Endura Hummvee Chino Short With Liner

Endura's Hummvee Chino shorts are a more tailored take on the traditional baggy. But it's not just about appearances: with a detachable padded liner and great in-the-saddle comfort, these shorts are equally classy when it comes to performance.

• Pros: Smart looks, nice and comfy in the saddle, very decent value
• Cons: Sizing comes up a bit small, poppered liner attachment is a bit annoying

These shorts are the smartest lower body option in Endura's respected Hummvee range and come in either navy blue or grey as tested. The Chinos sport a more tailored cut than other Hummvee shorts and are made from tough and slightly stretchy cotton fabric. They also come with a detachable liner featuring one of Endura's 300 series padded inserts.

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The liner is attached via a dozen mini-poppers, split into four sections around the shorts just underneath the waistband.

In theory, it should work a treat but it takes a gentle hand to get both the liner and main shorts on without instigating a 12-popper salute around your lower abdomen. Similarly, any flamboyant opening of the button closure and zip fly at a toilet stop can result in an unexpected mini-burst.

While I can understand the benefits of having a detachable padded liner – namely, that you can wash it separately and wear the shorts as just 'normal' shorts – I'm not sure where the value is in it being poppered. Without going too far into my own personal preferences, I quite like to hoick the padded section of any baggy shorts up to get a nice secure fitting, and that's tricky while the liner is so delicately attached to the main garment. Then, when it comes to tucking in your baselayer, that also has to go into the liner because the popper sections prevent it going between liner and shorts. Again, I'm not too keen on the old tucked-into-underpants aesthetic.

Finally in my small list of moans, I had some problems getting the right shorts to fit. That nice Mr Levi Strauss says I'm a 38 when I buy his jeans, but I needed an XXL pair of Hummvee Chinos, which Endura says are suitable for 39-41in waists. So don't fool or flatter yourself. Go for a size bigger than you think you need and there is waistband adjustment to bring them in if you overcompensate.

Smart aesthetics

Once you've got the right size, cursed the poppers and got the shorts around your tummy, all criticism is forgotten. That 'Chino' element of the name already gives the impression these aren't your run of the mill baggies. In fact, they are very nicely tailored and fitted, which might explain the slight sizing concerns. When the weather justifies it, you could whip out the liner (replace with pants – no commandoes here, thank you very much) and happily wear these in situations that demand a soupçon of sartorial sophistication.

One natural result of the smart looks is that there is a dearth of pockets, and you have to make do with just two hip pockets and two at the rear (one zipped, one buttoned). While the two rear pockets are pretty tiny, the hip pockets are very deep, so there's no fear of phones, change etc falling out.

Pedalling performance

Despite their good off-the-bike aesthetics, these shorts also perform superbly in the saddle. The padded liner finds the right position quite naturally and offers just enough cushioning and comfort. That in itself is a valuable little detail, because with shorts that look this smart, you don't really want to feel like you've got a nappy on underneath.

Although the tailored feel to the legs did initially have me wondering whether pedalling would suffer any feelings of restriction, nothing untoward transpired in the saddle. The cotton mix fabric does have an element of stretch to it, and it's more than enough to keep pedalling feeling natural.

Meanwhile, the waistband didn't cut into my stomach, nor did it slip down, so I had no need to use the belt loops, and coverage at the back is good.

Last consideration in terms of practicalities: it's worth noting that these shorts are definitely not waterproof and will soak up any rain.

Value and conclusion

One thing I perhaps haven't quite got across, despite my praise for the appearance of these shorts, is just how sturdy and tough they feel. They might be smart and relatively elegant cycling shorts, but they're not delicate. That stretchy cotton fabric feels ultra-robust and I would expect a pair of Hummvees to stand up to daily use for a long time.

> Buyer's Guide: The best casual cycling commuter wear

In fact, in many ways, they have very similar attributes to the Chrome Folsom Short 2.0 Dave tested back in May: they're smart, practical, durable and comfortable. The biggest difference is, at £59.99, they cost only half as much. Rapha also has a pair of Commuter Shorts at £60 and we tested these Sportful Giara Over Shorts, which are similarly priced at £65, but neither of those come with a padded liner.

So in almost every respect, Endura's Hummvee Chino shorts seem to have just a little lead on rival options. Make sure you get the right size from the off and you'll have very little else to worry about.

Verdict

Smart baggy shorts that offer great in-saddle comfort at a very good price