DFYRS CRYPTKEEPER SHORT REVIEW

DESIGNED FOR ALL SEASONS

Words by Robert Johnston  |  Photos by Micky Francis

While riding shorts may have gone a little out of fashion, brands are still producing some quality options for those who aren’t just trying to copy the style trends of your favorite influencers, and for good reason. We’ve been abusing the Dfyrs Cryptkeeper All Season Trail Short for the last few months, and it’s safe to say they’re up there with some of the best.

ABOUT THE DFRYS CRYPTKEEPER ALL SEASON TRAIL SHORT

The Cryptkeeper All Season Trail Short is Dfyrs’ premium, feature packed mountain bike short for riding in all weathers. Combining a mixture of weatherproofing with ventilation, plus smart design throughout, the Cryptkeeper Short is versatile and ready to ride in just about year round.

The main short is constructed from a Flexi-Ripstop material that is durable but comfortable to wear in the saddle. The seat panel is given a 3-layer membrane to offer splash resistance to help fend off soggy bottoms, and the whole short is given a DWR coating to resist rain showers and puddle splashes. The fit is designed to be ergonomic, with the rear being raised to ensure coverage when leant over in the saddle. Ensuring durability against the most extreme movements is a triple-stitched inseam.

The Cryptkeeper short is built with a cargo style. There is a zippered hand pocket on each hip, plus a zippered cargo pocket on each leg, offering plentiful space for storage. The cargo pockets hide a zippered air vent, letting the shorts breathe a little better on sustained pedals. Inside the right hand pocket is a neoprene sleeve, designed to offer protection for your phone.

The knee panels are articulated, with some extra room provided to allow for a generous knee pad. On the inside of the knee panels, a low-friction material is used to ensure they can slide over the knee pad to reduce restriction and noise.

The waistband is secured with a moto-inspired ratchet buckle, with a wide adjustment range to tailor the fit. Further helping to keep the Dfyrs Cryptkeeper Short in place is a wide silicon print on the inside of the waist band. A zippered fly makes access easy.

The Dfyrs Cryptkeeper All Season Trail Short is available only in Black, in sizes Small to 4XL, fitting waists from 29 inches to 43 inches. They’re backed with Dfyrs Crash Replacement scheme, which offers riders a 40% discount if they manage to damage the shorts beyond repair. They retail for £99 or $122, and are available directly from Dfyrs.com.

THE DIRT

To be as transparent as possible, I grabbed a set of the Dfyrs Cryptkeeper Shorts from Dfyrs co-owner Micky while out in the Alps, and he kindly snapped some photos for me to help with the review, as well as my upcoming RAAW Yalla! Downhill bike review. There was no payment for this review, and all the thoughts are fully my own.

Shorts…it’s safe to say they’ve gone out of style, at least in the gravity space, but I still believe there are times and places for them. And of course, some riders really want to show off their calves and socks. I found myself especially fond of the Cryptkeepers on a couple of warm days in the Alps, where I was mainly riding the chairlift, but the trails were still a little soggy. Fairly special circumstances, but for many lucky riders it’s much of their summer riding.

On these soggy ground yet toasty days, the Dfyrs Cryptkeeper shorts were awesome. With the splash proof rear, my butt remained comfortable and dry for the entirety of the day. My lower legs stayed cool, and I was able to deploy the thigh vents to let even more air flow around the upper leg. Of course, being shorts, my thighs were less hot anyway.

I really appreciate the attention to detail on these premium mountain bike shorts. The fit system is exceptional, with the combination of a widely adjustable ratchet buckle with the silicone waist gripper keeping them firmly in place. If you’re a cargo lover, then the pockets could all be very much appreciated and are sensibly sized and placed with quality durable zippers. Though, I prefer to keep my items in a pack on my back.

Worth a huge shout out is the low-friction knee material. It makes a notable improvement to the ability of the shorts to slide over your knee pad, reducing noise while pedaling and the likelihood of snagging. It’s the simple things.

While Cargo pockets are undeniably useful if you’re looking to carry a lot on your legs when on or off the bike, I’m not personally a fan of the look or the extra material and therefore heat that they produce. For this reason alone, I’d likely opt for their cheaper Easytiger, or their sister company CommitEq’s Coffindodger, if I was purchasing my ideal short from Dfyrs.

As we moved out of summer, rapidly, the Cryptkeeper shorts found themselves out of favor. With relentless puddle splashes likely to be the theme of my riding for the rest of the year, covering the lower legs is somewhat of a necessity, and so I’ll be riding in pants for the foreseeable. But I’m looking forward to that good weather returning so I can pull these out for more abuse.

I took a few spills in the Cryptkeeper short during a “crashy” period, and they’ve come out the other side completely unscathed and begging for more sketchy antics. The price is fairly high, but I’d suggest they’re worth every penny thanks to their well-considered details, if you’re a fan of shorts with plentiful cargo storage.

The Wolf’s Last Word

High quality and with well-considered details, the Dfyrs Cryptkeeper All Season short is a solid choice for riders looking for a utilitarian mountain biking short.

Price: $122 / £99.99
Website: Dfyrs.com

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