By James Sharp

Many riders see bicycle clothing as necessity. Having the right gear for the job can add to the enjoyment of the activity, not just in cycling but also almost any outdoor activity. Good boots make hiking less of a chore and a good backpack enables more weight to be carried with less fatigue. In cycling one the most important accessories, next to a good helmet, are pants or shorts made for the activity.

One of the major sources of complaints among novice riders is saddle sore-ness. While time in the saddle or buying a better saddle will improve comfort, a good padded pair of shorts or pants will do wonders. When you combine a padded short with a good saddle, it's nothing short of heaven.

One of Cannondale's most versatile offerings in this area is their Terra Cargo Pants. This is really three different garments in one. You have a water resistant pair of pants, a pair of cargo shorts and a removable liner. With the liner removed, these pants can be easily worn over a pair of padded tights for very cold weather, without adding much bulk. Because the legs zip off, this would be a great garment to have for trips where the weather can change on you and you only have a small amount of room for bike gear.

Overall the quality of these pants is apparent in the details. There is a host of shock cords for one-handed adjustment at the waist and at the ankles. The flap on the grommetted cargo pocket is easily opened with a gloved hand due to its shock cord pull-tab and a Velcro closure to keep the flap shut. One caveat though, the cinches at the waist don't really want to stay very tight. I found it necessary to tie them into a knot once I had them where I wanted them.

The Terra pants are water resistant, though they aren't rain pants. They are well made, pretty tough and rather warm. Unfortunately, that is about all the good that I can say about them. While baggy is 'in', there is a limit. I wouldn't mind hanging out after the ride in these, but comfort during the ride is more important in cycling specific garments. While not uncomfortable by any means, they did not move with me. I seemed to be fighting them the entire time that I was riding. The cords would loosen, or the much-to-low crotch would hang up just when I needed to get behind the saddle, or get back on it for that matter. At first I thought that I had ordered a pair too big, even though the inner short was little on the tight side, so I had someone taller than I am use them; he reported the same crotch-hanging problem. Bummer. I really wanted to like these pants. I am fan of Cannondale's lycra offerings, and even their Terra shirts, but no matter how much I wanted to, I didn't like using these pants, even as shorts.

Summary: At $95 they are reasonably priced considering you get a pair of pants that doubles as shorts when the weather gets warmer. While I really applaud the idea of versatility in the Terra pants, the idea was poorly executed. They are well made, but they didn't seem to be made for cycling. If they fit better, i.e. less baggy, I would recommend them for anyone looking for winter/spring riding clothes.

James Sharp is a contributing editor to GearReview.com specializing in mountain biking.

For more information, contact:
Cannondale Corp
16 Trowbridge Drive
Bethel, CT 06801
1-800-BIKEUSA
custserv@cannondale.com
www.cannondale.com