My first gear review had to be my Velovixen (company based in Oxford, UK) padded shorts because I can’t let another day go by without telling other female cycle tourists TO NEVER BUY THIS PRODUCT.
Cycle tourers really should have at least 2 pairs of padded shorts with them and as space was limited I wanted to find a compact, comfy and hard wearing pair to complement my longer B-Twin shorts.
After reading a comparison review which led me to the VeloVixen site I decided that this was a garment which deserved some investment, so I duly dished out the cash (£45!!!!!!).
All I can say is, whoever wrote that comparison review, had either been paid a nice ‘Christmas bonus’ or had done no more than sat on their sofa for 10 minutes wearing these shorts drinking a cup of tea. Because as far as I’m concerned, no cyclist in their right mind would wear these things on a bike!
VeloVixen describe their product as the following however:
The Holy Grail!, for medium/long rides, with exceptional quality
That ‘high quality’ they mention; stitching which is already coming loose (and the shorts have spent most of their time stuffed at the bottom of my ortlieb), padding which pokes out into your groin and material which doesn’t breath.
The main problem with these ‘briefs’ though is that they are fundamentally flawed in terms of their design. Cycling shorts should aim to reduce chafing but the seams on these just dig into your groin creating angry red lines and chaffing on your behind area. The back of the shorts also pulls down to show more than you’d like while on the bike. And yes, I did follow the size guidelines correctly.
In the interest of being fair, I have approved Velovixen’s response to this blog below but, having tested this product for five weeks, I’m afraid I will continue to tell other cycle tourers to spend their precious travel savings on another product.
COMPLETE TANDEMONIUM 
Just by way of response… Your opinions are entirely fair, and far be it from us to say you are wrong – we can only apologise for your ordeal. However, I think it’s only right to give our side of the story.
Urbanist’s cycling pants have been, by some distance, VeloVixen’s most popular product of the last 18 months. We have been somewhat taken aback ourselves by just how well they have been received and how many people – both commuters and touring cyclists riding substantially longer distances than those recommended but Urbanist – have come back to buy more.
It’s true to say that a couple of people have encountered similar problems to what you’ve found, but hand on heart we can count those comfortably on the fingers of one hand, with many hundreds of other customers very happy with them.
We were initially attracted to them by the quality of their finish and – most importantly – the top quality chamois, which comes from the same factory as many more expensive, technical cycling shorts. That, to us and to may people who’ve decided to invest in them, accounts for what we feel is a very fair price. They are also made by a small business which we always find attractive.
We entirely respect your opinion, and clearly you are a seasoned cyclist. We are sorry they have made you so cross. But it feels just a little extreme to tell others to NEVER BUY THIS PRODUCT, and it’s important to point out that yours is an unusual case, in our relatively extensive experience of how people find them.
Meanwhile, what an amazing trip you are on – we are very envious, and full of nostalgia for the year long ride we did in 2010 which led to us getting married and launching VeloVixen. All the very best for the rest of your trip, and we hope it’s more comfortable in other clothes.
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