Huez Starman Shorts

The Huez Starman Shorts are comfortable and fit well, ideal for cyclists who don't want to bother with bib shorts with their strange shoulder straps. Good for commuting and shorter rides, too, as you can wear them under trousers or shorts and benefit from the comfort without having to look like a Lycra clad cyclist.

The Starman shorts are made from a ColdBlack Lycra fabric. It's soft next to the skin, and there's enough stretch to enhance the fit without feeling clingy. The ColdBlack technology provides protection when riding in sunny weather, with UPF 50 protection to prevent harmful UV rays from potentially damaging your skin.

> Find your nearest stockist here

> Buy these online here

As well as looking after you in the sunshine, a generous amount of 3M Scotchlite reflective material ensures good low light and night time visibility, helping you to stand out to other road users. Some of the rear reflective panel will be covered up, to varying degrees, by a cycling jersey or T-shirt, but it's a stylish way to add some reflectivity to the shorts.

Inside the shorts is a Serie 3.2.D/80 Italian made padded insert. The pad provides excellent comfort with a range of padding densities and thicknesses that basically puts more padding where you need it most, and less where you don't need it. It helps to avoid that nappy feeling. An anti-bacterial treatment is added to the insert as well.

The shorts offer a good fit. The leg openings are elasticated with silicone print on the inside of the hem ensuring they don't slip up your legs when pedalling. The elasticated waist band does a similar job of ensuring the shorts stay put without applying too much pressure around your middle.

The back of the shorts comes up a bit higher so you don't flash any flesh when crouched over on the bicycle.

I'm not normally a fan of non-bib shorts but I found these very comfortable. They're good on their own and a nice alternative to bib shorts, and I found them compliant around the waist. For shorter leisure rides they're a good substitute for bib shorts, and as I said at the start of the review, they're ideal for commuting, particularly if you want to wear baggy shorts or trousers over the top.

> Still too cold just for shorts? Check out our guide to the best leg and arm warmers

The only downside is the rather high price. At £95 they're just too expensive for what they're offering, and there are much cheaper alternatives available that do the job just as well. That said, the quality is clearly very high and the fit and comfort is excellent, with the reflective detailing adding a nice touch.

Verdict

Comfortable and nicely fitting padded shorts but rather expensive