Hoss Technical Gear Stallion Mountain Bike Shorts Review
For too long mountain bikers have endured some of the worst fashion options from all the major cycling clothing companies. Ironically, the cycling world has frequently intermingled with the fashion world (Ciao!), but we grubby mountain bikers have suffered through poor design and ugly styles. It seems simple, right? All we want is a decent chamois coupled to a pair of baggy shorts that don’t make us look (too) dorky. Why has this been such an elusive product? We’ve had to endure uncomfortable polyester blends, ragged and irritable elastic that rubs your butt after one wash, no pockets, that horrendous full-diaper feeling, and worst of all the ubiquitous black/khaki/disgusting-print options we’ve been offered for style. Finally, after a few decades now, we’re starting to get a few options on the market we haven’t seen before, from multiple manufacturers. I hesitate to say I see cool shorts everywhere, but we’re definitely moving in the right direction.
Fortunately for us, the good people at Hoss Technical Gear seem to have listened to the wailing complaints of the market place. Look, I ride a road bike (occasionally), and yes, I wear your typical black spandex when I’m posing as a roadie. Through most of the winter I’m a poorly disguised mountain biker logging miles on my road bike while I wait for the warmer months (just for fitness, I swear!). So I don’t mind looking like a tool, and sorry Lance, you look like a tool on your road bike. We all do, no matter how hard we try. Nobody gets into cycling for the fashion, and I can only think of a few people I would like to see in a roadie kit, and I never see them out there pedaling.
The Hoss Stallion shorts look pretty cool. They look like a typical pair of board shorts. Very understated but hip scottish tartan plaid on black, not so different from the plain black we’re used to but a nice departure. The appropriate gussets and vents are where you would expect them to be, and the polyester shell is wonderfully slippery–perfect for sliding around in the saddle. Another great feature is the removable liner, which might keep you from having to have an extra change of clothes on hand. If you don’t totally trash them on a ride, unsnapp the chamois liner inside and you can avoid eating your post-ride meal with diaper pants. And the pockets! I rarely need more than two, but it’s nice to know they’re there. I counted five little compartments where you can keep anything you might need on a ride. The chamois leaves a little something to be desired, but I’ve yet to encounter a pair of baggies with a chamois that compares to some of the nicer road shorts.
Although I can’t quite consider these “the ultimate” mtb shorts, but Hoss has given me a confident feeling that the ultimate shorts are only a small distance off. Anyway, it’s nice to have a little variety and style where there once was none. I would recommend buying these shorts to anyone who feels baggy shorts have been grossly underdeveloped in the current market. Enjoy!
Sizes: Small – XXX-Large
Colors: Black, Grey, Beige, Black w/Logo, Black w/Plaid
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This post was written by:
Bill Lobe - who has written 12 posts on Mountain bike product reviews, bike builds, trail reviews, forum, and tips – MTOBikes.com.
Bill Lobe is a writer and is currently learning how to fly by flapping his arms.
The pair I had tore after a few weeks of heavy use. An no before you say it – they were thr right size!
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