up to two hours and I'd endorse this – the generous padding under the sit bones makes it feel like you're perched on a sofa on short jaunts, and it keeps on cushioning during longer stints in the saddle. If you do need to move forwards onto the nose to tackle a steep incline, the chamois makes this much more comfy.

As you'd expect from Gore, the Shorty+ is well constructed with obvious attention to detail, which all goes towards its comfort and performance. The inch-wide elastic waistband is super-stretchy and brushed on the inside, making it feel nice and soft against the skin. It's cut to sit below the belly button at the front, which I prefer to a high waist, and rises up at the back of the waist to prevent draughts (and risk of builder's bum) when you're leant forward on the bike.

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Despite no fewer than 13 separate panels, I was never aware of any of the seams. The microfibre material is a fine mesh, a bit like 60 denier tights, but with lots of give. It's soft to the touch and breathability is good. The legs were a little longer than I expected from the photo on Gore's website, with a 4in inseam, which I liked – long enough to not roll up like shorter legs can.

I would happily wear these year round, but for a fiver more Gore has a Windstopper version specifically for cold weather riding. They're virtually identical except that the front panel is constructed from Gore's Windstopper fabric. Both models are also available in grey and black, and in six sizes from XS to XXL. Because they're so stretchy I'd advise going down rather than up if you're unsure of size.

Verdict

Quality padded 'boy short' style underwear ideal for more recreational outings