Zoic  Ether Bike Shorts - Men's

I bought the Zoic Ether shorts for bike commuting and fitness riding. The XL size was slightly large for my 35-inch waist but okay. I loved how they looked and felt and the pockets are well placed. But after only a few weeks and two washings (drip drying) I exchanged them for Novarra Rail Double Shorts. Two problems: After a half dozen rides, the fabric on the front of the Zoic Ether shorts started to pill in about a dozen places. Then the teeth on one side of the zipper (on the thigh pocket) came out of the tab and I couldn't get it rethreaded. Good ol' REI gave me no hassle in returning them. We'll see how the Novarra shorts work.

I bought these as my first pair of baggy cycling shorts. I like that I can go out to eat or run into a store after a ride without looking too geeky. The shorts fit well and dont ride up or chafe when cycling. I thought I would like the ipod pocket but it is a little too small to use with the Otterbox I have on my iphone. I'm not really sure I want to crash with it in my pocket anyway, so for now I will leave it in my camelbak. The only complaint I have is that they were a little expensive and also not being able dry them in the dryer, Zoic recommends "line dry only". Other than that they are great, comfortable shorts.

I've used these shorts for casual rides in town, for commuting to work— a 10 mile roundtrip, and also for technical singletrack mountain biking. They fit fine and are comfortable enough. They're not baggy or loose at all, but rather somewhat trim fitting. The zippered pockets are nice to make sure keys and other things are safe during a ride, and they also look nice as casual off-the-bike shorts. The material is comfortable but not durable, not waterproof, and the fabric tends to attract and hold dirt. The threads of the leg seams and hems did not hold up to mountain biking and I had to had have them re-sewn/repaired after my first hard trail ride. I have another pair of Zoic bike shorts similar to these but made of a different, lighter weight material that I like better. They share the same padded liner which I like a lot and also use with other non-bike-specific shorts. These look nice, fit well, and are fine for casual around town rides or commutes but not for more aggressive off road riding.

I just took my new pair to ride in Moab for my vacation. They fit well at home, so I made the gamble that they would function as my only riding shorts for the week I was there (trying to pack light and all). The inner padding comes out for an easy rinse and quick dry overnight, plus this feature allows for less restriction of movement while riding because it is not sewn so tightly to the outer shell. They held up good to some abuse, and seem durable. Best riding shorts I've owned, so a bought another pair in black!

I have the older version of these as well as the current one, and they have definitely improved it. The waist adjusters are much better; they no longer appear to be glued together and the "hook" side doesn't snag on all my delicate lycra road gear. The zippers are tough to open/close, but hopefully that means they are durable. The material feels more durable than the previous gen as well. This short would be perfect if the elastic waist was a little more subtle and if the inseam was 1" longer. I have a 30-31" waist and I have to cinch the adjusters all the way (without the hook side hanging off the end of the loop side, that is), and due to the elastic they tend to ride-down a bit when I get warmed up. The media pocket should probably be enlarged on the next gen. Your average 4" smartphone will likely be a tight fit.. although that does mean that it won't flop around at all. My SGSII fits snug and the zipper closes, but it is a two-handed operation to remove it. I love this short. It is my go-to for hiking, biking and amusement parks. I will be buying another pair.

Professionally I ride a bike taxi in New Orleans. I also do crit racing and alley cats. I also have the Zoic Black Market shorts. The Ether shorts are more specific to MTB and CX. The material is very lightweight and somewhat stretchy. The fit is perfect and adjustable. The removable chamois is very breathable mesh as opposed to solid lycra shorts. Well designed and worth the money.

I bought these after reading many positive reviews. They fit the best out of many others I tried. And they also looked the coolest. The only thing I noticed is that they are baggy at the crotch and catch on the seat while getting on and off the bike. I still need to wear them more but that was something that may just take getting used to (my first time wearing them). As far as comfort while pedaling, awesome. The padding on the butt is very comfortable. Maybe I just need to pull them up tighter to remove the bagginess on the seat while I'm getting on and off....which while mounting biking is quite a bit if there are lots of logs blocking the trail at the beginning of the season. Anyway as far as the baggy type MB shorts these were the best I could find. They look awesome and are very comfortable once on the bike and riding.

Best mtn bike shorts I've bought in all my 20+ years of mtn biking. The fit it great. They rarely catch on the seat (my new seat is terrible for catching baggy shorts. I'm getting a new one) or get twisted up on long seated climbs. Its tough to describe how they feel because I don't think about them on the ride (which is a good thing). Its after the ride I think "my but doesn't hurt and they never got in the way!" Nice shorts!

I use the shorts but removed the liner. I ride with lycra bike shorts underneath. I like the shorts because they do not have seams in the crotch area. There are great pockets everywhere and they look good off the bicycle. The downside is the padded liner. It does not fit properly in the front of the crotch and caused pain when I rode with them. I removed it and replaced it with my lycra bike shorts. All is good now.

these shorts are fine in most ways. but i found that, although the many pockets are appealing, the zippers failed on several almost immediately.