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They're long, they're sweet, and they protect your hide |
Race Face's takeover of Roach Clothing a few years ago has been well documented. The component company was smart enough to realizing the value in Roach. Instead of coming in all heavy and stomping the life out of the Roach brand, Race Face took cues from a proven product and was smart enough to maintain some of the classic Roach styling in its ever-expanding clothing line. That's particularly apparent in the Rally DH shorts from Race Face.
I've been able to put some serious time into these shorts over the past summer. A few road trips to Golden, Vernon, Kelowna, Rossland, Nelson, and not to mention a splash of riding in the Calgary area, and the tale of the Rally DH short - also known as the man-pris - was ready to be told.
The technical details The DHs are knee length, or just below the knee on me, allowing them to flow over armour. Stretch panels in key areas keep the binding and chafing down to a minimum. |
 The Rally DHs - Just hanging out, waiting to go for a ride || Photo: Dan Austin |
First and foremost, the shorts got more compliments from the ladies than any other short I have ever worn – always a good sign! Also, comfort was definitely a key consideration in the design. As soon as you put them on, they feel both snug and loose in all the right places. The seamless crotch panel also keeps the undercarriage from getting roughed up.
 Some sweet shorts, in between runs || Photo: Brian Belton |
When I first put the shorts on, I thought they were really long - I'm 6’1” and they still went below the knee. Below the knee is normally less appealing, but in this case it worked out just fine. Although the shorts are designed to go over the knee and over leg armour, the hook-and-loop straps on my pads did catch on the liner of the shorts at times. It wasn't an issue while riding but I would notice it when I was getting all geared up. Having said that, the liner stood up to the hook-and-loop pressure and other than a little bit of fuzziness, it looks as good as new. With my leg armour on, my legs were well protected from hip to ankle. That was a plus, considering a couple of bails I had this summer. After several months of use/abuse these shorts look as good as new. Crashing with vents and pockets open, I expected to see zipper teeth missing but they stood up to even the harshest ejections I put them through. |
Some people may wonder about how hot the Rally DHs are. Well, in the dead of summer, I don’t think any short would have any great cooling capabilities, especially on long climbs.
But as these shorts are designed for the freeride/DH crowd, long climbs are dreaded even more than any overheating these shorts could induce. The vents get some fresh air moving through the shorts on the climbs, but way more on the descents. Spend more time descending than climbing and you'll be fine. A particularly nice feature of these shorts is the deep pockets up front. Let’s just say if you’re the kind of boob who carries your wallet in an open pocket for a few shuttles, you want these shorts. [Sounds like you're talking from experience here. Just guessing... - Ed.] One thing to note - if you’re more old school than new school (you know, the “pants half way down your butt” crowd), these short may make you, or the person behind you, a little uncomfortable. |
 And this is how they fit over leg armour || Photo: Bad Ass |
The Rally DHs act as a flight suit when the author launches off a sweet teeter at Silver Star || Photo: Denny Byrne
The other thing that I wasn't stoked about was the ratcheting waist closure. It did the job and I preferred it to the typical hook-and-loop closure found in many riding shorts, but a simple button would have done equally well. More importantly, that’s replaceable. If this closure system breaks, it will definitely be an issue to fix.
The final word
Nicely done! The Rally DH shorts look cool, they work well, and if you don’t mind a little crack on your ride, it’s all good. You may be thrown off by the length of the DHs at first, but don’t let stylistic self-consciousness take over. Wear them for a few rides and suck up the comments from your jealous buddies, because in the end these shorts are winners. They're tops in quality, fit, and finish.
Best of all, when the season gets a bit long in the tooth, your knees will be nice and warm while your buddies with their short shorts are complaining.
Pricing for the Rally DH shorts is CDN$140 and US$100. They're available in sizes small to extra large. Colour selection is limited to black.
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