Customer Reviews

Pearl iZUMi Men's Attack Cycling Short

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Pearl iZUMi Men's Attack Cycling Shorts are fabulously comfortable. I bicycle 3 to 5 days a week to work on a mountain bike outfitted with slick road tires. The commute is about 8 miles each way, so not a major trip. However, in the sweltering hot weather here in New Jersey, it's very painful without them.

THIGHS
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I was worried about the small-looking legs when they first showed up. Even with my thick thighs, though, they fit like a glove. On the inside of each leg is a silicone leg gripper. I am pretty hirsute, so I expected to feel my hair being pulled about, but I didn't notice a thing. Amazing engineering.

WAIST
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I am 5'7", 155 pounds, with a 31"-32" waist. I bought medium-sized shorts, and they fit just right. Although I considered getting a bib, because I was concerned about sizing, I am glad I did not. Even if you have a bit of extra flesh around your mid-section (and who doesn't?), it has a drawstring, so it should not be uncomfortable.

FRONT
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The shorts have a very low profile front. I swim in the mornings with Speedos, and I would say these shorts fit a lot better and show much less. I am quite comfortable walking around in them.

INSIDE
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The padding is incredible. I don't feel a thing. I am sure if I rode for another hour or two I would notice something. No shorts are perfect. These are probably about as comfortable as you can get, though. Somehow, the pad always seems to be in the right place.

MOISTURE
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The shorts wick the moisture away pretty well while I am riding. I put some regular shorts over them after I got to work the first day I wore them, instead of changing into underwear, and that was a mistake. I basically sat around marinating in my sweat for a few hours. There certainly was some chafing on the way home! I guess these really are made for riding, and as long as they are allowed to breathe, you should be fine.

SUMMARY
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The shorts are not cheap, but they feel like a second skin, and perform wonderfully while you are riding. In my opinion, they are worth every penny. The cost was somewhat mitigated when I purchased them by the free shipping (with Amazon Prime) and free returns (roll over your size to see what is available). You could pay a little less for other models or other brands. Why would you, though? I cherish my chances to ride, and I figure it is worth it to protect my bum.

I just got these shorts and am very disappointed. I had a pair of attack shorts I got a few years ago and love them. They got threadbare in the back, so, I figured I'd like the new one. Note: I also have the Pearl Izumi pro shorts and like them. One problem with the new attack shorts is they don't stretch as well as the earlier version. I checked the tag and noticed they reduced the spandex % and increased the nylon %. Also, the leg grippers don't work very well, not nearly as well as the earlier model. The fabric also feels thin and cheap. I just rode 30 miles in them hoping I would like they way they actually work on the bike, but, nope. The padding (they changed that too, to some cheap foam stuff) doesn't work very well and after 20 miles i was getting sore. My old model of attack shorts had padding very similar to my pro shorts. Due to the leg grippers not gripping very well and the fabric not stretching very well the legs rode up about 3 inches exposing a big un tanned band. I kept pulling the shorts down but they kept riding up.

So, they made the material cheaper, the grippers cheaper, the padding cheaper and they definitely are a sub par pair of shorts. I need to send them back. Buyers beware.

Pearl Izumi, you must be more concerned about your profits than customer satisfaction. Definitely the last pair of these I'll buy.

I was looking for well-padded shorts, and these definitely fit the bill. They have lots of padding in the right places, but not so much that the bulk gets in the way. I would have given these 5 stars if the sizing were correct, but as other reviewers have noted, they very definitely run small. Medium was supposed to fit waist size 32-34. All my 32" pants are a very loose fit, but these Medium shorts just barely fit. I would definitely advise going up a size from whatever you normally wear.

I prefer the 6.5" inseam of the Pearl Tri Short than the 9" inseam of the Attack. But, I prefer the thicker padding of the Attack, especially on the sit bone area. I wear a medium and find the waist lower on the Attack, just above the hip socket, where the Tri sits an inch higher. No biggie issues just points for you to consider. All-in-all, the Attack's are pretty good for the $50 buck Amazon price, retail is $75.
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10/30/2011 Update

The chamois on these were great for the first dozen or so washes then it has started to break down. I find sit bone harshness within 7 miles until numbness sets in which tells me the padding is deteriorating. I can no longer ride continuous for more than 15 miles then I must pullover and dismount so my butt gets it feeling back. Also, they now have a tendency to ride a tad bit lower at the waist after a few miles. They will reside in the garage to be used with my trainer not on the road. I have down rated these shorts to 3*'s. Bike clothing is such a rip off.

Since these are my first biking shorts I have nothing to compare it with.
My first impressions: The spandex feels pretty sexy however the padding in the crouch feels like you're carrying a load in your Pampers. I guess it's something to get used to.
They are very comfortable to ride in and makes riding more pleasurable and will appreciate them on the longer rides.
What is bothersome is sometimes when I am up in the saddle, the top of the padding will hook on to the nose of the saddle. Another thing to get used to.

I bought these for about $50 with free shipping and they arrived within 3 days.
I would recommend this product.

I took up bike riding last summer ahd have gradually worked my way up from one hour rides to 3 hour (40 mile) rides. In my opinion, if you're only going to be on the bike for an hour or less, don't bother with these. Just throw on a pair of shorts and head out. But if you get serious, any more than an hour on the saddle (at least for me) requires some extra padding. These shorts take care of that, are very comfortable, and hold up very well. I have two pair as they need to be hand washed and if you're riding every day and are working up a sweat you'll need to alternate.

Also, the fit on these is important. I bought my first pair at a local bike shop where I could try them on, and bought the second pair from Amazon. They want to be tight so they don't move around. THere's another version with a looser covering short, recommended if you don't want the spandex look...

Great shorts but fabric is quite a bit thinner than previous Pearl Izumis I have owned but these were cheaper.

I'm an entry level road biker and I finally spend $75 on a pair of cycling shorts. My butt thanks me every time after a ride. The padding is great and they stay on fairly well. They will ride down a little bit if you tend to stand up for uphills. They have a draw string so that helps secure them. The quality of the material and stitch is pretty good. I recommend them.

My son rides 25-50 miles a day, and he asked for these shorts as a birthday gift. He said they were extremely comfortable, as a good pair of shorts can make a big difference in the ride.

These shorts are a wonderful value. Comfortable, non-restrictive, everything I was looking for in a bike short. I was concerned that the little rubber nubbins on the legs wouldn't do their job, they were so small and non-intrusive, but I have been proven wrong. These shorts are super comfortable!