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Capestorm NitrosThursday, 11 March 2010 11:15 Capestorm NitrosSome cycling shorts have thin chamois pads that cushion the essential bits and allow you to run in them. The Nitros isn’t one of these. Or at least, it isn’t one I’d willingly take as a primary short to a run/bike event. The padding is too plush and the moulded pad too aggressively contoured to feel comfortable walking or running off the bike.
But that’s the whole point, isn’t it? If you want a super-comfortable riding short, get a proper riding short. Capestorm say on the swing-tag that they selected the pad specifically for extended comfort during long multi-day rides, no doubt with a nod in the direction of the Absa Cape Epic. After 200km of testing on both the road and off, we feel that the Wynberg-based company has achieved that objectively admirably with the Nitros. The contoured pad doesn’t run up very high front or back, but in testing it was supremely comfortable on three quite different saddles. The company’s intent to produce a quality item is apparent elsewhere too. The imported lycra (in Capestorm’s words, elastomeric fabric) feels dense, thick and business-like, and should last a very long time. Most club cyclists will still ride shorts that are 4-5 years old, so with rotation of 4-5 other shorts on a regular basis, the Nitros could be expected to give at least five years’ good service. That’s a conservative guesstimate, since the gel-printed hems along the waist and legs, often the Achilles heel of cycling shorts, fitted extremely snugly with broad and comfortable elasticised sections. There was zero movement of the shorts up or down legs or waist during riding. A good pair of riding shorts should not feel like they’re there - and the Nitros did that with aplomb. Exhibitionism has never felt so good... even if the short’s price tag may make some mothers go grey with disbelief. Capestorm 021 761 2021
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