Troy Lee Designs Moto Vs. Sprint Short Shootout

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Overview:

The purpose of this review is to compare two stalwarts of the TLD range, the Sprint (All Mountain / Trail) and the Moto (DH / FR) shorts and see how they stack up. Troy Lee Designs gear on the whole has been a by-word for quality, reliability, excellent fit, and all round desirability in the world of MTB and Moto for several years now – certainly as long as I’ve been riding! Their shorts are no exception to this rule and especially if, like I did, you can pick them up at bargain prices of PinkBike or through your preferred retailer then they are a no-brainer. In total I paid around £50 for both pairs around 7 months ago and having now used them I would struggle to go back to general use outdoors shorts that I always used before, even with the steep asking price.

Each short has been worn at least on 12 separate occasions in a variety of conditions for a variety of riding from all day epics to DH shuttle days and normal weekly trail smashing.


(Photo - Star)


> Kit: Troy Lee Designs Moto (Green) / Sprint Shorts (White)

> Price: £65 / £70

> Key Features: Tough material, A selection of usable pockets, Great fit and cut, Breathable sections in key areas which are surprisingly water-proof, Some of the best shorts going

Review:

>Fit: (Winner – Sprint)

Until you have experienced a pair of shorts which are cut for the sport specifically then it is hard to appreciate just how much of a revelation it is. Pure and simple, I prefer the fit of the Sprints. They are a little more tucked up around the seat and crotch resulting in no saddle catching short moments (especially when transferring your weight from the front of the bike to the back in turns) which I did experience fairly regularly with the Moto's. This is not only off-putting and results in slower transitions of your body around the bike but could catch a rider off guard and send them over the bars. The Sprints are just more comfortable on your person; they still happily fit a set of DH style knee-pads and have a very welcome waist adjustment strap which makes finding the perfect fit a cinch. The Motos’ by comparison have a far simpler waist adjustment mechanism – relying solely on the closing ratchet at the front over the zipper and generally sitting lower around the waist, very cool Im sure but not where I want my riding shorts! On the fit front alone the Sprints stand out in this test.

>Design: (Winner – Moto)

Here is where the tables turn slightly. When I first received the shorts the first thing I noticed about the Sprint was that it had a bright red zipper on my white shorts… no biggie you may think but why they felt the need to highlight this part of the shorts, especially when there is no de-rigour fabric cover, I don’t know! I much prefer the traditional modesty of the Moto’s thank you very much!

However, there is more to the design of the Motos’ that is far less superficial, for a start they have pockets – three in fact to the Sprints zero. There are two decent sized leg pockets with excellent closure systems (perfect for a mobile in dry(ish) conditions or more realistically a mini-tool or gel etc) and a rather obscure seat pocket, a nice addition but as you basically sit on it I'm not sure what it’s for and have never got round to putting anything in there… The Moto’s lack the mesh lining of the Sprints however this has never really been an issue or indeed been felt by me.

Note the logos on the white Sprint and the pockets on the green Motos

>Fabric: (Winner – Moto)

Here again the Moto’s win out by in essence appearing slightly harder wearing whilst also being more comfortable and flexible – defying convention indeed! Explained below:

Aside from removing the annoying mesh liner (as most riders would use a separate padded liner I don’t see it as necessary– or if they don’t then they don’t know what they are missing!) the Sprint’s also have a very large logo emblazoned down the side of both legs and an amount of plastic piping as well. This has the effect of stiffening the materiel of the short and making you the rider in turn far more aware that they are there – not a good thing. Despite the slight issues I have with the cut of the Moto’s (discussed above) they are the more comfortable short. Their fabric is easy to wear and once you’ve adjusted to how they sit you’ll never consider them again and that’s the best attribute for any piece of kit I can think of.

TLD Moto's - Note the useful side pockets and the lack of large obtrusive logos


>Summary:

These are expensive pieces of gear and I imagine for most riders if spare cash is found for a new pair of shorts, a luxury in many ways, then kitting yourself out with TLD’s entire line-up isn’t an option. If then, like the rest of the article’s in this thread, your riding emphasis is on the more gravity focused side of life with a little trail riding thrown in to piece together the best spots then I firmly believe the Moto's will be the best use of your money (interestingly on TLD's newer AM Ruckus shorts the annoying side logos have vanished for a far more Moto esque look...). That said they are slightly cheaper and also often pop up in the classifieds is an added bonus.

It’s worth noting that with gear of this level drawing a distinction between them requires a deal of personnel preference and nit-picking however, I hope this has been of some use to you all – happy trails and please add to the discussion below.