I wore the same pair of baggy moto-cut shorts for three seasons. They flapped on descents, snagged on the saddle during steep manuals, and held enough water after a creek crossing to fill a Nalgene. I told myself that’s just how mountain bike shorts work.

It isn’t. The industry finally figured that out too.

The 2026 shorts market looks nothing like even two years ago. Shorter inseams, lighter fabrics, cleaner cuts. The moto-inspired bulk that dominated mountain bike apparel for a decade is fading, replaced by trail-fit designs that move with you instead of around you. Troy Lee Designs launched the new Skyline this spring with a trimmer silhouette that would’ve been unthinkable in their lineup three years ago. Patagonia updated the Dirt Roamer 2 with 86% recycled polyester while keeping the stretch-panel construction that made the original a sleeper hit. And the price floor dropped—Race Face has a functional trail short at $50.

But the real buying decision nobody talks about? The liner.

Top Picks

Short	Best For	Liner	Inseam	Price
Troy Lee Designs Skyline	Best overall	Sold separately (~$55)	~12”	~$130
Patagonia Dirt Roamer 2	Sustainability + stretch	None included	~12”	~$109
Fox Ranger	Best value all-rounder	Included (mesh)	~12.5”	~$75
Race Face Trigger	Budget trail short	None included	~13”	~$50
Rapha Trail Short	Premium fit + liner	Included (chamois)	~11.5”	~$130

---

What Actually Matters in MTB Shorts

Stretch placement and liner quality. Everything else—pocket layout, waist closure, branding—is preference. These two determine whether a short works on trail or just looks right in the parking lot.

Stretch matters because mountain biking demands a bigger range of motion than most riders think about. You’re not just pedaling. You’re dropping your heels on steep descents, throwing a leg over the saddle on technical mounts, hinging at the hip through compressions. A short that doesn’t stretch at the right points (inner thigh, back yoke, behind the knee) restricts movement exactly when you need it most. I spent a full season in a four-way stretch short after years in rigid nylon, and the difference in how my legs moved through rock gardens was immediate. Not subtle. Immediate.

The liner question is where most buying guides go quiet, and it’s the single most divisive decision in the category. Three options:

1. Chamois liner included (Rapha Trail, some 7mesh models): A padded chamois sewn into a separate liner short. Best for rides over two hours where sit-bone pressure builds. Adds cost, adds warmth, adds a layer you have to wash separately. But for long days in the saddle, the padding prevents the kind of deep-tissue soreness that ruins the last hour of a ride.
2. Mesh liner included (Fox Ranger, Dakine Boundary): A lightweight mesh inner short without chamois padding. Keeps things in place, reduces friction between skin and outer fabric, adds almost no warmth. Won’t help with saddle pressure on long rides, but won’t trap heat on short ones either.
3. No liner (Troy Lee Skyline, Patagonia Dirt Roamer, Race Face Trigger): Sold without any liner. Wear whatever you want underneath. Your own chamois, compression shorts, or nothing. Maximum flexibility, and honestly what most experienced trail riders prefer because they already own liners they like. The downside: the all-in cost goes up if you need to buy a liner separately.

I fall in camp three. I have two chamois liners I rotate, and I wear them under whichever outer short I grab. But I know riders who swear by the Rapha’s integrated setup because they don’t want to think about it. Neither approach is wrong. The approach most guides take—ignoring the liner entirely—is.

---

Do You Need Enduro Shorts or Trail Shorts?

The categories are blurring, but here’s a practical breakdown:

1. Trail shorts use lighter fabrics (under 150g/m2), shorter inseams (11-13 inches), and prioritize pedaling comfort and breathability. Minimal reinforcement. Designed for rides where climbing is half the effort. Most riders reading this want trail shorts.
2. Enduro shorts use heavier, more abrasion-resistant fabrics, sometimes add hip padding or reinforced panels at crash zones, and run slightly longer inseams for more coverage. Designed for shuttle days and races where you’re descending hard and crashing is in the equation.
3. The 2026 middle ground is trail shorts with stretch panels and enough durability to handle occasional enduro days. The Troy Lee Skyline and Fox Ranger both live here—light enough to pedal, tough enough for a bike park session. If you own one pair of shorts, this is the category.

For riders doing dedicated enduro racing or bike park laps, a purpose-built enduro short with reinforced panels still makes sense. For everyone else—and that’s most of us—a well-made trail short handles everything from after-work loops to all-day epics.

---

Best Overall: Troy Lee Designs Skyline

Price: ~$130 | Fabric: Polyester/spandex blend | Inseam: ~12” | Liner: Sold separately | Waist: BOA dial closure

Troy Lee killed the moto-baggy. The 2026 Skyline is a full rethink of TLD’s shorts lineup: trimmer cut, shorter inseam, and a fit that actually follows the shape of a leg instead of hanging off it like a sail. I’ve been wearing these since they showed up in March, and the difference from TLD’s previous generation is striking.

The BOA dial waist closure is the standout detail. Velcro tabs loosen as you ride. Snap buttons pop under hip pack straps. The BOA dial cinches to your waist and stays there through four hours of pedaling, descending, and everything in between. I haven’t adjusted it mid-ride once. The fabric is a polyester-spandex blend with four-way stretch concentrated in the inner thigh and back yoke—the zones that matter for saddle transitions and steep descents. On my local rocky trails, the Skyline moved with every hip hinge and heel drop without binding or riding up.

No liner included. At $130, I’d have liked TLD to throw one in. Their matching liner runs about $55, which pushes the total kit to $185. That’s steep. But if you already ride with a liner you like, the $130 outer short stands on its own as the best-fitting trail short I’ve worn this year.

Pocket access is smart: zippered thigh pocket that’s accessible while riding (tested this pulling out my phone on a fire road, no contortion required), plus a rear zippered pocket that stays flat under a hip pack. Two pockets. Both useful. No cargo-short excess.

Best for: Trail and enduro riders who want the best fit and build quality available. Riders upgrading from older moto-cut shorts who want a modern silhouette. Anyone who’s fought with Velcro waist closures that loosen mid-ride.

Skip if: $130 for shorts without a liner feels wrong to you (fair), or you prefer a looser, more relaxed fit. The Skyline runs trimmer than previous TLD shorts—size up if you’re between.

---

Best Sustainability Pick: Patagonia Dirt Roamer 2

Price: ~$109 | Fabric: 86% recycled polyester with spandex panels | Inseam: ~12” | Liner: None included | Waist: Snap button with internal drawcord

Patagonia updated the Dirt Roamer with a materials story that actually matters: 86% recycled polyester, Fair Trade Certified sewn. But I wouldn’t recommend these for the environmental specs alone. I’d recommend them because the stretch-panel construction is excellent.

The Dirt Roamer 2 uses gusseted panels at the inner thigh and crotch that allow full leg extension without pulling the waistband down. Patagonia kept this construction from the original and refined the panel placement—the stretch zones feel wider and the transition from rigid main fabric to stretch panels is less abrupt. On a three-hour ride with 2,500 feet of climbing, the Dirt Roamer pedaled as comfortably as any short here.

The fabric has a slightly softer hand than the TLD Skyline—less technical-feeling, more like something you’d wear to the brewery after the ride without looking overdressed. That’s Patagonia’s design ethos showing through, and for riders who want one short for the trail and the drive home, it works.

Snap button waist with internal drawcord. Functional, not fancy. The drawcord adds adjustability the snap alone doesn’t provide. I’d still prefer the Skyline’s BOA dial, but the Dirt Roamer’s closure hasn’t slipped or popped on me.

Best for: Riders who care about materials sourcing without sacrificing trail performance. Long-ride comfort with genuinely good stretch-panel construction. The best on-bike-to-off-bike crossover short.

Skip if: You want a liner included at this price, or you need the most technical construction available (the Skyline and Rapha are more refined on-trail).

---

Best Value: Fox Ranger

Price: ~$75 | Fabric: Polyester ripstop with TruMotion stretch | Inseam: ~12.5” | Liner: Included (mesh, no chamois) | Waist: Velcro tab with snap

The Ranger has been Fox’s volume seller for years, and the reason is simple: it works, and it includes a liner, and it’s $75. That combination beats almost everything else in a value calculation.

The included mesh liner won’t replace a chamois on long rides, but it keeps things organized and reduces skin-on-fabric friction. For rides under 90 minutes, which is most weekday rides for most of us, the mesh liner is all you need. I’ve done two-hour rocky rides in the Ranger without a chamois and been fine. Three hours, and I start wishing for padding. Your tolerance may differ.

Fox’s TruMotion stretch fabric gives good range of motion without the premium feel of the Skyline’s blend. The stretch is there, it works, but the fabric has a slightly stiffer hand that you notice on the first few pedal strokes. By ten minutes into the ride, I’ve stopped thinking about it.

The half-inch longer inseam compared to the Skyline and Dirt Roamer puts the Ranger in slightly more traditional territory. Not moto-baggy—just a touch more coverage above the knee. Some riders prefer this, especially when paired with knee pads where the short-to-pad overlap matters.

Velcro waist closure. It loosens. It always loosens. I cinch it tight at the trailhead and re-adjust once or twice per ride. At $75, I’m not complaining. At $130, I would be—which is why the Skyline uses BOA.

Best for: Riders who want a complete package under $80. First-time buyers who don’t own a liner yet. The broadest recommendation for anyone who just wants to ride without overthinking their shorts.

Skip if: You want premium fit and fabric (Skyline) or you need a chamois liner for long rides (Rapha or BYO). The Ranger is the honest mid-range choice, and it knows it.

---

Budget Pick: Race Face Trigger

Price: ~$50 | Fabric: Polyester | Inseam: ~13” | Liner: None | Waist: Velcro tab

The Trigger proves you don’t need to spend $100 for functional trail shorts. At $50, Race Face delivers a basic polyester short with adequate stretch, clean construction, and a fit that works on a bike. Not the lightest. Not the stretchiest. Not the most refined. But it works.

The longer 13-inch inseam is the most traditional cut in this roundup. If you’re coming from older shorts and the modern trim fits feel too exposed above the knee, the Trigger’s length will feel familiar. It also overlaps better with taller knee pads where gap-free coverage matters.

No liner. At $50, that’s expected. Bring your own or go without. The waistband runs true to size and the Velcro tab holds well enough for trail riding, though it’s a simpler construction than the Fox Ranger’s combination closure.

I’d buy the Trigger for two scenarios: building a first kit on a budget (spend the savings on proper shoes and gloves), or having a second pair of beater shorts for muddy days and mechanical-heavy rides where you don’t want to trash your good pair.

Best for: Budget-conscious riders. Beater-short duty. Riders who’d rather put money into contact points and protection first.

Skip if: You want stretch fabric, included liner, or premium waist closure. The Trigger is a $50 short and the trade-offs are proportional.

---

Best Premium Liner: Rapha Trail Short

Price: ~$130 | Fabric: Nylon/elastane blend | Inseam: ~11.5” | Liner: Included (chamois) | Waist: Internal drawcord with snap

The Rapha Trail is for riders who want to pull on one thing and go. The included chamois liner is the best integrated liner in any shorts I’ve tested—the chamois pad is thinner than a road cycling chamois but thick enough to eliminate sit-bone pressure through three-plus-hour rides. The mesh panels in the liner vent well and the whole inner short stays in position without bunching.

At $130, the Rapha costs the same as the Skyline but includes the liner. That math matters. If you’d need to buy a liner separately for the TLD, the Rapha’s all-in cost is lower. The outer short’s nylon-elastane fabric is quiet, stretchy, and has a tailored fit that runs shorter than anything else here at 11.5 inches. It’s the most road-cycling-influenced cut in the group. Some mountain bikers love this. Others want more coverage.

Build quality is Rapha-level, which means excellent stitching, refined details, and a price premium for the branding. On trail, the short performs comparably to the Skyline in terms of stretch and freedom of movement. Where it falls behind: abrasion resistance. The lighter nylon shell won’t hold up to repeated crash-and-slide the way heavier polyester will. For trail riding, that’s fine. For enduro days, the Skyline’s fabric is tougher.

Best for: Riders who want an all-in-one setup with quality chamois. Long-ride comfort without buying a separate liner. Riders who prefer a short, tailored inseam.

Skip if: You already own liners you prefer, or you want maximum durability for aggressive terrain. The Rapha trades ruggedness for refined fit and ride comfort.

---

What We Tested But Didn’t Recommend

7mesh Glidepath: Excellent construction at $140, but the fit runs narrow through the thigh and the lack of included liner at that price feels like a miss. The Skyline fits a wider range of body types for $10 less.

Specialized Trail Short: Good stretch, odd pocket placement. The main thigh pocket sits too far forward to access while seated and too far back to reach while standing. At $90, the Fox Ranger gives you a liner and better pocket design for $15 less.

Endura Hummvee: A longtime favorite that’s starting to feel dated. The cut is still more moto-baggy than the 2026 competition, and the included liner’s chamois is thinner than the Rapha’s. Solid for the price (~$80) but the Fox Ranger at $75 with a liner has largely replaced it.

---

How to Choose

You want the best fit and construction available: Troy Lee Designs Skyline at $130. BOA waist closure, four-way stretch where it counts, the cleanest modern trail cut. Bring your own liner.

You want stretch and sustainability: Patagonia Dirt Roamer 2 at $109. 86% recycled polyester, excellent gusseted stretch panels, and a look that works off the bike.

You want the most short for the money: Fox Ranger at $75. Included mesh liner, good stretch, proven design. The safe recommendation.

Budget is the priority: Race Face Trigger at $50. Functional trail short, no frills. Spend what you save on pedals and a helmet.

You want everything in one pull-on: Rapha Trail at $130. Best integrated chamois liner in the category, tailored fit, premium construction.

For more on how the industry is trending toward streamlined trail apparel, Pinkbike’s apparel coverage tracks the broader shift well. And Blister Review’s shorts testing does long-term durability write-ups that complement what we cover here.

---

The Bottom Line

The moto-baggy era is over. Not because anyone declared it—because the shorts just got better. Trimmer cuts that move with your body instead of flapping around it. Stretch panels placed where your legs actually hinge. Lighter fabrics that dry faster and weigh less. The 2026 shorts market finally caught up to how trail riding actually looks and feels.

The Troy Lee Designs Skyline at $130 is the short I’m wearing most this season. The BOA closure and four-way stretch set a new bar for how trail shorts should fit. But the Fox Ranger at $75 with its included mesh liner is what I’d tell most riders to buy—it handles everything from Tuesday loops to Saturday all-dayers without asking you to spend $130 on shorts alone.

And figure out your liner situation. Chamois, mesh, or nothing—all valid. Just stop ignoring the layer closest to your skin on a four-hour ride. It matters more than the outer short it hides under.

---

Last updated March 2026. Prices are approximate USD street prices. All shorts tested on Rocky Mountain Front Range singletrack, winter 2025–spring 2026.