Endura Women's Engineered Padded Knicker

Endura's Women's Engineered Padded Knickers are perfect for anyone who wants to get out and about without committing to full Lycra. They fit well under loose shorts, trousers or running tights and are seriously comfortable on and off the bike.

• Pros: Comfortable; substantial pad for a boxer style knicker; don't ride up
• Cons: Pad too bulky for skinny jeans; can get a bit warm if you are working hard

The shorts are effectively padded underwear, designed to go under another layer – shorts, trousers or even leggings. The material they are made of goes a long way to convince you of this too: it's soft to the touch and feels really comfortable against the skin.

> Find your nearest dealer here

My biggest concern about the shorts was the potential for them to ride up, or not sit comfortably at the waist; there is no extra elastic or silicone at the legs and the waistband is a simple soft, ribbed elastic. I needn't have worried. The knickers stay put, even during longer rides, and they are in no way irritating; they simply sit around you and offer the protection that a standard chamois in a pair of cycling-specific shorts would.

I've teamed the knickers with a variety of kit for various purposes: commuting with a pair of running tights over the top, rides to run errands with loose walking trousers, off-road jaunts with baggy shorts, training rides with non-padded tights, and even a touring holiday including seven-hour days in the saddle (with running tights over the top). Never once did I feel that the knickers fell short in terms of performance or comfort.

They're okay in terms of breathability, though I haven't ridden in them in anything above 16°C. It's inevitable that you are going to get sweatier in these than in a standard pair of Lycra shorts as you are invariably putting another layer over the top. When I tested them on a training ride with padless tights I really worked up a sweat, but thankfully there was no rubbing – the fabric's softness and lack of seams helps here. Any moisture quickly dries out.

Encouragingly, the chamois is marketed as 'anti-bacterial', and the material itself is 'fast-wicking with an antibacterial finish'. I don't know how all this technology works but, as I said, no issues with long days in the saddle.

While I personally wouldn't choose to wear the shorts without a layer over the top, it's certainly an option for those who don't mind showing a bit of extra leg (and want to get a higher tan line!). The breathability would not be so much of a problem then.

As mentioned, I used the knickers on a recent tour: seven days of anything between four and eight hours of riding. The chamois stood up to this really well in terms of providing support. While Endura does state that it is ideal for one- to two-hour rides, I didn't suffer in the slightest with hot spots, chafing or soreness. It is actually a decent thickness – I've had standard cycling shorts with less padding. It's well contoured to bend in the right places, too.

It's too thick, 8mm at its thickest, to be discreetly combined with skinny jeans or tight trousers, so don't be caught out here. They do, however, team well with a skirt.

> Buyer's Guide: The best casual cycling kit for commuting

While the main fabric is showing very little sign of wear, the surface of the chamois looks well-worn eight weeks into testing. Admittedly, it got excessive use while touring and endured some serious hand washing. The actual pad itself has lost a little bit of its 'sponginess' too, but I'm still finding it provides sufficient support for lengthy rides. The pilling is of no consequence either really – you don't see it when wearing them and it certainly doesn't affect the comfort. Endura recommends a 40°C machine wash, and the pad wouldn't have endured such 'scrubbings' in the machine as it did while I was travelling.

If you don't want to pull on Lycra shorts but do want padding between yourself and the saddle, Endura's knickers are a great solution, and if you commute or 'casually' ride a fair bit then they're worth the £30 investment.

> Find more road.cc reviews of underwear here

That's a pretty good price too: the Urbanist padded knickers are £49.99, and Gore's Shorty are £39.99.

Craft has various designs, including its Greatness Bike Hipsters at £15 and its Active Comfort Bike Boxers, which are much closer in design to Endura's Knickers and have an rrp of £30.99, while Altura's Women's Tempo Undershorts are £24.99. Decathlon trumps them all with an offering at £9.99, though I can't vouch for their quality or comfort.

Overall, Endura's Women's Engineered Padded Knickers are comfortable and versatile, and offer women who don't warm to Lycra a very viable alternative, allowing them to ride with the comfort of a decent chamois between themselves and the saddle.

Verdict

Great underwear option for anyone who tours, commutes or enjoys more casual riding – comfort without Lycra