Weight: 260 gm
Black Widows | Witches Britches | Short Cuts | |
Pad | eXo | Softail | Softail |
Fabric | Hot Shot™ Merino |
Hot Shot™ Merino |
Shockwave™ Lycra |
Panels | 10 | 8 | 8 |
Bandolier™ Waist | Yes | No | Yes |
Bandolier™ Cuffs | Yes | No | No |
Sizes | 10 - 16 | 8 - 18 | 8 - 18 |
I've been the lucky owner of a pair of Witches Britches since their birth some year's ago from the cauldron that is the Ground Effect skunk works. As I get older and my knees become my most attractive and treasured body part, the Witches Britches have taken on a new importance. No longer do they hide in the rarely exposed back section of the drawer that is home to my cycling wardrobe. Nope, they have moved up to pole position - front left hand corner, easily grabbed in the pre-dawn dank. So why do I love them so? Well, their 8-panel construction fits great and conforms to my body while manoeuvring technical rocky sections. But for me the ace is their 3/4 length - covering my knees with a fluffy insert. Ah... warm knees. Such comfort when rushing through dank, twisty, beech forest - or commuting home in the rain on a day that couldn't have looked finer and more settled (you know, the one when I left my jacket at home). I also chuck in a pair as my preferred riding short when on holiday as you can just never tell with New Zealand weather. Pah... who needs a broomstick I say.
Really nice fabric - merino sometimes gets baggy really quickly but these fit well, very cosy, comfortable padding - highly recommended.
These do exactly what they say on the tin. They are warm and comfortable. Great for a commute on a chilly morning. But my boyfriend has started calling my commuter bike my "broomstick" to go with the witch theme. Hopefully I'm a Glinda rather than a Wicked Witch of the West.
Admittedly, I bought my last pair of Witches Britches about 7 years ago, and they lasted so well! I can't rate them high enough on design/longevity - these new ones appear to be a slightly different material, so too early to tell for these. My disappointment with this latest version is that, unfortunately, at some point during the intervening years, they removed my favourite feature of the witches britches, which were the fleecy knees - please bring them back!!