Review: Royal Racing Matrix Shorts

The Matrix shorts from Royal Racing had been one of their best sellers from back in 2011/2012 and that was for very good reason. If you make a good quality and reasonably priced trail short with inoffensive styling it will appeal to the masses.

We’ve had the 2013 incarnation of the Matrix short installed on our legs while trail riding for the last month or 2 so here’s what we think…

First Impressions.

It’s probably down to the photos that we had seen online before the Matrix’s arrival, but I was surprised to see what we thought were going to plain blue shorts actually made up of thin vertical pinstripes. It’s not a bad thing and I actually quite liked how the one block colour was broken up as you came a little closer.

We were also pleasantly surprised with the quality of the included chamois that should definitely take the sting out of your saddle on the longer rides without making it feel like you have had an accident in your pants before you begin your ride walking around the car park.

A really comfy fit is accomplished with the large elasticated panel at the back just below the waistband. It’s also great to see a velcro adjustable waistband so you can dial the size in as required. If that’s not enough Royal have even had the foresight to add some additional belt loops! It’s great to see that they have gone to such great lengths to ensure a good fitting and comfy short even at the lower end of the range.

There are 5 pockets that are both deep and a mix of open and zipped to make sure you don’t lose your payload when things get a bit on the bumpy side. It's great to see pockets with wide openings to ensure easy access even with gloves on.

Royal claim that the Matrix shorts are in their Enduro/Trail fit which is a fancy way of saying they will work both with and without knee pads. I wear kneepads almost every single time I step on a bike and I am pleased to report that the shorts work really well with pads. Even my 661 Rage’s that are on the buliker side of the market.

Second Impressions.

The Matrix shorts are constructed from a Sublimated micro fibre polyester fabric. This means they are very lightweight and breathable which is something that we definitely look for as a standard in a bonafide trail short as to keep up with so many of the other competitors in the market.

Royal Racing have obviously spent some time at the sewing machine and worked out which points of the stitching on the short undergo increased forces and in an attempt to stop ripping or failure have added some extra stitching known as bar tacking. This can be see on the fly, waistband and the corners of the pocket which will definitely come into play next time you go to squeeze that 25 function multi tool in your pocket and ride off without thinking about it.

The Zips on the pockets have neat little pockets to keep the zipper heads underneath and stop the rattling. Don’t go thinking this kind of thing will make or break a review on a piece of clothing or any bike product as it goes but its more the “leave no stone unturned” mindset from Royal that we love.

These last 2 examples of technology in the short are definitely signs that you can tell the mindset when it came to designing the new incarnation of the Matrix. “We had a good pair of shorts so what small changes can we make to take them up a notch.” It’s a classic example of British Cyclings performance director, Dave Brailsford‘s theory on the aggregation of marginal gains. If we repair lots of the small issues people have, It will add up to a big change.

It’s a tell tale sign of a brand that have put large amounts of time and effort into development and in the long run will end up with a vastly better line of products.

The Ride.

I have tried the Matrix shorts both with and without the chamois and unsurprisingly I did find them more comfortable with the chamois in situe. This for me is a bit of a novelty as normally they don’t sit well with my anatomy and the legs tend to rise up my thighs and if anything cause more uncomfort. Royal have put a stop to this by putting some silicon strips on the leg opening to make sure they grip on your thighs.

My only complaint I have about the shorts is the annoying squeaking sound that sometimes occurs when wet polyester in the crotch area grips on the leather of your saddle. If I'm honest that’s not even a genuine complaint.

They fit in with all the current trends in mountain bike trail clothing so I wouldn't be worried about being seen in them at the local trail centre and when you get home they will wash up a treat and dry pretty quickly aswell!

Conclusion.

I have really enjoyed my time so far that I have been using the Matrix shorts and if I'm heading out on the bike they are always top of the short pile when  the time comes to grab some kit. 

They are good looking and practical with loads of big deep pockets that are brilliant if like me you carry all sorts of oddities in your pocket and you don't want it falling out on the trail. 

The Royal Racing Matrix Shorts are incredibly well thought out, practical, will take a beating and have loads of pockets. It's great to see a short with this many features at this price range. You couldn't ask for any more from a trail short.

RRP. £69.99

Royal Racing are distributed in the UK by Decade Europe.