Van Rysel Women’s Cycling Shorts RC500 - Black/Mint

Tell us what the product is for

Decathlon says: "These women's cycling shorts have been developed by our design team for regular cycling on rides of up to 2 hours.

"The new, two-way stretch pad keeps you as comfy as possible thanks to its dense yet spongy foam.The zigzag stitching provides even more elasticity."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

From Decathlon:

Our new women's pad keeps you comfortable under both your sit bones and your pubic bones. The padding is relatively narrow between the legs and is attached using zigzag stitching so that it won't rub or cause irritation as you pedal. The foam is spongy, with a density of 100 kg/m3 and a thickness of 13 mm. It also stretches in two directions, meaning it'll fit any cyclist's physique.

Product benefits:

New built-in foam pad for guaranteed comfort and freedom of movement.

Elasticated waist at the rear to support the tummy comfortably.

Product that has reduced its impact by 10% thanks to eco-design measures.

The polyester/elastane fabric follows your movements.

Breathable and technical material actively wicks away perspiration.

Soft fabric, but flatlocked seams would have improved the construction and comfort.

These performed well throughout the recommended two-hour ride window, even on hot days.

No snags or sags so far.

The waistband is half-elasticated with the elastic at the back, which is a good compromise between comfort and fit.

I'm a street size 18 and the XL fitted closely but without additional compression – I'd have sized up to a 2XL if they were available at the point of testing. Sizes XS to 2XL are available (approximately size 4-6 through to size 18) – note that the size/street size equivalents are different for tops and bottoms within this range, though.

Lightweight summer wear.

They do well in the 'second-skin' stakes and the pad was unobtrusive yet supportive.

Cheap without feeling cheap to wear.

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

Easy to wash and fast to dry, so could be used the next day with ease.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

The shorts performed well for short (up to two-hour) summer rides.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

I liked the unobtrusive colour matching to the tops in the same range, and the comfort of the waist and leg bands.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

I would have preferred flat seams for extended comfort.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

The Van Rysels at £24.99 are among the cheapest of the shorts we have tested recently. Decathlon does offer £19.99 shorts which didn't float Emma's boat, and though the Van Rysels don't boast the same amount of features as the Endura Xtract Lites, those are more than double the price at £59.99.

Use this box to explain your overall score

A nice piece of budget kit which, while not having a vast array of technical features, does what it says on the tin and provides a comfortable summer ride.