Reviews You Can Rely On

Club Ride Apparel Eden Review

These casually styled shorts have a short inseam and thoughtful tech features to seamlessly transition from riding to hanging out
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Club Ride Apparel Eden Review
Credit: Club Ride Apparel
Price:  $100 List
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Manufacturer:   Club Ride Apparel
By Laurel Hunter ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  May 31, 2018
68
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Fit and Comfort - 30% 8.0
  • Pedal Friendliness - 30% 7.0
  • Protection - 20% 4.0
  • Pockets - 10% 7.0
  • Style - 10% 8.0

Our Verdict

The Eden is an urban-inspired short with thoughtful technical features, including 4-way stretch material, internal velcro waist tabs, and a zippered pocket on the thigh. The flattering cut and cute style make them fun to wear. But they aren't the most functional for hard-charging days. All that style goes out the window when you have a 5-inch gap between your shorts and your kneepads. While our testers felt they were too short for big days, and sometimes they show the hem of our chamois, they're great for mellow rides on warm days. We'd grab these for a day of riding that heads straight to the bar or backyard bar-b-que.
REASONS TO BUY
Stretchy
Cute
Secure zip pocket
REASONS TO AVOID
Short inseam
Don't pair well with knee pads
Less leg coverage and protection

Our Analysis and Test Results

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.

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.

Performance Comparison


club ride apparel eden - this short is great for a short ride with the dogs.
This short is great for a short ride with the dogs.
Credit: Laurel Hunter

Fit and Comfort


The Club Ride Apparel Eden fits and looks like a casual 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 on hot days.

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 a 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.

club ride apparel eden - the zippered pocket on these shorts is big enough and stretchy...
The zippered pocket on these shorts is big enough and stretchy enough to hold your valuables while you ride.
Credit: Laurel Hunter

Pockets


The Eden has five pockets that mostly mimic your favorite pair of city shorts, with two hand pockets on the front 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 a smaller iPhone, and can easily accommodate your ID, a gel, or your keys. However, 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, though less practical.

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.

club ride apparel eden - these are fun but short! roll up your chamois legs, or face the...
These are fun but short! Roll up your chamois legs, or face the fashion police.
Credit: Laurel Hunter

Value


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 feels 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.

Laurel Hunter