Gore Element Urban Windstopper Soft Shell Pants

Gore's Element Urban Windstopper Soft Shell Pants are an interesting and practical set of casual commuting trousers. As windproof and waterproof as you would expect from Gore, with several practical, high-vis elements, they're very good – once you've found the right size.

Wearing Lycra doesn't suit every situation. Try walking into a proper London pub, going to a football match or going clubbing in bib shorts – you get strange looks. So having a set of trousers that can do most of what Lycra can but without the social stigma that the 'uninitiated' put on it is nice. Step forward the Element Urban Windstoppers.

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As you might suspect from the name, the trousers are designed to be both windproof and waterproof. Given that these are a Gore product, it's not surprising to hear that they excel in these areas. The rain beads against the material and the wind batters it but nothing gets through.

Smart casual

They also need to look like casual trousers, and to an extent they do. I normally wear black jeans, and it wasn't until I turned around that people could see the reflective elements and realised they weren't just another pair. The softshell material means they don't quite hang the same as regular jeans, but the chances of you getting strange looks because of them are slim.

The high-vis elements of the trousers are also very impressive: two large strips on the rear pockets, a relatively large logo on the back pocket and a band around the bottom on the right leg. This band on the right leg is exposed when you turn it up to keep it away from the chain, and held in place with a strap and two buttons. The system works well, but I would have liked to have it on both sides, for symmetry if nothing else.

Reinforcements

As well as being waterproof and practical, the trousers are also designed to be hardwearing, and one of the key areas for this is the reinforced seat area. Here there is extra durable material which covers roughly the same area as a regular bib short pad and extends about midway towards the knee. It is a nice touch that means the most vulnerable place for trousers when cycling is well protected, so they are likely to last for a long time.

There are other good practical touches too, which show that real thought has been put into the design. For instance, there is gripper on the inside of the waistband at the back to stop the trousers riding up or down, and on a belt loop on the outside to stop shirts moving too. There is also a loop for hanging a lock or keys, plus several pockets: two large rear, zippable pockets, two regular front pockets and a concealed pocked on the right.

Fit for purpose

The only problem I had was with fit: they come up really small. The medium that I initially received, which was meant to be my exact size, was far too small and even when I received a large pair they weren't as large as I would have thought. If you can, try these on before buying, or at least expect to go one or two sizes larger than you'd expect. That said, this is purely on the waist, I didn't feel restricted at all when pedalling, thanks to the stretchy and supple material.

> Check out our guide to the best winter cycling bib tights and trousers here

Overall, I really like these trousers. They provide good protection against the elements, look the part off the bike, and have all the features you would want when on it. They are likely to last a long time, and they include useful safety features with high-vis areas all over the place. Some might find the £149.99 RRP steep, but for this kind of quality I think they're worth it.

Verdict

Expensive, but for casual commuting trousers you can wear on and off the bike, a strong contender