Submitted by
RogerDoger
a Cross Country Rider
from Phoenix, AZ
Date Reviewed: December 8, 2008
Strengths: Nice clean look. Thin material so great in the heat. Single thinkness shamois is nice.
Weaknesses: They start to fray very easily from rubbing on any saddle bag whereas my PearlIzumis or other good name brand NEVER has. Shamois does NOT dry or ventilate very well so on hot days it's like sitting on a wet towel
Bottom Line:
Elite and Ultra lycra shorts are NOT NOT NOT worth the price. If they were on the clearance rack for $20 I'd take them but never for $90. They will not hold up externally as long as any other name brand shorts I've ever used.
Don't buy these unless you light your cigars with $20 bills.
I just bought both the Elite and Ultra lycra shorts. Some 8 panel shorts fit as well as 10 panels, the Elite did not. The fit is only average, maybe below. It uses thick lycra which i like but the chamois is only ok. Gels usually come apart in the wash for me but from reading the post below i maybe should give the Century shorts a try.
The Ultra are a 10 panel short and fits like one, great. It uses a thinner textured lycra which they say is good but I had Canari shorts made out of the similar stuff that came apart in a year, hope these are better.
Got these shorts on sale and stacked a 20% off coupon on top of it so the Elites were only $28 and the Ultras were $34. good deal at these price, at full retail i would look at the Pearl Izumi shorts first.
Be fore warned these shorts come small. Lasts years medium is this years large, luckily i was able to easily exchange them in store.
Submitted by
smokey strodtman
a Cross Country Rider
from gilliam, MO USA
Date Reviewed: July 15, 2006
Strengths: Comfort, durability, fit.
Weaknesses: Only available in black.
Bottom Line:
These shorts have performed very well for me. They fit well, are comfortable on or off the bike, and have shown good durability. The best thing I can say about shorts is that you don't notice them or any butt pain and that's the way these have been. They're also a good value. I would definitely buy them again.
Similar Products Used: Nashbar bibs (good), Pearl Izumi shorts (so-so), Trek shorts (OK), Voler shorts (good).
Bike Setup: Road bike- Lemond Poprad cyclocross bike set up for sport touring, Brooks B-17 saddle. Mountain bike- Fisher Marlin with several mods, including Thudbuster post and Koobi seat.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Steven
a Weekend Warrior
from Birmingham, AL, USA
Date Reviewed: August 24, 2004
Strengths: Cheap, and decent do-all short. They look relatively normal enough to wear in public off the bike.
I liked these for two things, I could ride my bike to campus and about half way I'd hit the pool and do a few laps and ride home. I could wear them on the trails and then swim in them, so no locker hassle at the pool. Also, I've gotten in the habit of wearing bike shorts under my motorcycle leathers. With these, I can ride in my leathers and when I get to where I'm going, I whip off the suit and I've got shorts and T-shirt on underneath. Throw on some flip-flops and I'm ready for the beach.
Weaknesses: Gel seat lasted about four rides, and the leg elastic is *WAY* too tight on the thighs.
Bottom Line:
A simple case where money saved isn't necessarily a bargain.
Similar Products Used: Nashbar, regular bike shorts.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Jerry Henderson
a Cross Country Rider
from Crestline, CA
Date Reviewed: August 3, 2004
Strengths: Comfortable and durable
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
Century Short with Gel Chamois - bought a new pair for the 2004 Bicycle Tour of Colorado. Rode 400 miles over 5 days. Very comfortable. My old pair is still in great shape after 2 or more years of mtn biking and road riding.
Century short with gel chamois (spandex): The price is right. I bought 2 pair on sale for $75. The gel chamois is so comfortable. No more saddle soreness. 8 panels and they are durable (I have crashed in them). I'll never buy anything else!
Submitted by
Jeff
a Racer
from Grand Blanc, MI, US
Date Reviewed: January 14, 2004
Strengths: Looks good, fits well, feels comfortable, the gel and chamois are holding up well, excellent customer service on exchanges, etc. Excellent product for the money.
Weaknesses: None so far.
Bottom Line:
Some of the old posts didn't like Performance clothing but I've had their shirts, shorts, shells, hats, gloves, etc. and find it all works great, lasts many seasons, looks good for a long time, provides great bang for the buck, etc.
I was impressed with the comfort of this short. The chamois is pretty good and works well. The problem is that after a few washes they start to look like sh$%. For the same amount of money I would recommend the Voler shorts that seems to last longer and look better. Performance clothing has all seemed to suck to me, IMHO.
Weaknesses: These shorts really suck. If you are at all serious about cycling spend the money for a good pair of ahorts, you won't regret it. Buy Sugoi, Pearl etc.
Bottom Line:
Don't buy anything that is made by performance, it is total crap. The store is not bad, just stay away form their stuff.
These shorts are fine if you don't ride much. They don't last. Someone mentioned some newer ones with one-piece chamois. Those might be OK. I have a three pair of performance shorts because they seemed reasonably comfy and affordable at first, but they have all fallen apart in the chamois. It would have been cheaper to buy good ones that last. I sewed them back up, but the cheap seams are uncomfortable anyway.
Strengths: This review is for the Performance Century Short (new design with Elite chamois.) Great shorts! They fit my body where all others have failed! They have endured road rides, trail rides and mega falls. They are comfortable and enduring. I have a pair of the Gel shorts too, but they are not as comfortable as the Century. (Must be that big gel pad.)
Weaknesses: none!
Bottom Line:
A wise cyclist once said: When you find a pair of shorts that fits well and is comfortable, buy as many as you can and stick with it. The new Performance Century is such a short!
Similar Products Used: Canari and Nashbar. Nashbar may be owned by Performance, but their products are completely different. Nashbar shorts suck!!!
Bike Setup: 2001 Schwinn GSX, mostly stock.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Rommel
a Weekend Warrior
from Cleveland Heights, OH
Date Reviewed: September 26, 2001
Strengths: Feel good,sturdy, look nice
Weaknesses: One of the pairs of classic shorts had a seam that came undone. Since I only paid 19.00 for them I sewed the seam up. Didn't feel like going through the customer service waltz. No problem since.
Bottom Line:
I have more than one type of Performance short. They all seem to be quite comfortable and functional. The 6oz short with the red or grey splice were comfortable on a 48 mi trip(the ones I sewed up. The 6oz light blue classic shorts are strangely thinner than the other 6oz lycra classic shorts but they feel good when its hot outside. The Century shorts are even more comfortable. I like these the best. The new one piece pad is nice and anti bacterial, so they say. I would say that all the performace shorts are good value for the money. I have the older performance shorts with the terry cloth surace pad these are old but still working. I'm very pleased with Performance shorts. 4 chili's because they could probably be better.
Strengths: price, good fit, durability, gel on long rides
Weaknesses: bibs provide better fit for long rides
Bottom Line:
Can't beat these for the price have held up nicely and rotated and used about 3x weak. I wish I would have bought bibs since they provide superior fit and reduced sag on long rides. However, if you want shorts and put in a few hundred miles a week, these are fine for the money.
Submitted by
Teddy
a Weekend Warrior
from San Diego, CA USA
Date Reviewed: July 26, 2001
Strengths: Cheap, fit pretty well.
Weaknesses: Fraying at edges of leg openings, stitching in chamois is starting to come apart.
Bottom Line:
This review is for the Performance Century shorts with the older chamois (not the new one-piece). I'm a little disappointed in their durability. The edges are fraying after only a few months, and the stitching in the chamois has loosened up. I hope they'll last, because they actually fit pretty well. Initially, I had a problem with a seam that annoyed me in a sensitive spot, but that seems to have gone away.
Since I paid only $29, I'll be satisfied if the shorts last a year. I'd give a higher rating if the shorts weren't fraying already.
Similar Products Used: Descente (my favorite - 10 years old and still going strong), Nike Echelon (8 years old and chamois is falling apart, but the shorts themselves are just fine)
Bike Setup: Cannondale M800 and M700 (MTB), Raleigh Supercourse and R700 (road)
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
ScottD
a Weekend Warrior
from Brooklyn, NY
Date Reviewed: June 3, 2001
Strengths: Fairly comfortable
Weaknesses: Chamois and stitching tears apart
Bottom Line:
I have a couple pairs of Performance HFS gel shorts that I purchased about 2 years ago. These were very long-lasting and worked well.
I purchased 2 new pairs this year (April 2001) listed as "Performance Century Shorts" in the catalog at fair price. I thought I was buying the same product but this was not the case. The chamois (light tan fabric chamois) and stitching are a much lower quality than my old pair. I rotated equally between the new shorts and both began to fall apart within 4 weeks, or about 400 miles of riding for each pair. The stiching and chamois tore in the exact same location for both pairs of shorts.
The new gel padding is also different than my old pairs. It just never seemed to settle and always felt a bit bulky. Unless Performance changes back to the old manufacturer (using the black, leather-like chamois), I would avoid these shorts.
