• Sugoi Gusto shorts
• £79
• Sugoi
• 00800 4321 3350

The splendidly-named Gusto shorts are Canadian outfitter Sugoi’s current top-end baggies. They’re shorts of two halves, with the included Ricaro 2 liner being separate from the outer shell. Indeed, you can buy the liner as a stand-alone item, although being of stretchy mesh construction you’ll probably not want to wear it on its own. It’s a great feature – you can wear the shell over any other Lycra shorts you happen to own which is handy on multi-day trips.

The outer shorts are Sugoi’s Pilot nylon. It’s a spot-on weight, being hefty enough to be durable but not so heavy that it’s like wearing a suit of armour. The front panels are ripstop fabric and the crotch panel is one piece, removing any snaggy baggy saddle catchy bits underneath. There’s a slightly stretchy panel at the back (complete with funky embossed logo) to aid the fit, which can be further tuned with the side waist pull tabs. The broad waistband makes them super-comfy and it’s slightly raised at the back – no builder’s bum here.

You don’t get cargo pockets but then we find those really annoying as soon as you put anything in them anyway. There are Velcroed pockets on the back and regular pouch pockets in the front that are just the job for stuffing gloves in when you stop. A zippered pocket for cake money would be nice but we can live without it. There are zips on the front but they don’t lead to pockets – they’re vent zips with a mesh gusset behind, a neat touch for hot days.

Construction is top-notch, as we’ve come to expect from Sugoi. We’ve been wearing this pair regularly for a few months (yes, it’s been winter, we’ve been wearing them over tights – sorry, style police…) and they’re as good as new. The only thing we don’t like about them is the enormous price tag. Yes, you’re kind of getting two pairs of shorts (the Ricaro liner is £29 on its own) but it’s still a lot of cash. If such things are important to you, it’s worth noting that Sugoi stuff is made in Canada and not farmed out anywhere else…

Positives: Comfortable, stylish, durable
Negatives: Expensive

These are the best baggies we’ve ridden to date, although for the money, so they ought to be. There are several shorts out there that aren’t quite as good but aren’t far off and are substantially cheaper. Still, only you know how much money you’ve got…

Performance: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Overall: 4/5