Morvelo Overland Selector shorts review

The Selector shorts from Morvelo are a stretchy, but casual cut short, somewhere in the middle ground between lycra shorts and mountain bike baggies. They are versatile and could be worn all day for bike rides or basically any active adventure.

Aimed at being bike biased, the shorts are great for any sort of adventuring, with styling is a little more fashion than some mountain bike specific baggies. There is no liner short included, but there is an optional one that Morvelo offer separately. It uses the Morvelo chamois. The short is made from a really light fabric that feels barely there when riding.

The fabric has a DWR finish that is effective and so far held up to several washes and general abuse. It shrugs off misty rain and puddle splashes but isn’t up to prolonged rain showers. Still a decent addition to anything that is vaguely off-road related as there is usually some puddle waiting to surprise.

The shorts have a leaner, athletic cut, which is worth considering if you like more relaxed sizes. It ran to size for me, with a medium fitting fine despite a different cut to the Morvelo mountain bike shorts. Two decent, sturdy poppers hold the shorts up, with a proper chunky YKK zip.

There are internal hip tensioners to dial the fit in and a textured silicone patterning on the back that keeps the shorts in place. A soft hem runs around the interior. They work well with bib shorts underneath, and sit well, with little riding movement. The length is above the knee and may cause concern if you pair up with knee pads - the dreaded gap will possibly appear, and this is a little outside their intended lighter off-road use.

Cut with a diamond style crotch, the light fabric has great stretch and breathes well, there are minimal hems and no pressure points that you’d sit on. There is more than enough give in the fabric for movement, and they move well when riding - they are also pretty comfy for running and anything vaguely active.

There are two flush side zipper pockets and if I had one small gripe, it would be they are tricky to undo when riding. I accept that sometimes that's a good thing, but if you want to get food out or your phone its a bit of a tussle. There is also another stealthily hidden rear pocket, which is perfect for emergency gels or loose change. A small reflective logo sits on it, though it could be a touch larger for additional visibility.

As with all Morvelo kit, its well designed and finished to a high level. It looks good and crucially works well. It's nice to have some slightly more subtle riding kit in the form of the Overland range, and also handy that it works well across several types of riding. Achieving a good balance in clothing that is suited for just ‘riding’- happy off or on-road without being too baggy or uncomfortable for long rides makes the Selectors properly versatile.

Price-wise, they are fairly standard for the level of design and finish, but they’ll happily double as everyday shorts, and handle other sporting activities just as well. A well designed, good looking, casual but bike and sport focussed short. They are available in black only and in XS - XXL.