Today there was a post on the page reminding me I had to get going on this review. Between classes for my job and now being enrolled in an online school I had spaced this out, now here it is.
Robb, from FIT Challenge, happened to talk to a rep at X Racewear about their products and told them I did some reviews here on our lil Spahten page, so they sent him a shirt and shorts for me to test out. Normally, at races, I wear a standard pair of black Asics running shorts. You know, the kind that have the built in undies?! Yeah I am not a fan of them either, specifically the Asics pair I have, but they allow me to run smoothly so that’s why I still wear them.
These also have the built in undies but they feel a bit more comfort as the elastic is less, umm, restrictive. They were very comfortable as far as wear goes. Outside of racing I do like longer shorts, ones that are either at or below my knee. When I race though I prefer them to be a bit shorter. I have found that with my short legs, if the shorts are to long sometimes they get caught on my knees and I fumble a bit. So, for me, these are the perfect height as they are just above the knee but not to short to worry about “exposure”.
Most of you are reading this though to find out about the pouch, and honestly, that’s what these shorts are for. X Racewear got into the market to save your race bib. You know, the one you lose as you crawl low to the ground through the mud? I’ve had it happen, as I’m sure many of you have too, that moment when a pin opens and you get jabbed in the gut. It not only hurts but now you’ve lost a safety pin. Soon enough, it’s going to be the bib you lose. What better way to protect it then to put it in a pocket, right? The idea in and of itself is great if you like saving your bibs, which I do. I lost one in the mud in Georgia and really wanted it, the race was epic so I wanted that darned bib!
I wore these at MuckFest and my bib was shown for most of the race, until the end when you had to leap into the water. After I crossed the finish line I noticed my bib was in a crumpled mess. BUT it was ok and I flattened it out and now I have my memento.
I have yet to wear the tank they sent at an actual race yet, but have worn it running. It’s comfortable enough, lightweight and dries quickly. Having a somewhat stiff area around the belly I thought it might be a tad uncomfortable. All seemed well, but like I said, I did not run with a bib in the pocket for the tank so I can’t specifically say whether or not it would chafe or anything like that after running with it for a while or dealing with the rigidity of having a bib in the pocket. I don’t believe it’d do any damage though, it felt very comfortable.
From here on out I will be wearing the shorts at all OCR’s, I really like them and the comfort! They don’t hold onto water and even when they get wet they are not super heavy. Like mentioned about the tank, they are lightweight as well. The inseam, for me, fit well and I didn’t have any discomfort from the built in undies. The bib is very visible, so if that is a worry than let it pass.
Would I recommend them? Absolutely. From what I understand their customer service is fantastic, so I say give them a shot!
X Racewear: https://www.xracewear.com/
How is the sizing?
I love these shorts as well. I tore out the liner and they are awesome!