Pearl Izumi Elite Versa shorts review

The Elite Versa shorts are light and stretchy, and they instantly make you think of long summer days and a haze of trail dust.

The shell is underpinned by a plushly padded and cool mesh liner, and it feels comfortable on – but try as we might, we couldn’t stop them bunching at the crotch.

This in turn made the leg shorten as we rode, and because they aren’t the longest shorts to start with, the effect was too much of a nod to hotpants – especially for this tall tester. We can’t help but feel it’s a question of fit though. A shorter rider who finds the rise suits them better might love the cut.

There’s plenty of pockets, which is useful. Thanks to their relatively light weight, they’re more of an option for warmer, less technical rides.