Fly Racing Warpath Short - Review
Fly Racing Warpath Short
Fly Racing is still best known for their line of moto apparel and helmets, but their mountain bike line continues to grow, and now includes a full range of protective gear and clothing, everything from neck braces and helmets to shoes to shorts. The Warpath is aimed at the all-mountain or trail rider, with a relaxed, below the knee fit. There's a zippered vent on the front of each leg, and a mesh panel that runs along the back of each leg to keep things cool should the temperatures start to climb. Large zippered hip pockets are located on each side of the Warpath, along with a smaller pocket on the left side intended for a cell phone or keys. A velcro strap is also in place on the left side to fine tune the fit of the shorts. An inner chamois is included, and can be detached by snipping the two small pieces of fabric that hold it in place. The shorts are available in the black / high viz color shown and in a black / grey option in even sizes 28-38. MSRP: $109.99 USD. www.flyracing.com
Flourescent zippers help make the Warpath stand out, and the venting helps keep things cool when the temperatures climb. The fit adjustment would work better if it were relocated to the other side of the shorts.
Pinkbike's Take:
 | The flourescent highlights of the Warpath, seemingly inspired by rave apparel from the early 2000s, certainly make these shorts stand out, which will be a plus for some riders, but those who prefer a more subdued color pallette will want to steer towards the black and grey option. As far as fit goes, the cuff of the shorts fell just below my knee, and the crotch is high enough that the shorts never hung up on the saddle. There's also enough room to allow them to sit over most knee pads without interfering with pedaling. It's been a hot summer here in the Pacific Northwest, giving me plenty of chance to try out the Warpath's ventilation while melting under the blazing sun. The front zippers do help to channel more air in and around the legs, and the large zipper pulls are easy to reach and operate while pedaling, although the inner mesh material can get jammed up in the zipper if you're not careful. It's typically hit or miss when a company includes an inner chamois liner with their shorts, and there are plenty of them out there that make it feel like you're wearing a diaper made from cardboard, but I was pleasantly surprised by the comfort of the liner short included with the Warpath. Of course, the fit of a chamois is about as personal as it gets, but I didn't have any issues or complaints about this one. One area that could use some refinement is the velcro waist adjustment. It's currently located on the left side, just above the zippered cell phone pocket. When the strap is cinched down to adjust the fit of the shorts, it causes the fabric around the cell phone pocket to bunch up and bulge out. It's not noticeable when riding, but the look of the shorts would be improved if this was altered, or if the adjustment were moved to the other side of the shorts. So far there haven't been any blown seams or tears, and the fabric has resisted abrasion well, even after a long ride through miles of extra gritty mud. The Warpath does needs some fine tuning to truly be a top tier product, but that shouldn't knock it entirely out of contention as a viable option for a do-it-all riding short. - Mike Kazimer |
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Have you seen every bike and bit of apparel in the last 3 years?
You know what would stand out?
Brown.
P.S: Arabs who lives in the desert wear white not to attract sun, I am currently living in Medellin/Colombia and its the Equodor line passes right on this city and that means sun rays are the strongest where I live and remember The sun is also stronger at higher altitudes (Medellin sits at an elevation of about 5,000 feet.). I am a living proof that your theory is garbage, I bike 3 times a week and I never ever get sunburn under my chothing. If we will be under the sun for a long time we just use 30 suncream (protection). People here work on the fields under the sun all day and no one is getting burned to the bone through their shorts and tshirts.
Its like me commenting on a MTB jersey saying its not good because I cannot wear that in antartica in the winter and that I will freeze to death
Only downside I see to white is it gets a bit ugly when covered in mud. Another color seems a better choice. What color do personally wear ideally ?
P.S. By the way, black is not a problem here in switzerland. We got the worst summer in 50 years this year…
Fly would've done better by pricing them about $30 less.
That's how they got a foot-hold in the MX market, but they apparently forgot.