Desoto Forza tri shorts - review

I've been looking for some new tri shorts. My Zoots are about dead. I'd read that a lot of people liked the Desoto's but I was skeptical. Well, I found a sale, so I ordered a pair of their Forza shorts.

On their sizing chart I took a medium. Usually I take a large. I ordered the medium, but had to send it back for a large. Once I got the proper size, I was IN LOVE.

The material is medium stretchy: less than regular lycra but more than some of the other compression shorts (Terry Bella and others). The Forza material is very breathable. The pad is a minimalist's dream. It's a thin layer of a soft, close woven fleece. It's fairly wide in back and doesn't extend down onto the thighs at all. There's a small pocket on the back of the shorts for gels, an Ipod or whatever.

My first outing in them was a 44 mile ride. Potentially I was asking for trouble, but it turned out OK. I was completely comfortable the entire ride. It didn't matter whether I was in the upright or aero position, the shorts never rubbed or created hot spots. I never felt overheated.

I haven't tried it yet but I think these shorts would be easy to run in, too, for the tri-geeks in the crowd.

I highly recommend these shorts for triathletes or anyone who likes a smaller pad in their biking shorts.