Dobies
Here is what they reckon:
Dobies are the comfortable classic of the Nzo lineup. Think function over form. Even though they look pretty good, they’re all about comfort and performance
bikepacking.com
Dobies are a signature piece of Kiwi riding kit: versatility, quality, comfort and toughness.
An old favourite I wish I’d tried long ago.
Spoke Magazine
These may just be the most comfortable baggy shorts we’ve ridden in.
FlowMountainbike
Simple is Good
Dobies are an outlier in the world of mountain biking shorts. A deceptively simple design means there are less parts to fail, and the elastic waist with a drawstring to secure it is the most flexible and user friendly system ever devised. The other key feature that makes this model work so well when you are riding is what is NOT there: a fly. There are no extra layers of fabric, zip, buttons or anything else that might get in the way of supreme comfort.
From a happy customer, Rich:
I took two pairs of these on a 3000 kilometre bikepacking trip:
one pair for riding and the backup pair for, um, not riding. They excelled in both arenas.
At home I use them on the trails, and not on the trails. They are my do anything, go anywhere shorts.
NB: This photo isn't Rich, or the Tour Aotearoa. It's us, on a different expedition. But you get the idea.
From Joe Cruz, inveterate bike traveller:
Oh, man, the NZO Dobies. I love those shorts. The fit and look are great, they’re ridiculously comfortable with their thin pad worn “commando” style, and they are basically indestructible. I’ve bought exactly two pairs in my life. I got the first in 2003 and wore them on countless day rides and dozens of trips. Alongside a pair of lycra race bibs, they were the only shorts I had for the 11 months I spent in Asia and were my mainstay for warm weather. By 2010 they were just starting to show some age, so I got a new pair. That second pair has been to Nepal, Southeast Asia, the length of South America and through South Africa. I still reach for them nowadays and I can’t say they look much worn at all. Crazy.
Joe Cruz/JoeCruzPedalling
Dobies were hatched in our second year of operation. There was no industry 'standard' in those days, defining what a short should look like or how it should function. This attempt at hitting all the goals we set ourselves was an instant classic. People bought them as fast as we could make them, and several much larger companies immediately tried to copy them. Fortunately their versions were not very good.
Now the industry is all grown up, and the major players make products by the container load, an oddball like the Dobies would be too risky: by the time the product had been through three or four pairs of hands to get to the shop floor the benefits might be lost in translation. So nobody else makes such a simple mountain biking short.
Nzo has made quite a few iterations of this product and we reckon the latest one is the best. We like it. And we think you will too.
Dobies were hatched in our second year of operation. There was no industry 'standard' in those days, defining what a short should look like or how it should function. This attempt at hitting all the goals we set ourselves was an instant classic. People bought them as fast as we could make them, and several much larger companies immediately tried to copy them. Fortunately their versions were not very good.
Now the industry is all grown up, and the major players make products by the container load, an oddball like the Dobies would be too risky: by the time the product had been through three or four pairs of hands to get to the shop floor the benefits might be lost in translation. So nobody else makes such a simple mountain biking short.
Nzo has made quite a few iterations of this product and we reckon the latest one is the best. We like it. And we think you will too.