Review by Alice Burwell

I reviewed the Race Face Khyber baggy short recently and in the conclusion of the review I said the company’s Traverse baggy was the one to get for trail riding. Well Race Face obviously reads MBR, because not long after publication a Traverse baggy turned up for test.

Read more: Best women’s mountain bike saddles

The Traverse is made from a lighter weight polyester material than the Khyber and is definitely a summer-only short as there is not a lot of warmth. I got caught in a rain storm recently and the Traverse soon became saturated and stuck to my skin – although it did dry quickly.

Like the Khyber, you don’t get a liner, so you’ll have to provide one yourself. You also don’t get waist adjusters – instead, this short has an elasticated waist band, which I really like because there’s no bulky Velcro strap to dig in when leaning forward on the bike or sitting around at the end of a ride. The waist is really clean and tidy but it does mean you have to get the right size because there’s very little adjustment. To accommodate the widest range of women, Race Face offers the Traverse in five sizes, but only four are available in the UK. I think this is a mistake, not because I would prefer the XS instead of XL but this short is not really not adjustable, so there should be more sizes, not fewer.

To keep the traditional look, the Traverse gets a decoy fly on the front. There are also four zip pockets for your phone and money, although I’m not a fan of the flimsy tags on two of the zips, as they are fiddly to get hold of with gloves on.

Nor am I a big fan of the colour – it’s called Bordeaux and doesn’t go with much other kit, and actually looks like something my mum would wear. The logo is doesn’t really stand out, and while some women may prefer this lack of branding, I want to look like a mountain biker.

The Traverse is a really comfortable trail baggy, but I think it’s a bit expensive. If you are going to remove features like a fly and waist adjusters, and offer fewer size options than the men’s version, surely the price should reflect that?

Review by Alice Burwell