Review: Akta's Trail Apparel & Protection Line

As a mountain bike apparel and protection company, differentiating yourself from the sea of options out there means ticking all the boxes when it comes to fit, function, branding, and of course price. Based around Vancouver, Canada, Akta is one of the latest to take on the market and draws from 15 years of experience creating cycling apparel.

Their current range consists of unisex short and long-sleeve tops and bottoms, plus gloves and knee pads that should appeal to riders who want a lightweight trail kit. Both the knee pads and bottoms feature D30 inserts and keep the features to a minimum to focus on comfort.

Akta does take into consideration how and where the materials are sourced from. All of the products are BlueSign approved, excluding the knee pads, and received a handful of recycled material stamps of approval.

The apparel is backed by a limited lifetime warranty and a crash replacement policy that is handled on a case-by-case basis. You can read more about that program here.

Free shipping is included on orders over $200 throughout Canada and over $100 in the Vancouver area.

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Short and Long Sleeve Trail Jersey






There are no special product names when it comes to listing Akta’s apparel range. The Short and Long Sleeve Trail Jerseys are straightforward with a dropped hem on the back and a cloth lens wipe on the inside of the front hem.

Each jersey comes in five sizes, from XS to XL, and two colors; purple or “almost black”. The short sleeve top rings in for $94 CAD while the longer choice is $109 CAD.

Fit/Performance

I went with a size medium for both which felt shaped well without being overly baggy. Currently, I weigh 77kg and have a 96.5cm/38” chest measure, which aligns with their sizing chart.

There’s enough material under the arms that it doesn’t get restrictive or ride up your back when descending. The texture is soft, moisture wicking and doesn’t feel like plastic either. On the longer version, I did find the sleeves to run a touch long.

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Trail Pants



Akta’s Trail Pants are a lightweight option for trail and enduro style riding with a highlighting feature that I’ve yet to see on other apparel. They’ve cleverly added a D3O pad to protect a phone in one of the two zippered pockets, plus they come in two neutral colors, “loam” and “almost black”.

The fly includes a zipper to avoid accidental venting that could develop while riding. Intentional venting is taken care of by perforated holes cut into the back of the knees and inner thigh area.



Fit/Performance

Five sizes are said to fit riders with waist/inseam measurements between 72/70.5cm to 96/76.5cm. The elastic waist uses a commonly found ratchet bucket closure which Akta says can help riders choose between a more relaxed cut, or downside into a tight racer-style fit, with room for a mid-size knee pad.

I never ran into any issues with the pants feeling too tight in the thighs or calves, even though I wore their size large Trail Knee Pads. What did come to my attention was the leg length, which seemed a touch short for my 81cm / 32” inseam measurement. It could be that the larger knee pads keep the pants from draping down farther, because without the protection they fit normally. Given the styling of the pants, I would have expected the cuffs to taper in tighter though. There is ample room in the hips and the waist never felt too low even while bending forward on steep climbs.

I haven’t touched the dirt in the Trail Pants yet, so I can’t comment on their durability on the knee or hip area. After spending the last few months primarily on flat pedals, I haven’t managed to nick the back of the calves with any pedal pins, which makes me think they’d hold up to a few slide outs.

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Trail Shorts



As for the Trail Shorts, they use the same construction methods and materials as the pants, including the D3O padded pocket and ratchet waist closure. The 4-way stretch Greenlon fabric strikes the perfect balance for a trail short where tough enough without being overly bulky.


Fit/Performance

The sizing and colors are the same, except the inseams range from 30 to 33cm. The length of the medium shorts worked well for me by covering any exposed skin above the knee pad sleeve. At the end of the leg cuff, the stitching didn’t cause any iteration when pedalling without knee pads either.

Another bonus I noticed about the material Akta chose for the shorts and pants is how dirt seems to dry and fall off before really bedding in, meaning that unless I really sweat a lot I could avoid washing them every time I wore them riding.

As for the phone pocket on both the Trail Shorts and Trail Pants, I think it’s fair to assume that 99% of riders take this device with them on rides, making it a useful feature. The location and angle of the pocket is useful without hindering your pedal stroke or getting in the way of the saddle, however, it would be handy if you could remove the pad altogether or alternate which side the protection is on.

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Trail Gloves




Matching the fit, function, and colors of the shorts and pants, Akta’s Trail Gloves are slim, stretchy and have the right amount of structure where necessary. They too come in five sizes and two colors.

In terms of construction, there’s no velcro for the closure. Instead, an elastic cuff is backed by a small extension of the palm material so as not to pull on the stitching.

Another piece of the palm material runs around the back of the palm between the index finger and thumb so there is no seam touching the handlebar grip. A silicone logo on the index fingers allows access to a touchscreen device too.

So far, so good - the stitching has stayed intact, even while yanking them off sweaty hands. I found the size medium to fit comfortably, yet snugly, with a little extra length in the fingers.

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Trail Knee Pads




Staying on track with their five fit options, the Trail Knee Pads are velcro-free protection with a serious amount of coverage and venting for leg protection that guards a critical area. The price is on par with most other mid-weight, high-performance options out there, like the Chromag Rift or Rapha Trail knee pads.

The front of the pad uses 4-way stretch Aramid fabric that is tear-resistant and has two cutouts to allow more air to enter the orange energy-absorbing foam. The padding insert is removable for easy washing and vented to pull fresh air in. Two elastic cuffs are backed with silicone grippers and a third stretchy band above the calf holds them in place.



Fit/Performance

Akta’s Trail Knee Pads are my new go-to, everyday choice for pedalling because of the articulation, comfort, and amount of protection they offer. Without any velcro, the amount of material needed makes for a simpler, lighter pad that saves on bulk.

Compared to previous favorites, like the Rapha Trail and Fox Enduro Pro knee pads, there is increased protection without any downside. Although they look heavier, the Akta Trail Knee Pads only weigh 183g per pad (the same as Rapha’s and 20g more than Fox pads).

The fit is similar to both of those options too (I wear a size large in each), except the calf band is better positioned on the Akta pads and doesn’t cut into my leg like the Fox Enduro Pro did.

My favorite characteristic is how the pad tends to lift away from my knee with straightened, allowing airflow, yet the pad doesn’t put any pressure on my shin. Summer hasn’t quite kicked in yet, but the material leading up to that band, and along the back of the calf, is highly breathable too.

There’s also tons of padding around the lower shin and top of the knee too - much more than the commonly used, teardrop-shaped D3O insert. Adding to the security is the thick silicone-backed elastic across the thigh, which has failed to let them slide down. My only concern lies in the silicone gripper which can burn my leg after a full day in the pads, but these aren’t the only pads to cause this problem.

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