Price: £30

From: Ground Effect

We’ve had these about 6 weeks, which means they’ve done over a dozen rides and rinses through the washing machine by now. Plenty of crashes, thorns, grit, filth, silt, wind, far far more rain than necessary, and even a bit of snow that caught us by surprise. They’re still looking as fresh as they did when they came out of the airmail package and the even the trademark emergency puncture patch is still there.

Ground Effect are a bunch of mountain bikers in New Zealand who started making really well designed no-nonsense gear that answered their own needs – very like Parrot clothing over here. The fact that they Keep away from big brand name fabrics and sell directly over the web also means their prices are really good, and items typically arrive within a few days of ordering.

The Montezumas are 3/4 length shorts (or knickers as the yanks have it). The main fabric is a mid-weight lycra which gives a leg-hugging fit, with plenty of stretch for summer shorts style mobility. A broad waist band and separate broad-leg cuff panels keep them in place at either end without pinching.

The cunning touch that makes them wearable even in January, are the U-shaped knee panels backed with proper fluffy fleece on the inside. Another neat touch is the pouch pocket in the inside back panel, which is handy for keys or a bit of café cash.

The fact we’ve ridden them over a dozen times already despite a wardrobe of old favourites on standby tells you something. Despite being thinner than the Endura equivalent which is our 3/4 benchmark, the knee panels really do work wonders with keeping the breeze off your knobblies. The stretchy fabric also means that even where they bunch up slightly (around back and sides of knee) they never rub, unlike other knickers we’ve tested.

The high and broad waistband keeps the back cosy (though obviously not as well as a bib back) and the fabric dries quickly, making them less chilly in showery weather and meaning they’re ready to ride sooner after washing.

The seamless pad was comfortably un-noticeable even on long gritty rides, which is always a good sign.

These are another really well designed, versatile product from Ground Effect. We’ve worn them in icy, snowy weather without worry, and they’ll probably take us along way through spring and early summer too. Judging from previous GE gear we’ve had, they’ll still be looking fresh as a daisy then.

This kind of performance at this kind of price makes these a definite highly recommended addition to your spring cycling collection.To get the most value from your delivery charges check out the rest of the excellent antipodean articles here.