Hoss Ponderosa Short

What it is

To this day, I have never had a pair of biking shorts that would make me unquestionably recommend them. I have owned random pairs of Fox, Nema's, Oakley, Nashbar, Performance, Bellweather, Pearl Izumi... a whole mess really. Did I really like any of them? Meh, not really. The Nema's probably would get my highest rating, which in all honesty, they would only rank among my "decent to good range".

I am cheap

The common factor between all the shorts I ever owned? Yup, bargain prices. To me, paying $85+ for shorts... well, I just have trouble doing it. Could it be worth it? Probably. Or maybe not. I may never know. Again, I am cheap. Do I have trouble spending $85+ on sillier things, usually not. It's just one of those things.

I am kinda fat

Yeah, that too. I have noticed that the overall sizing of shorts varies greatly (especially the 3 different pairs of Oakleys I picked up, all in the same size, of which only 1 pair fits). And maybe the cuts and dimensions of these are all similar, maybe it's the combination between my more roundish figure and the design of the short that keeps a lot of them from fitting correctly.

Bottom line? I honestly don't understand, but I do know this: I am not the only biker out there with a beer and pizza fueled one pack.

Hoss Technical Gear - The Ponderosa Short

I have been eyeing these shorts for several years now, very reasonably priced at around $50, they come in a couple camo patterns (which ads to my overall "street cred"), they always looked solid from what I could see, and I have generally heard good things. Plus I found them on sale (see that whole "I am cheap" thing above).

The Specs

• 8 panel micro fiber polyester outer shell is lightweight and durable
• 6 panel polyester/Spandex liner with CoolMax for moisture management and comfort
• CoolMax sanitized chamois with multi-level technology improves comfort by relieving pressure points
• 7 pockets, including 2 side cargo pockets, 2 secure zipper pockets, 2 side hip pockets and a rear cargo style pocket
• Partial elastic waistband with extra secure belt and buckle closure
• Rear stretch panel for comfort and flexibility
• Urban Camo Print

Initial Impressions

Out of the box they are nice. The camo looks good and they have a quality feel to them. The exterior material toes the line between wispy and "caarhart", not too wimpy nor too beefy. The material even seems rather breatheable. The chamois is moderate in thickness and is attached at the waist and at the end of each leg. The waistband consists of an elastic waist with an adjustable velcro belt that joins with a clip in front.

The Ride

With a couple rides under my belt, I would have to say these are officially my new favorites. Let me break it down:

The Fit

The fit is good. The stretch panel in the back kept my ass crack well hidden, they were snug enough to not once get hooked on my seat (but no too snug), and the waist band system worked pretty well once adjusted. Though if you adjust them too tight, the velcro will "pop" when you get into riding position, so a short "set up" period was endured. But once you find the velcro sweet spot, you are good to go.

The Chamois

Maybe because they weren't broken in, but standing around in them, the chamois did feel a little "diapery", but once in the saddle, I felt the padding was spot on. Not too much, nor too little.

Breathability

Overall, the breathability of the shorts was acceptable. What you would expect from a pair of baggies if that makes any sense.

Pockets

All sorts of pockets, some open, some velcro'd, some zippered. You can put things in them if you like.

Conclusion

The Pros

• Inexpensive
• Nice fit
• Good looking

The Cons

• Slight "diapery" feel when standing, but that might go away after breaking in
• Something in me would rather see the lining removeable

Overall

For $50, I don't think you can go wrong with these. The only question that remains is their overall durability, but that (hopefully) will take some time to determine.

I plan to pick me up another pair or two.