Do you have a piece of gear you always grab right out of the wash? For me that is the Sportiva Medal shorts. I am not sure why it has taken me so long to publish a review of the La Sportiva Medal shorts, I have had them for years and wear them all the time. They are a perfect multi-sport short.
You may be asking “what makes them so great?” I’m here to tell you. They are ultra light weight while not sacrificing durability. They also have built in stretch that is perfect for hiking on technical terrain, and a favorite feature is the built in liner.
They are the perfect length, not going below the knee and not looking like 1980s runner fashion.
When riding they stretch with you and do not get caught up no matter how tech the terrain is. Another similar short is the Patagonia Men’s Baggie, but they fall short(see what I did there?) because they have no stretch and it has a “briefs” style liner which causes friction on a bike.
I said multi-sport and I meant it. If you happen to find a good swimming hole on your adventure, jump in. These dry super quick and won’t leave you soggy for the rest of your day.
Most mountain bike shorts are really long, almost knickers and for some inexplicable reason are made of super heavy material. If I make a mistake and grab one of my baggie MTB shorts and go for a ride when it is warm out I am constantly getting annoyed with how they get caught on my knees and how hot they are. These Sportiva Medal shorts are so light you don’t even notice them.
I usually do not include a pic from the manufcturer, but here is a picture from La Sportiva’s page showing the elastic waist band. I am not a shorts model, clearly from this post I do not know how to take shorts pics. But The wide 2″ waist band means no bunching and you can wear them under a backpack with no rubbing.
If you need a pair of shorts that can be used for all your adventures get the La Sportiva Medal short.
La Sportiva says: https://www.sportiva.com/medal-short.html
Internal waist regulation
• Comfortable inner brief
• Reflective details
• 1 rear zipper pocket
• Gusseted crotch
• 8″ inseam length