Specialized Women's Andorra Pro Short

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Review by Courtney Steen // Photos by Brandon Turman

Okay, yeah. I’m a girl. I love puppies, flowers, and colors. When I was told, “Hey, Specialized has some new women’s trail clothes for 2014 that have fun colors,” my immediate and completely appropriate response was, “Color? Oooo, show me, show me!”

Similar to their philosophy when developing bikes, Specialized looked to rider needs and seized the opportunity to create mountain bike apparel that can improve a ride. By focusing on rider mobility, comfort, and durability, Specialized built apparel collections specific to trail, all-mountain, and gravity riders. The Andorra Women’s range for all-mountain riding is similar to the Men’s Enduro line. Key features of the 2014 apparel line-up are VaporRize fabrics developed with fibers and construction designs to move moisture away from the skin, and DeflectUV fabrics with Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) ratings from UPF 30 to UPF 50.

Andorra Comp Long Sleeve Jersey Highlights

• VaporRize moisture transfer knit fabrics
• One zippered side pocket with sunglass wipe
• DeflectUV 30
• Relaxed fit
• Sizes: XS-XL
• Colors: Purple/Light Teal, Black/Carbon, Black/Pink
• MSRP: $70.00

Andorra Pro Short Highlights

• VaporRize moisture transfer woven fabrics
• Three zippered pockets and two zippered vents
• Side waist adjustment tabs
• Deflect UV 50+
• 11-1/2" inseam-size medium
• Sizes: XS-XL
• Colors: Purple/Light Teal, Carbon/Pink
• MSRP: $135.00

Initial Impressions

Straight out of the packaging, I was very excited about the Andorra apparel. Yes, they have pretty colors, but they were also very comfortable when I put them on. First up, the Andorra Pro shorts. They are a relaxed fit around the legs and a perfect fit to my hips. The size L shorts measure in with about a 37” waistband, 12.5” inseam, and 10” rise. The side waist adjustment uses a snag-free Velcro with good grip strength and low profile, non-bulky rubber adjustment tabs.

There is also regular Velcro around the waistband closure snaps. This Velcro keeps the buttons from popping open on you. The shorts have two zippered vents, one on each thigh. All zippers are a light teal color, which is a fun contrast to the purple of the shorts. Love it.

The zippered hand pockets are constructed of mesh to keep them lightweight and cool. The very bottom of the pockets has an added layer of reinforcement to hopefully make them impervious to blowouts from keys, the arch nemesis of mesh pockets. An additional little pocket is found at the back of the waistband of the shorts. This clever stash is for little things such as credit, ID, and/or insurance cards. The overall construction of the Andorra shorts is clean and good quality.

The Andorra Comp Long Sleeve Jersey is soft and silky with a comfortable, relaxed fit. The sublimated patterns and colors on the fabric don’t hinder breathability, as there is no added screen-printed ink. The only screen printing on the jersey is the small Specialized logo at the back of the neck and the Andorra branding down by the right-side hem.

There are two types of fabric used on the jersey: a glossy main body and topside of the sleeves, and a more breathable material along the body sides and the underside of the sleeves. The jersey features DeflectUV fabric with a UPF 30 rating. The UPF rating is a measure of how much UV light is blocked by the fabric from reaching the skin. Weave, color, and the type of material influence this feature (additives can also be used to increase a fabric's UPF rating). Specialized configured the weight and construction of their fabrics to achieve the UV protection desired so it will never wear off or washout. Already a heavy user of sunscreen, it is nice to know Specialized has my back covered from sun damage too. On that note, it is time to get out and enjoy some sunshine and single track.

On The Trail

Over the spring and early summer, my Specialized Andorra kit has seen lots of use. Maybe it’s spring fever or my affinity for color, but I wear each of these items as often as I can. The shorts pedal well, moving with my legs, not resisting them, and don’t feel tight or bunchy anywhere. When I looked more closely at the fabric on the inside, it actually has a soft raised pattern built into it that slides smoothly over the skin. Genius design!

Not being a very hippy girl, I usually struggle to keep pants up. I am very happy to report that these shorts stay up without a belt. I’ve never had to pause to pull them up nor had to do any little shimmies in the saddle or goonish knee-out pedals to get them hitched to the right place(s). Though the short material isn’t super stretchy, a little horizontal 2-way stretch coupled with the elastic panel at the back of the shorts makes them as easy to move in as I could hope for. They are even good for some post ride yoga stretches.

The hand pockets are well placed and appropriately sized for anything you could want to put in them. My iPhone, AKA “The Brick” in its OtterBox Defender case, has grown to cinderblock size in a new waterproof OtterBox Armor case, ready for rainy rides. Either way, brick or cinderblock, it fits in the pockets and sits in a comfortable location for pedaling. The little stash pocket in the waistband is something completely new to me. It took me a few rides before I even remembered to try stashing some cards back there. The pocket is just the right size for them, and I completely forget they’re there when riding. So forgettable in fact, I wandered around without my credit card and ID for a few days before finding them on laundry day. Oopsy.

Another little pocket I use on rides is on the jersey. It is perfect for my chapstick and a house or a truck key. These items are so small and light, I almost never noticed them bouncing around in the jersey. The rest of the jersey isn’t half bad either. It is soft, a good length for hunkered over pedaling, and comfortably loose, yet not so loose it flaps around while descending. If I feel warm after a climb or as morning turns to midday, the sleeves easily pull up and stay put. They don’t fall down my arm as I continue riding.

Things That Could Be Improved

Well golly! There isn’t much I can complain about on the Andorra Pro Shorts. All I can come up with are that the leg vents feel a little scratchy when they are opened. The edges of the zipper tape are exposed in the sandwich of vent mesh lining and fabric. The tape has slightly rough edges, especially compared to how soft the rest of the shorts are. When the vent is open, the edges are directed down toward the skin. The scratching would be less if the zipper tape were enclosed in the sandwich like an empanada by some extra stitching around the outermost perimeter or by a binding, like how quilt borders are finished. Of course I get used to it - and unlike the princess and the pea, I won’t loose sleep over it.

The Andorra Long Sleeve Jersey’s stitching job could be improved on. There is quite a bit of puckering around the seams, particularly around the curve of the neck hole and around the side panels. The puckering probably also appears more exaggerated since the fabric is glossy. It looks like the result of fabrics stretching unevenly during the sewing process. One side stretches more than the other going through the machine and then after sewing is done, the fabrics return to their relaxed lengths with one side all scrunched up.

Long Term Durability

So far, so good for me, I haven’t taken any big spills in either the Andorra shorts or jersey. Most of the materials have a tight weave, so I am hopeful that they would hold up against some abuse even if they are light weight. Unfortunately there is some snagging in the jersey’s more loosely woven side panels. The Andorra branding screen-printed on the side of the jersey is also fading, becoming difficult to read. Lastly, curse the things of nature you can’t help, the white on the jersey sleeves has some mud staining from ride number one. The purple is also stained, but you can only tell by looking at the inside of the jersey where the fabric is white. Perhaps wishing it were un-stainable is like wishing I could eat ice cream everyday and not weigh 200 pounds. Sigh.

What's The Bottom Line?

Favorites. My girly side and my mountain biker sides are both happy with these two items. Of all the shorts in my closet, I go to these Andorra Pro Shorts the most. They feel awesome, fit awesome, ride awesome, and look awesome. Did I mention they are awesome? Perhaps it’s the color, or it’s the material, but dust just brushes off of them. I’ve even dug back into the hamper convinced they aren’t that dirty and can go out for another ride. Or I’ve specially hand washed them so I can have them for a ride when they are unforgivably filthy. The Andorra Long Sleeve Comp Jersey, in spite of its scrunchy seams, is also the favorite of my long sleeves. With such a comfortable fit and feeling so soft, it’s hard to beat. Even on a day I could wear a short sleeve jersey, if I think I can get away with this lightweight long sleeve, I wear it. Good work Specialized – a darn near perfect job.

For more information, point your browser at www.specialized.com.

About The Reviewer

Courtney Steen has been hitting the dirt on two wheels since 2007 when she started riding mountain bikes in college. She raced alongside her collegiate cycling team in every event from XC and short track to downhill and mountain cross, scoring several podiums, fist pumps and shiny medals along the way. A dream trail for this girl would have lots of down, some fast and flowy, and like the sprinkles on a cupcake, some fun technical sections to keep her on her toes – we’re talking mountain biking after all, not cruising a sidewalk. Courtney currently lives on the road with her boyfriend in a 5th wheel toy hauler loaded with bikes, traveling from one mountain bike mecca to the next in search of the best trails North America has to offer. Anytime she's on a bike and in the dirt, she has two thumbs up and a big smile.