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Summer’s here and, for me at least in sunny Gibraltar, shorts are now a daily necessity.
Personally, I’m not usually a huge fan of ¾ length shorts; I feel they run just a little too far down your shin and, in doing so, offer a relatively unflattering fit. However, I decided to give Muxu’s Tempest ¾ Shorts a test run due to their rather fetching design and of course to test out some of the cycling functionality of these attractive keks.
Muxu have always appealed to us here at The Discerning Cyclist, with us both sharing a very similar ideology to cycling and clothing. A quick look at the Muxu website tells you all you need to know: “Taking the cyclist seamlessly through the day, Muxu apparel blurs the boundary between what you wear on and off the bike. From a light commute, a game of bike polo, to 100km messenger days, your Muxu is designed to look and feel amazing, whilst also functioning without compromise.” As you can see, we align very well with our own ‘Not cycling clothes – stylish clothes you can cycle in’ ethos. Based in Barcelona with manufacturing sorted in Portugal, Muxu draws a lot of inspiration for its designs from its cultural urban surroundings.
Once I got to grip with the shorts, I quickly got a feel for the almost spongy quality to the material. Early on you know that these shorts will be able to cope with whatever imaginative shapes you want to make in them.
These shorts have five pockets, two standard rear-zipped pockets, two front pockets with a high cut so that your phone/keys/wallet/life doesn’t fall out unnecessarily and also one extra rear pocket on top of one of the zipped pockets.
The waistline offers a loose, elasticated fit, which is good for when you are cycling or having a large meal, but not so ideal when you start walking around – making wearing a belt with these shorts essential.
Made from ‘Swiss Klinger Fabric’ (sounds fancy), these Muxu shorts offer good resistance to water, with most droplets pretty much bouncing straight off; however ‘water repellent’ shouldn’t be confused with ‘water proof’ – so don’t plan on going swimming in these and expecting to come out dry.
Another handy feature of these shorts is the two button waistband. Now this helps to take the strain away from the main middle button – which is great – but on a personal level I’ve found that if you forget you have double buttoned-up, you may cause yourself into a bit of a stir when you head to the toilet. Just remember to stay calm if you think you’re trapped in your shorts.
These slim fit shorts cling well to your legs without providing a ‘skinny’ fit or look, and the seamless crotch is also ideal for cyclists.
Overall, these shorts do the job very well. Comfortable on and off the bike, the Muxu Tempest Shorts look and feel good and are a commendable casual summer short. On the downside, the hefty price of £85 may put some people off, but the comfort offered and the seemingly sound structural integrity of these shorts have shown no signs of wear thus far and so should last for a very good period.
Fit: 7/10
Function: 10/10
Style: 8/10
Value for Money: 6/10
Quality: 9/10
Overall: 40/50
