At £60 the Blackline Exile MTB Trousers have good VFM and – for the most part – perform well in form and function.
- Brand: Blackline
- Product: Exile MTB Trousers
- Price: £59.99
- From: Blackline
- Tested by: Aran Francis for 3 months
Pros
- Great value
- Good balance of style, flexibility and function
- Some profits go towards maintaining UK trails
Cons
- Lack of venting causes excess warmth on sunny rides
- Waterproof zips are stiff to use
Our rating
Although Blackline Clothing as a brand is a newcomer to the industry, a lot of you may remember the Blackline range of apparel from Nukeproof. A lot of the same designs/designers are part of Blackine Clothing. As in the Nukeproof days, the kit offers good value and no nonsense riding kit.
With the end of summer upon us, and a fairly warm summer at that, it’s time for the transition back into trousers again. Proper riding trousers are essential and they are tricky to get right. And only one pair of decent trousers does not seem to cut it; one wet ride and then you’ve got nothing to wear for the next day.
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Furthermore, trousers take the brunt of most accidents. From crashes to encounters with chainings and pedals, every pair of trousers I own has been sewn up or gaffa taped. Eating through trousers so quickly, value for money and durability are usually my main criteria when it comes to testing legwear. At £60 the exiles clearly meet the first of these concerns, but is there more to them than just being budget friendly?
Starting with adjustability, the Exiles do well. I recently reviewed a set of Fox Defend 3L Water Pants and one of my main complaints was lack of adjustability (with just a centred ratchet strap I couldn’t get the waist tight enough to fit well). The Exile trousers also feature a ratchet strap however the pants also feature two Velcro/elastic straps on the hips to further adjust the trousers. A fly zip is another feature that, for some reason, doesn’t seem to come standard anymore, so it’s nice to see one.
As for comfort, I can be fairly brief. They are really nice and flexible but still tight enough to provide that nice secure and composed feel that helps keep knee pads from shaking down yet doesn’t strangle the knees.Â
Finally, durability. The material is a more stretchy nylon fabric which feels markedly different to other brands which are more coarse and stiff. This nylon material has proved to be tough and durable, withstanding plenty of scrapes and bashes.
What I will say is that the logos seem to peel quite easily and have come to look quite tatty after not vey long. This is a bit of a shame because I think the Blackline branding is very nice.
The trousers won’t stop you getting a wet bum but when caught out in a shower, my phone and car keys weren’t irreversibly water damaged. The nylon material also dries quickly so you won’t have to sit in wet pants all day after ridind through one puddle. The waterproof zips on the pockets are rather OTT for an otherwise non-waterproof garment and have the tendency to become pretty stiff in operation.
One thing I was disappointed in was the lack of breathability. On a warmer day, I found I got very sweaty in the Exile MTB Trousers. With no vents – or breathing holes – this warmth and sweat builds up during sunny rides.Â
Overall
The Blackline Exile MTB Trousers serve well as an intermediary, for cooler and dryish rides in autumn and spring (something more substantial and unfortunately expensive is needed for winter). A good value stylish set of pants that balance comfort, flexibility, function and price better than most.
I hate trousers/shorts with velcro strap waist adjustment, which is a shame otherwise they look pretty decent and the price seems fair.
#bringbacknormalbeltloops
Got a ratchet as well though. I don’t like Velcro adjusters either, but for these I’d consider setting them once and stitching them in placeÂ
How do they size up & fit?
Not got the trousers but all the other Blackline clothing I have is superb, as is the customer service (pre-ordered some of the shorts when they were announced and when they dropped, they were in pre-production dark green which are lovely but not the black that everyone was expecting. Green shorts sent out and they were followed up with the black pair FOC when they landed a couple of months later – chucked in a free LS top as well!).
Is the ex-Nukeproof thing correct too? I think that was an assumption but pretty sure I was told there was no link. On the topic of Nukeproof, I absolutely love my NP Blackline trousers and will get some non-NP Blackline trousers this autumn…
As for the reviewer knocking the trousers for being too warm during one of the hottest summers for decades, thats what shorts are for surely?Â
This review suffers from the normal STW clothing review problems. They are great if you are tall and thin like Ben. I am neither how do the clothes fit if you are short and fat? do they do different leg lengths etc?
A little bit of extra information might make a lot of difference.
I have the old nukeproof version, they are years old now, and have lasted incredibly well. Can honestly say the velcro adjusters are a non issue, I adjusted them once and haven’t given them a other thought. Brilliant value kit, these.
I loved the Nukeproof ones, my problem is I went from being a fatty to not being one and they fall down now. Might have to give these a try as all my riding trousers are way too big now and other brands are too expensive
I really wanted to like the Nukeproof ones but, being 6’2″ with 34″ legs, I was far too tall for them. Sent them back.
Shame as they felt lovely.
Hi Aran here, I tested these trousers. I am not as tall and thin as Benji and they fit nicely. Lots of spare room in the thigh area too if needed.
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You’re right – every clothing test should include a test of every available size tested by a variety of people of different height/weight/builds so we can be told that 28″ waist trousers don’t fit people with 34″ waists.
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Why can’t they just put proper belt loops on trousers. Velcro deteriorates and as for a plastic ratchet, surely that the plastic ratchet mechanism could cut into your skin in the event of a spill.
Unless they are made by Endura
Another grumpy so-and-so here with the disdain for ratchet closures.
There is quite literally nothing wrong with a normal button and zip. I’ve got some very expensive mountaineering trousers that have regular fly that are used for much more demanding stuff than this, why do MTB trousers feel the need to be so “technical" looking? I’m not sure there is a whole lot of benefit to it other than looking fancy.
Belt loops are so handy, and there are loads of stretchy, comfy belts out there that don’t dig in or constrict if you need one. Could be a really strong press-stud if buttons are annoying and not cool enough.Â
My Endura Humvee trousers have the comfiest waist in the entire world for riding with just a button and zip (shame about the rest of the trousers). It’s easily repairable too, can just sew on another button if it breaks off.Â
It’s a weird & niche soapbox but I’m not getting off it. I’m not even out of my 30s yet and I have strong combative opinions on trouser waistbands, god knows what I will be like when I am 50.
On the flip side, I find them totally fine. Certainly nothing that would prevent me buying some riding trousers/shorts. Would rather them than a seperate belt TBH.
I’ve never once thought ‘I wish I was wearing a belt’ whilst riding my bike