Although the Deflect H20 waterproof shorts from Specialized aren’t cheap, they manage to tick just about all the necessary boxes to help justify the price tag.
There’s enough length in the legs that they sit right over the knees and cover most of your knee pads. If you’re not wearing pads, the leg openings have Velcro tabs so you can cinch them up that bit snugger.
The fit around the waist is easy to tailor thanks to two large Velcro pull tabs. The two waterproof zipped pockets are big enough for the essentials but small enough to keep the contents from flapping around when pedalling, making them dead useful on the trail.
When it’s really hammering down, the Deflects do a solid job of keeping the filth out. They’re quite baggy but the fit around the waist is secure enough to ensure they don’t sag down when caked in mud. On warmer days the reinforced seat does get clammy quite quickly though.
