Przewalski shorts. I hadn't planned to buy another pair of shorts after just getting the Black Bibs (which are excellent for the money). But the Przewalski shorts popped up on my Facebook feed for only $5 and change on a one-day sale -- apparently targeted to some folks who allow tracking by Amazon, Facebook, etc. That's why I stay logged into Facebook, Amazon and my Google account full time on Chrome -- just for the occasional special sales. (For privacy and to escape the filter bubble I use Firefox, DuckDuckGo and Startpage.)
I figured at five bucks I had nothing to lose. I wasn't expecting much. But I'll be darned -- these Przewalskis are good shorts for the money. I'd compare them to my AeroTech Pro shorts in terms of quality -- just good, basic, no-frills shorts.
In some respects the Krzewalski shorts are more refined than the AeroTech Pro:
- The fit is more snug, with more compression -- I'm 5'11", 160 lbs, a medium with skinny legs and these are the first medium shorts I've tried that actually have some compression effect on me. Some folks might do better with a large, if they're on the border between medium and large in most shorts.
- They sag less in the butt than my AeroTech Pro, which I often need to hitch up.
- The thigh grippers are micro-dots along a wide hem, which should be less irritating to folks whose skin gets chafed from other grippers.
- The logo is quite nice for this price point, with highly reflective lettering on the rear left hip and left thigh. Nobody will be able to read the name but the script looks good.
- The padding is unusual, with a smoother surface texture, dimpled like a golf ball, variable density as needed but no fussy 3D sculpted stuff like most short that resembles a graphic representation of franks and beans.... johnson and the twins... twigs and berries... you get the idea. The padding under the sit bones is much thicker and denser with less compression than anything else I've worn -- and darned if it isn't comfortable. I usually prefer the AeroTech Pro with the minimalist black/tan pad that feels more like old school leather chamois than most pads. But I can see how the Przewalski pad would be comfy over a long ride on a firm saddle. Seems to breathe and wick well too.
I'll need a few more rides but so far I'm liking it. Even at the full price of $25 these are worth trying. And they have a twofer special with the second pair at half price.
BTW, the vendor didn't contact me personally for this sale or review. Several of us got the same discount code on Facebook but the other folks said the code didn't work for them. It worked for me when I entered it at checkout. I don't do fake reviews on Amazon and am pretty blunt in reviews even for products I've been invited to review -- which may be why I've never had a repeat request from any vendor.
Anyway, if you like AeroTech Pro shorts or similar budget shorts, you'll probably like these even with the unusually thick and firm pad.