ABIT MTN SHORT REVIEW

EXTRA LONG TERM REVIEW OF A ZERO COMPROMISE SHORT

Words by Cole Gregg  |  Photos by Emma Wooldridge

Abit Gear was founded by Justin Vander Pol, a man that has had a huge impact on the mountain bike community of the Pacific Northwest. He was Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliances First Executive Director; conceptualized the idea for Duthie Hill Bike Park – a place way ahead of its time when it comes to legal publicly accessed trails – and helped to create a ton of trails that we in the PNW all know and love.

I got these shorts way back in April of 2021, and have logged an insane amount of ride time in them since. It’s finally time for me to share my thoughts and report back on how they’ve held up.

ABOUT THE ABIT GEAR MTN SHORTS

Justin saw the need to make a bike short tailored for an athletic fit, after struggling to find the perfect pair for himself. Being that he was a lean guy with a lot of junk in his trunk, he found that shorts were always way too tight when fitted to his proper waist size. What he set out to do was create a short that has two distinct fit options to better cater for a range of body types.

The biggest difference between these shorts and the rest is the different fit options. The Standard fit is similar to what you see on most other shorts out there, and for some this gets the job done. Abit’s Athletic fit is tailored for those with big glutes built for snapping crank arms and stripping hub pawls. The athletic fit gives more material through the back of the short from just below the waist line down to the back of the knees. In addition to the fit style riders can also choose from two separate inseam lengths – either a 12” or a longer 13.5” version.

The Abit MTN short may just be the king of pockets. There are 4 different pockets, all of which have zippers. The thigh pockets have a woven-in pouch to help secure your phone or multi tool, on both sides! Additionally, the internal mesh of the side pockets can act as air vents when open – a pretty slick feature if you ask me.

The shorts are manufactured with a four-way stretch Nylon and Elastane material blend, which is treated with DWR to offer water repellency. They are offered in waist sizes 28 to 38, in both fit styles and lengths. There are also Cam-Lock waist adjusters on both sides, letting you tweak the fit. Check out their size and fit guide to learn more.

Abit offers a lifetime warranty against defects, but will also help a fellow rider out if you ride past your skill level and destroy a pair. In quote from the Abit website “We encourage getting stupid”. They are a small company that wants to continuously bring the best service to riders and trail builders as at the company’s core they are riders. They retail for $115 regardless of the size and fit option selected.

THE DIRT

I sit here at my desk with these shorts still covered in dust from a recent ride. I have had these so long, I had to reach out to Justin to find out when this V2 version came out. I got these shorts before doing product reviews full time here at The Loam Wolf. Even so, they are still at the top of my shorts pile in the garage, closely followed by Treks Evoke short and most recently the Outdoor Research Freewheel MTB Short.

These shorts have seen 6K feet elevation gain pedal days, endless Ebike laps, and even chairlift rides in the French Alps. In that time I have tasted the dirt so many times, I am sure most of the clips of me crashing on Instagram are in these shorts.

As far as sizing goes, I went with the 32” waist and longer 13.5” inseam in the standard fit. I am pretty much always going with a 32” waist and snugging up the waist bands. I am a true 30” waist, but like a little extra room for hip pads and movement on the bike. And maybe the day I put some weight on I will have extra room haha! I think with these shorts I made the right call going with the standard fit as the measurements per the Abit website puts me well within the dimensions for the standard fit option.

The 13.5” inseam is easy to overlook, but with my long legs it gives me enough coverage over my knees preventing the dreaded gap. More brands should follow this trend and either come standard with a longer inseam or offer the longer option. Looking at Abit’s website they do look to have a pant coming out that ships with a longer inseam as standard but can be shortened by the user by removing just one row of threads. That’s smart if you ask me!

The Abit MTN Shorts have held up incredibly well. There are zero issues with any of the zippers; no loose threads, and surprisingly no holes on the hips from my lack of talent out on the trail. These have been used so much that the metal on the button to close the shorts has a wearing down and is discolored.

As far as the material goes, they are not what I would consider a lightweight short. The Trek Evoke shorts use a much thinner material. However, the Abit short is also not a heavy duty feeling short like the recently reviewed Outdoor Research Freewheel. They are a true middleweight when it comes to material feel – thick enough for a brisk morning, but light enough I don’t bat an eye at any hot summer climbs.

On the bike they provided plenty of stretch and ease of movement. The longer inseam allows the cuff of the short to rest just blown the crown of my knee pads. There is little to be left desired when it comes to riding in these.

The captured compartment in the thigh pockets I mentioned earlier are a true gem, they keep your phone from bouncing around which is just one less thing to think about when hauling the mail down the trail. And it’s even better that both pockets have this. Having all 4 pockets with robust zippers gives you peace of mind that what you put in there will be there at the end of the ride.

I even went out and got these for a friend that was new to mountain biking. He is the type of person that just wants one jersey and one pair of shorts until the threads wear out. Knowing this, I knew this would be a nice surprise for him. He has had them for 3 seasons and they are still the only pair of shorts he uses.

The Wolf’s Last Word

Thick thigh riders and skinny waist riders can rejoice, the Abit MTN short has a little something up its…legs…for everyone. Not to mention, you are getting a great product but also investing in someone that truly cares for our trails and has done more than most people out there to build our community and bring miles of rad single track to us all. Even though I do not need a new pair, I think it is time I spice it up and add a gray pair to my kit. Fingers crossed they can release their pants soon!

Price: $115 – On sale now for $86.25
Website: Abitgear.com