Luna's Moon Buggy short was designed by World Cup downhill winner and Luna pro rider Marla Streb, but its audience will likely be far more recreational in nature. And that's not a bad thing. For casual rides or for people who don't like the form-fitting nature of Lycra, this two-piece short has its place.
The shell is made of Vita Casuale, one of Luna's eco-friendly fabrics: 50 percent recycled polyester, 50 percent polyester weave. As with other Luna efforts to use recycled fibres, the result is a surprisingly soft and luxurious fabric.
Assembled with contrast stitching, antique-style snaps and reflective piping across the rear, the final construction strikes a balance between easy-going style and utility. The result is more a board-short appearance than a cycling-specific one.
Two standard hip pockets and one flap-covered cargo pocket provide places to stow keys and wallet while running errands or cruising around town; for true mountain biking, the hip pockets are best left empty for comfort reasons.
The shell offers a trim fit without excess space in the leg openings. A wide, non-elastic waistband can be fine-tuned with two D-ring cinch straps located above the hipbones. The waistline is level front to back, which is fine for casual rides. But when worn on true mountain bike rides, where the rider is frequently shifting her weight, the shorts ride down at the back, even with the cinch straps tight. This then causes the waistband to dig into the rider's stomach.
At 7in, the inseam is shorter than many mountain-bike-specific baggy shorts and the Moon Buggy gets even shorter while pedalling. However, it doesn't hike up to the point of chafing between saddle and legs. Unlike male riders, women have widely diverging opinions on inseam length, so this short is aiming for the middle ground.
The second piece of the ensemble, the removable cycling brief, is surprisingly appealing. At first glance, its boy-short cut may seem inappropriate for cycling, but the high leg bands don't chafe anywhere, even with aggressive riding. The super-soft fabric breathes well and gently clings to the body rather than encasing it.
The brief is fitted with Marla's Moto Pad, a chamois that offers excellent comfort for a short at this price. The pad is thickest under the sit bones but tapers off gradually, preventing the sensation of wearing a nappy.
The inner brief attaches to the short shell through an elastic-loop-and-button system, which allows the outer garment to shift without pulling on the inner short. This two-piece configuration also provides versatility; the shell can be worn alone off the bike, or the chamois brief can be paired with other riding shorts.
In all, this garment offers many nice features for the casual rider, including a chamois that's more than a token slice of padding, but it's not one for all-day off-road riding.