At Home on the Trails with Casual MTB Trousers
Casual Off-Road Style: Mountain Bike Trousers
The right apparel is not to be underestimated in any sport. It allows you to focus on your performance without worrying about pinching seams or losing freedom of movement.
MTB trousers usually have a more casual cut than the tight-fitting cycling tights worn by road cyclists. On the one hand, wind resistance is not so important on the MTB and on the other hand, the body armor, which you should never do without, can easily be worn under the shorts or long trousers. So they combine a comfortable, casual cut with important features like removable inner pants with seat pads or as already padded mtb shorts with a little exta in protection. Other features that distinguish MTB trousers are pockets with concealed zips (nothing can fall out and you can't get snagged on anything), ventilation systems with mesh or net inserts, an elastic waistband, and flat or offset seams for more comfort and fewer pressure points. There are plenty of shorts to choose from for warm, summery temperatures; for cold or uncomfortable days we recommend long trousers or a combination of shorts and leg warmers.
Generally speaking, it is important that your cycling shorts fit well and don't irritate you or pinch uncomfortably in any way. Otherwise, they could even prove dangerous on daring downhill trails if your attention is distracted from the trail by your trousers pinching you. If you have too little freedom of movement, you may not be able to react quickly enough in difficult situations; if the trousers are too wide, they may get in the way of your bike – which could lead to a serious fall. All these situations must be avoided – with the perfect MTB trousers.
MTB Pants Material – What Do I Need to Know about What They’re Made Of?
Clothing is exposed to particularly high levels of stress on a mountain bike – may it be from dirt, branches or accidental contact with the ground. That is why manufacturers usually use combinations of robust, hard-wearing functional materials such as nylon fabric or polyester with elastic inserts made of polyamide or spandex, for example. So-called padded MTB shorts provides the best protection and long-lasting durability without sacrificing freedom of movement. Alternatively, some MTB cycling shorts are completely elastic. Four-way stretch is often used to offer maximum freedom of movement.
Freeride or downhill trousers are, so to speak, the king of MTB trousers as far as the choice of material is concerned, as they have to be extremely hard-wearing and robust. Breathability is provided by the material itself, in the form of micropores, or additional ventilation systems. These mesh or net inserts can usually be opened with a zip and provide extra cooling, especially on demanding tours or warm days.
MTB cycling shorts have other functions besides breathability. They are water-repellent or waterproof so you never have to miss out on your trail adventure even in bad weather. Manufacturers often use DWR (Durable Water Repellent) coatings to protect the outer layer of the trousers against moisture. The coating ensures that the surface’s fibres remain particularly smooth, so that rain or spray water can simply roll off. However, this effect wears off after some time. But don't worry – a DWR treatment of waterproof MTB trousers can be reactivated with the appropriate textile care. An impregnating detergent can be washed in, but this has the effect of making the inside waterproof as well. This has a detrimental effect on the garment’s breathability. Alternatively, you can reactivate the waterproofing with a spray. Functional materials with DWR coating are also often combined with membranes in waterproof MTB trousers or used in softshell trousers to offer waterproof cycling trousers. If you don't want rain or damp from puddles or dew to stop you from riding, we recommend you look for waterproof hardshell trousers.
Amateur cyclists in the cross-country segment or on all-mountain tours also like to wear MTB shorts.
Nothing Beats Comfort on the Bike
Did you think only road cyclists used seat pads? Think again. To ensure comfort even on demanding trails, most overshorts can be combined with matching inner shorts or pants with an integrated seat pad. And so called Many MTB cycling shorts come with matching inner pants. If this is not the case, or if the matching pair is still somewhere in your laundry basket, you can also find individual inner shorts or pants (also called liners) for your MTB outfit. Alternatively, some MTB riders also like to wear bib shorts with straps under their MTB trousers. Besides the undeniable comfort offered by cycling inner pants, there is another advantage of removable inner pants: fabric care. You can wash both garments separately.
When choosing inner shorts as well as outer mountain bike shorts, please note whether they are men's cycling shorts or bike riding shorts for women. The design as well as the fit and seat padding will be adapted to the respective gender’s anatomy.
Cross-Country/Marathon Race – The Somewhat Different MTB Outfit
For fast and varied mountain bike routes, as in cross-country cycling, there are benefits to wearing tighter clothing. Apart from the aerodynamic reasons, it is really important that bikers don’t overheat when they are pushing their limits on the circuits. The challenging racecourses consist of uphill and downhill sections, where sometimes dismounting is essential. That’s when it’s important the trousers do not get snagged on the saddle, for example. Because every second counts. The racers can also expect flat sections of the course in the finish area and between sections, where it can sometimes come down to a sprint (similar to a road race) between the opponents. In the XC/marathon segment, cycling clothing with surface treatment is ideal, as the routes often lead through muddy terrain with splashing water.