Endura Hummvee Lite Short

Endura's Hummvee Lite shorts are warm-weather-friendly versions of the company's iconic baggies. They're light, airy, and offer perfectly unrestricted movement. However, the detachable padded liner doesn't quite provide the comfort you might hope for.

I tested Endura's fantastic Hummvee Chino shorts a while back and thought they were about the best – and smartest – baggies I'd ever used. These 'Lite' versions from the same range eschew the stylish and hardwearing chino material for far lighter four-way stretch fabric, designed to provide better summer performance.

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In the saddle, that excellent warm weather provision is hard to dispute. These are superb lightweight and airy outer shorts that feel great on very warm days. The four-way stretch material isn't quite as nice to touch as the chino, but when it comes to keeping you cool, the outers are nothing but excellent. One particular highlight is movement, which feels perfectly unrestricted with extra material at the seat to enhance cycling suitability.

In terms of added features, there's not much to report. You've got a couple of open hip pockets and then a small zipped pocket at the bottom of the left thigh, which is ideal for keys.

There's also a small poppered pocket at the rear. Kudos to Endura for fitting two fairly heavy duty poppers as waistband closure – unlike popper closures on some other baggies, these are strong enough to do the job.

I called the main shorts 'outers' because, as with the Hummvee Chino shorts, the Lites come with a padded liner which is mini-poppered in place at four points just below the waistband. I'd say it's better to view those poppers more as a packaging feature because, as soon as you start trying to get the pad hoiked up, you may well find they start unpopping.

I had a similar problem when I tested the chinos, and it's actually worth keeping the liner and outer separate from the start, getting the liner pad exactly where you want it, then pulling the main shorts over the top. If you try to maintain the integrity between inners, popper fixings and outer shorts, there's a danger the pad won't get settled in exactly the right place. I tried keeping both parts poppered together before one ride and returned home feeling sorer than I would have expected had I even gone completely pad-less.

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That problem notwithstanding, the liner here doesn't offer quite as effective comfort as the Hummvee Chino shorts' liner and a quick look down the spec sheet explains why. The pad with the Lites is from Endura's 200 series – good for, Endura says, an hour or so of riding – whereas the chino shorts have a 300 series pad that will see you right for double that. I'm not someone who hankers after lots of cushioning, but the difference in pad performance is noticeable.

One last criticism is that, despite the outer shorts having quite a high back, I did find they slipped down in the saddle. Combine that with the very thin fabric of the liner – which goes see-through if it's stretched a bit – and if you're not wearing a long-tailed top, you can end up giving following road users more of an eyeful than either of you were expecting.

Value and conclusion

In terms of value, the Lites come in £5 more than the Hummvee Chino shorts, which surprises me a little as the chinos feel like a more substantial product. Endura of course isn't the only company making good baggies – Dave tested Rapha's £60 Commuter Shorts recently and thought they were OK, although they don't come with any padding. Better are Specialized's also pad-less RBX Adventure Over-Shorts for £75. In that company, the Hummvee Lites aren't bad value at all, even if you forget about the liner completely.

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And, in my opinion, that might the best way to see these shorts: as a great over-short with a padded liner thrown in. Certainly the outers are very well made, offering unrestricted movement and really excellent hot, summer cycling performance. If the liner works for you, well, that's a nice bonus. But if it's an all-round padded short you want, I'd still go for the smarter, harder wearing, comfier and even a little bit cheaper Hummvee Chinos.

Verdict

Excellent warm weather outer baggies that are let down slightly by their detachable padded liner