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Decathlon’s entry into performance cycling has seen it launch an impressive array of bikes and the kit to go along with them under its Van Rysel brand.
Although the headlines have focused on its race equipment, Van Rysel also has endurance-oriented and gravel ranges, with its EDR kit aimed at endurance road rides.
The EDR Ultra shorts are claimed to be good for rides of up to seven hours. They’re well-finished, with classy details including silver lettering for the logos on the legs.
To cater for long rides, they come with extra carrying capacity, thanks to cargo pockets in the legs and a large rear pocket in the bibs. They’re well-priced at £99.99 / €119.99, undercutting cargo bib shorts from the longer-established brands such as Castelli and Rapha, which we tested alongside these.
The shorts have a comfortable fit that’s a little less compressive than many of the other cargo bib shorts reviewed.
The leg opening is hemless and a continuation of the leg fabric around the inner two-thirds of its circumference. There are no silicone dots to keep the legs in place, but I nevertheless found they stayed put well when riding.
Unlike rival bib shorts, the leg seam is displaced from the midline of the inside leg, so it’s less likely to rub on the saddle and cause irritation on longer trips.
The whole of the rear of the bibs is made of two layers of mesh fabric, with a massive rear pocket between them.
There’d be enough space for a packable waterproof jacket, although anything too bulky might interfere with jersey pockets. The design also makes for easy access due to the large openings on each of the pocket’s sides.
Further up, the rear of the bibs comprises wide, hemless straps that extend over the shoulders. These stretch lengthways but not sideways, to ensure they stay flat. There’s one point at which both straps are sewn to the rear yoke, overlapping each other.
At the front, the straps each have two points of attachment to the waistband, which comprises a doubled-over layer of fabric, so there’s no top hem seam. The bibs are comfortable, with the wide straps not prone to bunching. Their double points of contact at the front do a good job of holding up the comfortably stretchy waistband.
Van Rysel fits an endurance-oriented seat pad from Elastic Interface, a well-regarded Italian brand that makes pads for many high-end shorts.
The pad feels a little softer than those in other cargo bib shorts reviewed. That’s fine for road use, but means there’s slightly less cushioning when hammering over bumpy bridleways on a gravel bike. In fairness to Van Rysel, it aims the shorts at road endurance rather than gravel use.
Being made of mesh, Van Rysel’s cargo pockets ensure there’s good airflow when you’re not using them, avoiding the extra bulk and warmth of the more typical fabric pockets. They were deep enough to swallow my ride pack, with the elastic top hem looping over it to hold it in place well.
How we tested | Bib shorts
I rode a mix of road and gravel rides in each pair of shorts. My gravel rides usually take longer in the saddle and the uneven surface is a good test of the cushioning provided by the seat pad.
On road rides, on the other hand, I was holding a more static position for longer, so these were more likely to highlight chafing and fit problems.
In both cases, I kept food and a ride pack that I’d usually put in a jersey pocket in the leg cargo pockets to judge how effective they were.
Shorts tested
- Castelli Unlimited 2 Cargo
- Gobik Grit 3.0
- Rapha Brevet Element
- Sportful Supergiara 2
- Van Rysel EDR Ultra
Van Rysel Endurance Ultra shorts bottom line
The Van Rysel Endurance Ultra shorts are well made and have a comfortable fit, but the seat pad feels better suited to road use than gravel.
As usual for Van Rysel, they’re well priced too.
Product
| Brand | Vanrysel |
| Price | €119.99, £99.99 |
Features
| Gender | mens |
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