Praised for being cute and "feminine," the Eden is a stylish short with street cred made with lightweight, 4-way stretch material to move with you on the bike. These shorts are perfect for short rides on warm days, and for rides that end at the pub, concert in the park, or beach party.
Performance Comparison
The Eden mountain bike short is great for a short ride with the dogs.
Fit and Comfort
The Club Ride Apparel Eden fits and looks like an urban short, with some clever technical features to make them work on the trail. The waist adjusts with internal velcro tabs on an elastic band, which minimizes material on the waistline. These tabs are effective for sizing and stayed in place for all of us, but are not easy to adjust on the trail. The profile on the waistline remained flattering, even when they were cinched all the way down.
The fabric has excellent stretch to accommodate aggressive pedaling and is quite breathable. The relatively short inseam also helped to keep us cool.
Protection
The fabric on the Eden is very lightweight, which doesn't inspire confidence. The short 7-inch inseam length did not satisfy our desire for protection on the trail either. Our testers feared UV rays and aggressive branches on the trail, and none were willing to hit the jumps in these shorts. With a gap of 5 or 6 inches between shorts and kneepads, only the most fashion indifferent person would be willing to rock kneepads while wearing the Eden. Pick these shorts if you are heading out for short ride on a mellow trail.
Pedal Friendliness
The Eden has a casual cut and very stretchy 4-way fabric to make them comfortable for pedaling. The stretch, as well as a high-backed waist panel, allowed for satisfactory coverage on the lower back. The gusseted crotch ensured that they did not catch on our seats on steep descents. Testers noted that they had to fold up the cuffs of their chamois to keep it from showing while riding or be willing to face the fashion police. The shorts did tend to creep up a bit while riding, making the short length even shorter.
The flip side of not being super protective is that the fabric is lightweight and breathable, which testers agreed made for a pretty comfortable ride on a hot afternoon.
The zippered pocket on the Eden is big enough and stretchy enough to hold your valuables while you ride.
Pockets
The Eden has five pockets that mostly mimic your favorite pair of city shorts, with two front pockets on the waist and two patch pockets on the rear. While the front and back pockets are functional off the bike, our favorite was the zippered pocket that lives on the outside of the left hip. It is just big enough to hold an iPhone 8, and can easily accommodate your ID, a gel, or your keys. Three cheers for zippered hip pockets! We did notice when we had a phone in the pocket that the leg material crept up over the pocket, leaving the pocket, and phone, partially exposed below the hem.
Style
The Eden is downright adorable! Of all the shorts we tested, these are the most stealthy off the trail. You don't feel like you're a walking mountain biking advertisement. The material is lightweight, the pockets are cut to mimic your summer shorts, and the minty color kept everything playful. Did we mention there are belt loops? They are also the shortest shorts that we tested, which some testers found to be more feminine.
The functional details on the Eden, such as the zippered pocket on the hip and the waist adjusters inside the waistline, keep the overall look more city than trail.
Best Applications
The Club Ride Apparel Eden is a stylish short that we like for quick rides in pleasant weather. We wouldn't wear these on an all-day adventure, or on any ride with significant technical difficulty, but for a short post-work loop or laps with the pooch, these are a sweet choice. Just remember short inseam, short ride.
The Eden is fun but short! Roll up your chamois legs, or face the fashion police.
To stay stylish while getting more protection from a longer inseam, take a look at the uber-flattering Yeti Avery.
Value
For 100 bucks, the Club Ride Eden is on the high end of shorts we tested. If looking cute on the bike is your main concern, however, you may think it's worth it. They are well-made, stretchy, and cool, but the shorter length felt limiting to us.
Conclusion
The Eden will truly go from trail to pub flawlessly. The shorts are stretchy, comfortable, and sport thoughtful details. If you have room for several pairs of shorts, pick these for after-work rides that end in beers.
