Royal 2014 Matrix Shorts (discontinued)

The first thing I noticed about the Matrix short is the attention to detail. As with most clothing items from Royal Racing, the fine small details make all the difference. Although the Royal Racing logo is plastered thoughout the outside/inside of the shorts it is done in a tasteful manner that just adds to the quality of the shorts, even the buttons have the Royal logo on them.

I really like that although these are a great bike short they aren’t too much to just wear off the bike. They come in three colors for 2013 and none of them are too loud to be worn off the bike. They feature a lot open deep pockets and a couple of zippered pockets as well to keep your valuables secured. Fit wise they come with waist adjusters that allow you to customize your fit. The matrix short also comes with a padded liner but I removed that, the nice thing is that the pad is removable so you can wear with or without.

One thing that I really like is that the back of the waist of the short is a bit higher than the front meaning that your arse won’t be hanging out when you ride. These shorts are light and breathable and make a really good trail/XC short and aren’t as bulky as some of the other DH specific shorts. Overall I would strongly recommend these shorts.

Just got done riding in these shorts a few times and they are my new favorite. The chamois is great as it fits comfortably and doesn't feel like there is a ton of extra padding. I could easily use this chamois with all my other shorts. Pockets aren't to deep or too shallow, and there are several of them to hold a map, phone, keys and anything else you may need. The one drawback is that space is tight with these pockets so you can only carry one slim thing in each pocket.

I use these for trail riding and they aren't super thick or super thin, they also dry pretty quick if you choose to take a dip in them.

Other than that, love the design (got the gray pair for 2013) and already crashed in them as well on some rocks...they are durable.