Cadence Collection 10-4 shorts review

Cadence Collection is the brainchild of Californian designer Dustin Klein. It makes small runs of technical cycling kit which have distinctive designs. Alongside its more technical clothing, Cadence also produces a range of more casual, lifestyle clothing, including bike specific jeans, hoodies and tee shirts.

Its 10-4 shorts follow the cycling-casual idiom. They’re made of a fabric which is 88% nylon and 12% lycra, so there’s masses of stretch built in. They are also water resistant, so a shower or road damp will just roll off them, which is a useful attribute in our changeable conditions.

Their bike-specific features continue with a double layer of fabric over the seat area. It’s not enough to protect you from a sharp saddle but does give a bit of extra wear resistance. It extends most of the way down the inside of the leg too, helping to prevent chafing. The seams along the inside edges of the legs and up the back of the shorts are flatlocked. This should also help with rubbing, although they end up quite pronounced due to the thickness of all those layers of fabric.

>>> Cadence socks review

The shorts come with four mesh pockets. These are a good size and well finished, although none of them zip or are buttoned, meaning that they may not be the best place to stash your valuables. Otherwise, there are belt loops and a small reflective tag in the rear waistband on the left side – so not the best position for UK roads.

Watch: Buyer's guide to Autumn and Spring clothing

Although there’s lots of stretch in the 10-4 shorts, I found that they came up very small and that the leg openings in particular were quite tight on me, so they were less comfortable to ride in than I had hoped. Cadence in the US recommends that you size up, which I would definitely endorse.

>>> Cadence Burst jersey review

So the Cadence 10-4 shorts are well made, should be comfortable for casual bike rides and will fend off some wet weather, if you choose the right size. They also come in brown and blue, if you don’t like the tan which we’ve tested.