The Maloja Roschia shorts ($119) bring a European vibe to the mountain bike trails. Pronounced “Mah-LOW-YAH”, the Roschia’s are a forward-thinking short with superior ventilation and comfort and the ability to perform well both on and off the singletrack.
Sizing
The Maloja Roschia’s have a fitted style through the hips and a tapered, relaxed fit down the legs to accommodate knee pads. For sizing, I wear a size small and the size small Maloja Roschia’s fit me without feeling to too tight or baggy. The inseam on the size small runs 11-inches, which is ideal because its hits right above the knee when I’m standing. When in the aggressive cycling position, it hits mid-thigh. When I wore kneepads, I only had about a half-inch of leg skin was exposed. What I find impressive in the fit and sizing is that the relaxed fit through the legs doesn’t produce any annoying or distracting fabric bunching.
Features
The Maloja Roschia shorts have a low-rise comfortable flexible waistband with adjustable Velcro tabs which can accommodate varying waist sizes and degrees of belly chub. When fastened, there is little back gap. Pocket number and placement are good, but, like all women’s mountain bike shorts (regardless of brand), there is room for improvement. The Maloja Roschia shorts come with one zippered security pocket on the thigh, two unsecured front pockets and a stretchy mesh inner flap pocket inside the right front pocket.While they are deep enough to carry a packet of Gu or any small lightweight items, the more fitted style of the Roschia’s, and the lightweight breathable fabric, will certainly demonstrate the world you’re carrying something in those pockets.
Maloja calls the right handpocket a “mobile” pocket and added a handy cord port and fabric flap to keep a phone from falling out. Except that any phone you carry, or even today’s bloated iPods, will dive deep into the deep pocket and you’ll feel it flopping about with every pedal stroke. But if you happen to be lucky enough to still have your antique (but highly coveted) iPod Nano you’re going to love this pocket with all your heart! I love Maloja’s intent here. I just think the execution would be improved if the mobile pocket was, perhaps, on the back right below the waistband (with a zipper) and sitting horizontal so that a smartphone or iPod doesn’t interfere with a seat.
I found the zippered security pocket on the thigh to work great for carrying lightweight items that need to be secured, such as a car key. I tried carrying a multi-tool in it but, again, the lightweight, breathable fabric that makes them so comfortable and forgiving doesn’t really provide enough to carry anything substantial (like a multi-tool). I also found the weight of the tool distracting.
Comfort
Cut, fabric, and ventilation are the factors that contribute to the comfort of a mountain bike short. As I stated previously, the Maloja Roschia shorts have a low-rise comfortable flexible waistband with adjustable Velcro tabs and are semi-fitted through the hips and relaxed down the leg. Additionally, they have an ergonomic cut and are made with a four-way stretch fabric that makes them the very pedal-friendly for cross-country riding. I certainly feel no restriction or impediment to cycling in these shorts.
For those of you who live in humid climates, you’re going to appreciate the ventilation features provided by the Maloja Roschia’s: a patch of laser-cut ventilation holes down the inside of the leg, a small laser-cut “V” at the back of the shorts (though I feel it’s there more for aesthetics) and the lightweight fabric is both fast drying and very breathable.
Small laser-cut “V” at the back of the shorts 
Patch of laser-cut ventilation holes down the inside of the leg
Durability
As you may have surmised from the weight of the fabric and the sheer freedom of movement they provide, the Maloja Roschia is not the most abrasion-resistant mountain bike short. I call this out not as a ding–it isn’t–but to reiterate that the Roschia’s are not downhill mountain bike shorts that have to be sturdy enough to help protect skin in a crash. They are cross-country cycling shorts that are designed for fast pedaling and optimal ventilation. Still, they’re construction is solid with bonded hems and triple-stitched seams at critical junctions.
Final Thoughts
These are my second pair of Maloja mountain bike shorts and though my other pair are an entirely different style, they share they same degree of comfort, breathability, ventilation, articulated fit, and precise stitching. What you’ll also find appealing in the Roschia’s is that they’re designed to be a multi-sport short. While I used them only for mountain biking, I can see myself wearing them as board shorts for sea kayaking and canoeing because they are so comfortable, lightweight and fast-drying. If you’re into SUP’ing, these are totally appropriate for that as well.
