If I’m being honest, I have to admit that I haven’t always been one for baggy mountain bike shorts. The first couple pairs I wore didn’t fit me very well, and my narrow hips and thicker thighs caused bunching and excess fabric that tended to get caught on the seat. For a while, I stuck to Lycra because I like the range of motion and minimalism it affords me and my XC-oriented riding style. But lately, I’ve found a few pairs of baggy shorts I really like, and the Zoic Navaeh 7 is one of them.
The Navaeh 7 is the new, shorter version of one of Zoic’s classic, best-selling women’s shorts. The original Navaeh has an 11.5-inch inseam, while the Navaeh 7 has (you guessed it) a 7-inch inseam. The shorts are made of SuperLight stretch fabric, which is an accurate name. Rather than feeling hot and cumbersome like many heavier baggy shorts, these feel light and breezy, and are a great choice for warmer weather.
The Navaeh 7 shorts have all the same features as their full-length cousin, including five different pockets and a soft, highly-adjustable waistband for fit and comfort. Velcro and elastic straps enable a perfect fit for a variety of waist sizes while minimizing bunching. The shorts were nice and snug in all the right places to prevent seat hangups, but were loose enough on the legs to provide ample range of motion.
These shorts also come with a detachable liner, which features a ZO-Tech women’s-specific contoured chamois. The liner attaches to the Navaeh via small, barely-there clasps, but it is also comfortable under any other pair of shorts or pants. Both the liner and Navaeh shorts are made of a polyester/spandex blend.
Zoic Women's Navaeh Bike Shorts 7" Inseam
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Not only are the Navaeh 7 shorts highly functional and comfortable, they are also snazzy. Zoic offers them in a variety of bright colors as well as more traditional black and gray to match any riding wardrobe and fashion style. I’m not normally one for pink, but I like the contrast these shorts offer to my usual array of subdued, dark colors. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a couple more pairs, which says a lot coming from a girl who started off a little skeptical of baggies.
MSRP: $85 (with liner)
Check out our mountain bike shorts buyers guide and our picks for the best mountain bike shorts.
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