Ion Avid Shorts - Review
Pinkbike Product Picks
![Pinkbike Product Picks 2014]()
Ion Avid Shorts
Ion's Avid shorts are a translation of their surf heritage into a mountain bike short. They are made of a four-way flex material with a double-weave construction that helps the fabric to repel water and mud without sacrificing breathability. As such, Ion Avid shorts are both lightweight and flexible and, in the spirit of the basic board short, they close with a laces, rather than a technical fastener. There is a large hook-and-loop adjustment band on either side of the waist to help you get the fit dialled in, and at the back there is a panel just below the waistline that Ion treats with a sanitized biocidal formula to prevent bacteria growth where your shorts get sweatiest. The seams are laser cut for precision and then glued to give a smoother finish - a construction technique that is gaining traction in high-end mountain bike clothing. On the front, there is a zip pocket on either side and, in the right-hand pocket, there is a built-in neoprene phone liner. MSRP: €139.00 (Ion is not available in the US yet)
Ion Products
![n a]()
Pinkbike's Take:
Ion Avid Shorts
Ion's Avid shorts are a translation of their surf heritage into a mountain bike short. They are made of a four-way flex material with a double-weave construction that helps the fabric to repel water and mud without sacrificing breathability. As such, Ion Avid shorts are both lightweight and flexible and, in the spirit of the basic board short, they close with a laces, rather than a technical fastener. There is a large hook-and-loop adjustment band on either side of the waist to help you get the fit dialled in, and at the back there is a panel just below the waistline that Ion treats with a sanitized biocidal formula to prevent bacteria growth where your shorts get sweatiest. The seams are laser cut for precision and then glued to give a smoother finish - a construction technique that is gaining traction in high-end mountain bike clothing. On the front, there is a zip pocket on either side and, in the right-hand pocket, there is a built-in neoprene phone liner. MSRP: €139.00 (Ion is not available in the US yet)
Ion Products
We suspect it is a love/hate thing with Ion's swim-influenced styling and bright graphics. We liked the wide, adjustable waistband and the padded cell phone pocket. No arguments about how well-made Ion's Avid shorts are.
Pinkbike's Take:
 | Like the Ion Bike Tee we tested recently, the Avid shorts are wonderfully produced. The material feels great to the touch and, looking inside, the stitching is top quality. We also love the way Ion pays attention to the details. The hip adjusters are some of the nicest we have used on any short and the neoprene phone pocket is wonderful idea for a smart phone. Maybe it is us being stuck in our ways, but we never felt comfortable with the lace fastener on the waist. And then there is the bold and colorful styling, which is a love/hate thing, and we didn't fall on the love side. We can't imagine anybody outside Germany going for Ion's colour combination. More practically, we wished that the Avid short was a bit longer and there is something about the ventilation holes in the crotch that just didn't feel right. If Ion made a pair of Avids in black with a snap fastener at the waist and an inch longer in the leg, they would be some of the nicest bike shorts we have seen. We cannot overstate how much we appreciate the quality and attention to detail, but considering our acute chromophobia, we'll be saving these shorts for the beach, not the bike. - Matt Wragg |
Author Info:
Member since Oct 29, 2006
Must Read This Week
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup
These shorts are epic dig to the the zero speed of innovations from Fox, Alpinestars, O'Neal and so on.
Look at italian enduro scene, there ION has arrived and you will see that bike clothing changed dramatically on local (non-pro) riders and it is for a reason. ION is already more popular there than every other brand. Why? You should touch it to understand.
@Matt Wragg maybe you are right... iam german an i do like the look of these shorts!
what is wrong with these colours??
i would wear them with pride
What is my point? There is no way a bike shorts worth 139 euro. For that price they must lasts for ever, which is not the case, cause I don't see "lifetime warranty" tag on them, but that doesn't matter cause nobody wants to ride same shorts for the whole life.
They come in black
troy lee sprint shorts is also to much an they cost 99 €