Prior to a recent bike tour I wandered through my local REI just brousing for gloves. I found the Zoic Ether shorts near the gloves and was taken by both the their appearance and the apparent quality of the construction. I tried them on and the fit was perfect in the dressing room. I took a chance on them being equally comfortable while riding (I was previously unfamiliar with the Zoic brand).

After several days of riding and many miles, I can report that they met my every expectation. Felt great and looked good. As a bonus, I was very pleased with the quick drying characteristic of both the assualt liner and the outer shorts. On more than one occasion, I washed them both in a hotel sink with a little Woolite brand detergent (low sudsing), wrung them out thouroughly (I also rolled them into a thick bath towel and pressed them forcefully to get them as dry as possible) and placed them over the shower curtain to finish drying. The next morning both pairs of shorts were dry and ready to wear, even the padded portion of the assault liner was dry.

I was going to buy a second liner but with the easy over-night wash and quick dry I do not find that necessary. I will probably buy another set in a different color just for variety.

Peace.

The Ether shorts first caught my eye at a shop in Moab. I found last year's model on sale at REI last summer and took the plunge. Far and away, these are the best MTB shorts I've ever had. Much better than Fox Ranger and a few older Zoic models i've tried Great fit, nice fabric, excellent pockets! The outer shell also works great with other liners if I don't get the laundry done in time.

I bought a pair of Zoic Ether shorts in 2009 and love them. There are plenty of well placed pockets for whatever you need to carry and some a nice pocket with loops to deal with your ipod and headphones. I love the adjustable waist which allows me to keep the fit right. The removable liner fits well and provides ample padding. I have used the liner under my North Face shorts and that was great too. Overall, I think the ether short is a great value. Well made, nice features and good looking. I just ordered another pair in a different color.

When I first discovered these shorts, I was amazed by how well they fit right off the shelf. Unfortunately though, my local outfitter didn't have my color/size in stock. Gunmetal was my first color choice but the liner was missing. My next option was to go up a size in the black but they were just a touch too big. After calling, searching, and almost giving up, I was finally able to get my size in the black. Even though black was my second choice, my timing couldn't have been better. Still in search of my gunmetal shorts, I soon realized that most retailers had sold out of the Ether shorts. And for good reason. These shorts have live up to their legendary reputation and then some. These shorts were designed with function as the number one priority. As a reslut, the form that follows is an ergonomically correct, stylish, and most importantly, durable piece of equipment that can be depended upon day after day. Bottom line, these shorts are awesome except for the fact that they can be a hard commodity to find. And that's only because they're so good.