Best Urban Cycling Shorts: Top 16 for Bike Commuters

Simply stunning casual bike shorts. Lightweight, breathable, fast-drying and flexible. These shorts tick every box.

There’s even a gusseted crotch to maximise protection on the shorts most sensitive area.

These Ornot shorts also have nice deep pockets and are a pleasure to ride in, especially on warmer days.

No urban cycling style guide is complete without a mention of Rapha. The slim-fit Randonnee shorts make no compromises in terms of style and are available in  navy and black.

The fabric is made up of 94% nylon and 6% spandex, which helps provide extra flexibility in the material , which is also crease resistant and quick drying.

Rapha are known for their attention to detail, and that’s why you won’t be surprised to find these city cycling shorts also feature a high-cut back to prevent unwanted backside exposure when riding, as well as discreet hi-vis detailing.

These smart-looking urban cycling shorts are perfect both on and off the bike.

Off the bike, they look great and can be dressed up with a smart dress shirt for evening activities or dressed down with a tee or polo for a trip to the beach (“Strandvägen” is actually Swedish for “beach road”).

These bicycle shorts are made from a blend cotton, polyester and spandex, and the result is a stretchy, breathable short that performs superbly while pedalling. There’s even reflective detailing on the rear pockets.

Chrome is one of my favourite urban cycling brands. They find that perfect blend of style and function for commuter cyclists every time.

The Union shorts offer a durable 4-way stretch design, with a full-length gusset to ensure that the crotch and other areas don’t blow out even if you’re riding in them a lot. They also have reflective detailing, as well as a DWR coating to ensure that any unexpected summer downpours will largely roll straight off the material.

These shorts are inspired by NATO military shorts and mountain biking baggies, resulting in a relaxed fit that cuts off just above the knee with a 14-inch in-seam.

I’ve covered DUER a few times on Discerning Cyclist, from reviewing their excellent No Sweat Pants to visiting their head office/shop in Vancouver.

Indeed, I’ve also become acquainted with DUER’s Live Lite commuter shorts during the past couple of years and they’re absolutely top notch.

These are slim-fit performance shorts, made from a blend of cotton and breathable materials to keep you feeling fresh on warmer days. They’re also soft against the skin and have moisture-wicking and anti-bacterial properties due to the TENCEL Lyocell material which is derived from eucalyptus.

The fit and stretch means you can easily squat in them without busting seams, so cycling is no problem.

These urban cycling shorts, with a 10” in-seam, feature four-way stretch to ensure they have plenty of give when riding, while they also feature a fully gusseted crotch, which helps drastically reduce cycling wear-and-tear.

These Mission Workshop shorts also feature four good-sized pockets (your standard two hand pockets and two rear pockets) as well as a zipped side pocket which can fit most phones.

The shorts are also water-repellent and fast-drying – two very welcome features if you’re caught in some summer rain.

The short version of Ministry of Supply’s stunningly versatile Kinetic pants, these are probably the best-looking urban cycling shorts on this list.

In terms of style, they are incredibly versatile – they can be pair with a smart dress shirt for evening entertainment, a t-shirt for your ride, or even with a vest for the beach.

The Ministry of Supply Kinetic Shorts are extremely breathable and offer plenty of stretch. They’re also easy on the waistband, and have urethane dots (like rubber) in order to provide a bit of friction if you want to keep a shirt tucked in.

If you’re looking for comfortable, breathable and crease-resistant gear for travelling and commuting, Bluffworks are well worth checking out. They even make office-friendly suits you can cycle in.

Bluffworks Ascender Shorts are the optime of what their products are all about: they’re lightweight, breathable and practical as hell. I mean, they have nine (9!) pockets. How is that even possible?

These shorts with a 9” in-seam have a simple but elegant style and come in a relative loose regular fit. They’re also extremely lightweight, moisture-wicking, quick-drying and anti-microbial.

While padded bike shorts are in no-short supply for Lycra-clad cyclists, it’s a significantly bigger challenge to find stylish commuter “baggy” cycling shorts with padding.

But Club Ride have stepped up in a big way to fill this void thanks to their Fuze Short.

And it’s not just any old gel padding inside these 12” shorts, you’re getting a premium two-hour chamois lining which you can switch out whenever you want.

And the cycling functionality doesn’t end there…

These shorts also boast a gusseted crotch, two-way stretch, are water resistant, have Velcro adjustments and even boast reflective detailing for good measure.

The shorts look wonderful and can be paired with other clothing items to seamlessly switch between more formal and casual looks.

On the bike they’re also outstanding, with the cotton/polyester/spandex blend providing a stretchy breathable fabric that performs well and feels great against the skin.

You’re also not short of pockets on these shorts, with the two rear button-down pockets even featuring reflective detailing to aid nighttime visibility.

Unsurprisingly, the women’s Randonnee Shorts feature all of the same great features as the men’s version, that means you’ll find a pair of lightweight shorts with a technical fabric that is breathable, quick-drying and stretchy.

The Randonnee shorts are also longer than Chrome’s Seneca shorts, with an in-seam of around 11.4” (although this varies by size).

These shorts look great and use technical fabric that is stretchy, quick-drying and very breathable – making them great all-round urban cycling shorts for ladies.

The Randonnee shorts feature four pockets, including a zipped rear pocket, as well as a button-down back pocket.

With a 5” in-seam, these shorts certainly aren’t hot pants, but they still allow you to get your legs out in the sun for summer rides.

They’re also stacked with an impressive six pockets, the highlight of which is a hidden zipped pocket tucked just below the waistband on the rear right of the shorts.

But these aren’t just stylish shorts – they’re also great urban cycling shorts for commuters. The Seneca is made from a Cotton/Nylon/Spandex blend. The result? A smart looking, flexible, breathable and wind/water resistant short.

The short also have a contoured stretch waistline, which means the waistline is slightly raised on the rear to make for a better fit for cycling and will prevent any unwanted cracks from being exposed to people behind you while you ride, while also being a bit more forgiving while you’re in a seated position.

These women’s padded cycling shorts are discreetly functional and perfect for urban life or a rural explore. The padding (8mm) in the shorts is part of a datable liner, which has been ergonomically designed to fit the female form.

They feature zipped hand pockets (woop), cargo pockets and large rear pockets – so there’s plenty of storage available.

The Hummvee shorts also have DWR coating to make them rain resistant, while the four-way stretch nylon fabric makes them flexible enough to ride in comfortably.

The most stylish ladies’ cycling shorts on this list.

Ministry of Supply create performance activewear that looks extremely smart and looks great in more formal settings – while also being capable of paired with other items so they can look good as casual wear too.

The Momentum shorts provide a flattering fit with an extremely soft fabric that feels great against the skin.

What’s more, these shorts are also water-resistant and don’t create easily. They’re also extremely stretchy to make for comfortable rides.

These shorts feature four pockets (two front and two back) but it is the material and build quality that is most impressive about these shorts.

The denim made from a blend of cotton, TENCEL Lyocel, polyester and Lycra, which forms an extremely lightweight, breathable and stretchy pair of bike shorts that still boast the casual style of cut-off jeans.

These DUER shorts also have a hidden gusseted crotch in the seat area to reduce the impact of the normal cycling pressure points, while the seams have also been reinforced to provide that extra bit of durability.

Throw in moisture-wicking and anti-bacterial properties and you can see why these are the best women’s denim cycling shorts.

These are described as “close-fitting baggy shorts” which seems somewhat contradictory…

However, what Velocio mean by this is that the Gravel Shorts are more like regular fitting shorts (rather than skintight Lycra) but still boast a figure hugging design.

In terms of functionality, these women’s bike shorts are packed with it.

The Velocio Gravel Shorts feature four-way stretch which is perfect for freedom of movement, while there are also two zippered side pockets with mesh lining that comfortably (and securely) fit a phone.

The fit of these shorts is also interesting and ideal for cycling. The shorts have a low-profile waist with a subtle adjustment strap (basically a built-in belt).

These ladies’ shorts are also extremely lightweight having been made from a high-tech 115gsm polyamide/elastine blend. There’s even a DWR coating to repel light rain.

These shorts really are packed to the brims with functionality: they offer four-way stretch, an aptly named “NoCrackBack” (i.e. a raised rear to prevent exposure), a gusseted crotch, interior drawcords and even reflective detailing.

They are on the longer side with an 11″ inseam, but these are some seriously stylish women’s urban commuter shorts – although they’re technically MTB shorts!

At under $80, too, these Club Ride shorts provide excellent functionality for a very reasonable price.