Having a comfortable, chamois equipped Liner Bib Short means your trail riding experience can be more comfortable and supportive. But the folks at Specialized have been looking at clothing as a better option for carrying small and moderately sized items on your person while riding. Hence the SWAT™ concepts were applied to clothing, even lightweight liners like this Mountain Liner Bib Short w/ SWAT. Specialized developed the SWAT™ system to more efficiently and effectively carry the essentials you need while on the bike. The in-house gurus felt strongly that between the bike and clothing options, the need to wear a pack, or at least one with considerable onboard storage, was not only avoidable, but would make the riding experience more enjoyable. Therefore the current Mountain Liner Bib Short was developed as a patent-pending design that features five integrated SWAT™ pockets on the shorts themselves. It's smart, no doubt complicated to execute properly, and innovative- meaning it's perfect for the team at Specialized.

They is stability, control and anatomically informed placement and alignment so the pockets and their loads don't interfere or aggravate. The pockets sit flush against the body, and they're shaped and structured to ensure that their contents won't ever come bouncing out. Additionally, the pockets vary in size, shape and location, which means that you'll always have a perfectly shaped pocket for your big and small items, alike. There are two side pockets on the thighs, and a generous three pocket structure at the rear, that isn't fully pinned down so your outer short will come up under the loose section. A security zipper is here as well. It's a little like a road jersey pocket system, but part of the liner bib, which is more applicable to the trail crowd who prefer to wear a looser, mountain-style jersey while riding. The items stay able against your body, but are accessible when you need them. The system works well, but everyone will have their preferences, body type, and volume of stuff they prefer to carry while riding.

Of course, all that has jumped ahead of the Liner Bib Short itself. The upper is pretty traditional, with a lightweight fit and feel, with highly breathable mesh and wide straps- plus the construction adjustments that the SWAT pockets require. The upper and lower panels are complementary to offer some stretch and support, while being ergonomically correct for the cycling position and body movement. Like the upper, the short features the super lightweight VaporRize™ mesh fabrics for the utmost in comfort and breathability, keeping you cool and letting perspiration and heat continually escape. In order to better work smoothly with various length outer shorts, an 8.5-inch inseam (size Medium) is used. Specialized's 3D contour chamois single density pad is pre-molded to better match the body and the fabric of the liner, as their is less overall stretch than a non-liner bib short to keep the pad conformed to the body. It is designed to dry quickly and offer support for all but the longest rides. A wider folded leg cuff is used for greater comfort and to prevent the short section from riding up.