Acre Traverse Shorts - Review
Acre, the mountain bike oriented offshoot of San Franciso-based Mission Workshop, may be best known for their line of hydration packs, but the company also manufactures a full line of mountain bike apparel that includes everything from jerseys to waterproof jackets, the vast majority of them made in the United States. The Traverse shorts are geared towards all-mountain riders, with a below the knee length and a V-shaped split at the lower cuff to make them knee pad compatible.
Not only are they sewn in the US, they're also constructed using an American made 4-way stretch nylon fabric that has a DWR coating to provide a bit of water resistance. Functional simplicity is the theme with these shorts, and the list of features is quite concise. There's a zippered pocket on the side of each leg, a zippered fly with a two snap closure, an integrated belt for fine tuning the fit, and that's about it – just the essentials and nothing more. Available in sizes 28, 30, 32, 33, 34, 36, the Traverse shorts retail for $165 USD. Weight: 230 grams (size 32). www.acre-supply.com
An aluminum buckle allows for easy one-handed adjustments.
The wide, built-in belt keeps the plumber's crack at bay.
A cutout on each leg helps the shorts fit over knee pads.
The zippered pockets on each side are oriented to keep items out of the way when pedaling.
Pinkbike’s Take:
 | After three solid months of use and abuse, including riding conditions that ranged from sun to mud, bushwacking through blackberry and nettle choked trails, clambering over logs and rocks, and plenty of swimming in lakes and creeks, the Traverse shorts are nearly as good as new, and I certainly wasn't easy on them. Somewhere along the line one stitch did manage to come loose on the lower hem of the left leg, but it hasn't gotten any worse despite hundreds of more riding miles and a few rounds in the washing machine. The fit is excellent, with a trim cut that kept the shorts from billowing around with every pedal stroke, and there's enough built in stretch that they never felt restrictive no matter what strange contortions I was doing on the bike. That little cut out on the outside cuff prevented the shorts from ever hanging up on lower profile knee pads, and the inseam length is just long enough to keep that thigh meat hidden when pedaling. Despite the fact that there aren't any vents, even when temperatures approached 90 degrees Fahrenheit they remained just as comfortable as shorts with mesh paneling. Are they expensive enough to make your eyes water? Yep. Are they better than that threadbare pair of Dickies you picked up for $2 from the Salvation Army? That depends. For a quick spin to the corner store, or a hot lap on the pump track, it doesn't really matter what you wear - shorts are shorts, right? It's on those longer adventures, when cotton doesn't cut it, that lightweight, quick drying and tough shorts make more sense, and where the Traverse shorts handily beat any thrift store offering. If I were gearing up for a multi-day journey, something like the Trans-Provence, the BC Bike Race, or a deep woods expedition of my own creation, I wouldn't hesitate to bring these along as my only shorts. The casual, low key styling means that you could walk into a coffee shop without attracting a second glance, but they're tough enough to hold up to whatever backcountry adventures you can find. - Mike Kazimer |
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TLD and everyone else with cheaper shorts are using CHEAP Asia/Pacific labor. For any softgood the least expensive part is the labor. I'm in the design industry and have seen and lived it all first hand.
There is one big design oversight in the Acre shorts I am surprised the reviewer didn't mention. The wide waist belt is 100% not breathable (it has some kind of plastic coating on the inside). So, you'll have a sweat band around your waist 100% of the time while wearing these shorts, which is fairly annoying when you're not exercising (for example, sitting down at lunch after a ride). Why have this awesome breathable Schoeller fabric and a plastic bag waist belt? It is not that big a deal when riding hard because you should be covered in sweat anyway. Maybe this seems like a minor complaint but I do expect near perfection from shorts that cost this much.
The shorts are still holding up remarkably well. There is some pilling on the butt area where it contacts my seat. Kind of expected after 350 rides. I was wearing them on a 50 mile trail race where I crashed and broke the seat off my bike in the first 10 miles. I rode 40 miles on the seat rails and had a couple of small mishaps with the pointy part of the rails, so I tore a small hole in the crotch of the shorts. The material really is ripstop - the hole hasn't gotten any bigger. I still continue to wear them since my inner bike shorts keep the boys safe and hidden.
My complaint about the waist band is pretty much not an issue any more. It turns out I get sweaty all over when I ride so a little extra sweat around the waist doesn't matter.
Great shorts. I will probably buy again for the next 5 years of riding.
Most people who wear bibs don't wear baggies.
If nothing else, they look waaay better that the TLD speeda print shorts. But then again, anything would.
www.moredeal.my/public/uploads/deal/0678sunstarswimmingfoam.jpg
I mean, you can get some pretty awesome shorts for less than $100, Troy Lee's entire line of shorts only has one model that breaks the $100 barrier. at MSRP. These should be comparing favorable with something like the Ruckus or the Skylines, the price difference is about right for USA production.