Issue 162: Trail Trousers

Riding trousers have migrated into all-year-round apparel for a lot of riders, like those who feel rather vulnerable going back to bare leg flesh after spending half the year riding covered up. A well-designed pair of riding trousers can feel pretty much as comfy as a pair of shorts these days.

Gone are the days of constant tugging and drooping, as it were. Here’s the Singletrack Test Team’s pick of the pants…

Mons Royale Diversion Merino Trail Pants

• Price: £174.95
• From: Mons Royale
• Size tested: Men’s 32 by Benji

Put aside everything you suspect about apparel that contains merino wool; these trousers are not heavy, nor are they hot, nor are they overly delicate or fragile. In fact, until I came to writing up this review, I didn’t even realise they contained merino wool (only 18% of the sheep stuff, but still). The bulk of the fabric is nylon with a soupçon//ACCENT// of elastane for stretch. The Diversion pants are the comfiest riding trousers I’ve just encountered. There is definitely something to be said for the temperature-regulating claims of the merino mixture. Combined with a Goldilocks not-too-tapered fit, Diversion pants don’t overheat in hot weather, nor do they chill you down when temperatures dip into single digits. The tailoring and fabric choice are both perfect. And they even have The Correct Pockets for mountain biking, i.e. flush thigh zip pockets. Expensive. Also worth the money.

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Madison Flux DWR Trail

• Price: £99.99
• From: Freewheel
• Size tested: Men’s 32 by Benji

These are the riding trousers that I wear most of the time. This is because they are ideal for cool temperatures with a degree of spray on the ground and precipitation from above. During these most-days-of-the-year riding conditions, I really appreciate how ‘invisible’ Flux DWR trousers are to wear (especially with knee pads underneath). Light, so they don’t droop when wet. Very tapered, so they don’t flap about. This close-fitting nature makes them easier to pair (with consistent performance) with other garments, depending on the humidity levels outside. Essentially, these pants are my ‘constant’ clobber that gets paired with varying socks, knee pads and liner shorts depending on the day’s weather. As with all DWR garments, the waterproofing wears away eventually, but these pants remain windproof, which is the more important factor for me.

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Fox Women’s Ranger Pants

• Price: £99.99
• From: Fox Racing UK
• Size tested: 14 by Hannah

These are tough enough to withstand abrasion, but light enough for pedalling. Ventilation comes in the form of stretch mesh panels at the ankles, hips and fly. The ankles are perhaps a touch restrictive – a zipper here might be nice. The ratchet fastener keeps your trousers up, but doesn’t really provide any significant waist adjustment without bunching the front fabric. There’s no stretch in the waistband either, but bonus points to Fox for making generously sized women’s trousers. They’re nicely large around the waist, with the 14 feeling like it’s a 14–16 rather than a 12–14. I do like things a touch loose, but these are on the big side – consider sizing down. They’re long enough for my legs (I like a 32in or more in jeans), which is a rarity in women’s pants. Worth a look if you struggle for that sizing elsewhere.

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Endura MT500 Women’s Trousers

• Price: £200.00
• From: Endura
• Sized tested: Women’s Large by Hannah

Ignore the product name; these are dungarees. In fact, these are The Best Waterproof Riding Dungarees Yet, mostly because of the double side zips. Their designer needs a raise. The zips allow you to go to the loo with ease without having to remove all your upper layers, and make getting the pants on and off super easy. They’re also two-way zips, so they double up as thigh ventilation (or access to pockets in layers below) if needed. The fabric is light enough that they’re not overly hot, but with a tougher bum area. So far, they’re still holding up against the wet. The stretchy straps don’t have any unclipping mechanism, which would be nice to have so you could remove the dungarees altogether without stripping off up top. I’m also not overly keen on the hip pockets that are provided – their contents can feel a bit in the way of pedalling – and I really wish there was a pocket on the chest instead of the fake fly. If the designer can address those points next time round, I might change that Yet to an Ever.

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Giro Havoc Pants

• Price: £149.00
• From: Giro UK
• Size tested: Men’s 32 by Chipps

The trousers are made of a very matt black nylon/spandex material that feels good to the touch and which has a DWR coating that beads water off it really well. The sizing is generous, in that the 32in size fits me, and I usually run to a 34in. And even then, I have the adjustable Velcro cinch tabs fully done up. Continuing the fit theme, there’s a bit of stretch built into the waistband, and the front closure has two poppers and a further Velcro square. There are belt loops for a very thin belt, if needed.

The Havoc trousers are tapered, but not skinny teenager style. There’s definitely enough room for pads, and the ankles are trim, but not so tight as to be a struggle on or off. There are two jeans-type pockets – not quite deep enough that I’d trust them with cash or keys, but OK for a snack. There’s one further pocket on the right thigh, big enough to take a phone in a case. In defiance of conventional phone pocket traditions, though, it sits on top of your thigh, rather than just behind it, so there’s a bit of phone slapping when you pedal hard.

Great-feeling three-season trousers that hide their versatility until you live in them for a while.

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7mesh Glidepath Pants

• Price: £170.00
• From: 7mesh
• Size tested: Medium by Chipps

Slightly more technical/shiny feeling than the Giro pants, Glidepath Pants are cut beautifully, as is usual for 7mesh, with a steady taper down to a narrow, only slightly elasticated ankle. Two poppers and a zip fly, waistband, decent belt loops and room for pads. There are two jeans pockets and TWO behind-the-thigh phone/card pockets. Waistband fine-tuning is done via secure nylon straps and buckles.

There’s no venting to speak of, but the fabric is thin and feels lightweight. It still shrugs off brambles and nettles like a champ. Despite the slim fit, the trousers are cut in an active stance, so they actually feel more natural while on the bike than hanging out in the café. Like many 7mesh garments, there’s a stiff price, but the overall quality and cut are generally worth the price of admission. Here, we have everything you need in a riding pant and nothing else.