O’Neal Rockstaker Short 2017
Reviews / Shorts
128,085
At A Glance
Not as 'hardcore' as some of O'Neal's more aggressive moto-inspired clothing, the Rockstaker short is a fairly casual trail short. Available in three different colours which match into the ever-so-colourful O'Neal range, or can easily be worn with other brands, especially if you choose black.
Buy Shorts on
Featuring waist adjustment and velcro hem tabs, it has plenty of flexibility in size and fit. There are 2 standard pockets, two larger thigh pockets and two thigh vents to keep the air flowing in the right places.
On The Trail
The material is a light, flexible fabric lined with a mesh material with additional stretch panels to keep the fit snug and comfortable. The fabric offers little in the way of water repellency, and they feel very much like a summer short. Velcro tabs do the job of fine tuning the size but feel a little bit basic, especially the small velcro closures on the pockets which feel scratchy and stick to the inner lining.
The reversed zips for pockets and vents are functional if not sophisticated and are strong enough to survive substantial amounts of use. There are plenty of panels in the construction but not reinforcement on the backside giving the potential for stitching to wear out over time, however the summer feel of these mean they will most likely be used in good weather.
The size tested was a Euro 34 waist, which was spot on around the middle, but if riders are tall they will need to check the compatibility with pads, as the inseam is only 13 inches. For me, they left way too much gap between pads and shorts unless I used certain pads which finish a long way up!
The Rockstaker is very comfortable to wear on and off the bike, and given the short inseam they ended up getting more off the bike time than on, but this was no bad thing,
I question the need for 2 small vents on the front, and it strikes me as just an extra feature to add to the list, especially on a summer weight short.
Overall
Very comfortable, lightweight summer short, let down by the short inseam which will be an issue for longer legged riders. Although the fabric feels great and very high quality, the basic velcro closures let them down especially with a £89.99 price tag.
Buy Shorts on
For more information visit O’Neal Related
By Ewen Turner
Ewen Turner is a self-confessed bike geek from Kendal in the Lake District of England. He runs a coaching and guiding business up there and has a plethora of knowledge about bikes with an analytical approach to testing. His passion for bicycles is infectious, and he’s a ripper on the trails who prefers to fit his working life around his time on the bike.
