Sponeed Padded Cycling Shorts

Sponeed Padded Cycling Shorts

“Man, does this saddle feel hard,” I thought, as I test drove my new-to-me Trek Domane 2.0 road bike before I handed over the cash. I assumed I would get used to it.

This was my first time owning a bike that didn’t come from a department store. With its aluminum frame and carbon fork, it was fast and agile. 15 miles into my first distance ride had me vowing to check out my Trek Facebook group when I got home to get recommendations for swapping out the stock Trek saddle as soon as I could.

Virtually everyone in the group told me the same three things: yes, the first several rides will be very uncomfortable, but you will get used to it, second, get some padded cycling shorts, last, keep the harder stock saddle if you can, because it’s designed that way for a reason. All three pieces of advice were valuable looking back on it.

Cycling shorts have made my rides more enjoyable and rewarding. They are a “must have” if you ride a road bike. I get a better workout because I am more likely to push myself to keep riding because I am no longer in discomfort.

I ordered one size larger than what I normally wear, as these are Asian sizes and tend to run small. The shorts fit perfectly and had a great cut with attention to detail in the right areas. Most importantly, the gel padding was in just the right areas to be effective without getting in the way, which is the problem with many wider, softer saddles.

Sponeed uses sublimation printing, which is a process that uses heat to bring ink and fabric together as one to resist washing out and fading. The graphics and colors on my shorts have held up well to frequent use and washing.