Check Out: Comfy Pants, New Clipless Shoes, Helmets, & More
A lot of gear comes across our desks here at Pinkbike. Check Out is an occasional round up of everything our tech editors have gotten their hands on. Sometimes it's products we're doing long-term tests on, other times it's stuff we're stoked on but don't have time to fully review. And, sometimes it's crazy shit someone sent us unsolicited and we're having a laugh.
Yeti Ridgway Pants
Features
• Two open hand pockets, two zippered side pockets
• Sizes: SM - XXL
• $170 USD
• Sizes: SM - XXL
• $170 USD
• Two way stretch fabric w/ water repellant finish
• Colors: spice, black
• Webbing waist adjustment
• yeticycles.com
• Colors: spice, black
• Webbing waist adjustment
• yeticycles.com
 | Riding pants used to be relegated solely to DH racers and park rats, since the available options tended to be much too bulky for any extended pedaling. There's been a dramatic shift over the last few years, and now nearly every apparel company has a pair of riding pants in their lineup. I'm all for it, especially since many of my rides take place when the temperatures are mild and the trails are muddy. The Ridgway is the latest addition to Yeti's lineup, and they're currently at the very top of my list when it comes to overall fit and comfort. Now, the 'Spice' color probably wouldn't have been my first choice, but it's starting to grow on me, and thankfully there's an all-black option too. The fit is relaxed without being overly baggy, which means there's plenty of room for knee pads, and a good amount of taper around the ankles to keep the fabric from getting sucked into your chain. The bottom cuffs have an elastic band along with a zipper to make getting them on and off even easier, a feature that's occasionally overlooked (I'm looking at you, Specialized Trail Pants). The zippered pocket on each side easily holds a phone, and the zipper-free hip pockets give your hands a place to go when you're standing around after a ride. There aren't any vents in the fabric, but it's light enough that I've been comfortable on rides with temperatures reaching the low 60's F (16 C). The fabric has also held up well to all the mud I've subjected it to, a feat that's especially impressive considering my sub-par laundry skills. The $170 asking price is on the higher side – that's $20 more than Rapha's new Trail pants, and $50 more than TLD's Skyline pants, two options that offer a similarly lightweight, comfortable fit. Price aside, these pants are very highly recommended. |
Giro Montaro Mips II Helmet
Features
• 16 vents
• Adjustable visor
• Integrated Mips liner
• Roc Loc 5 fit adjustment
• Adjustable visor
• Integrated Mips liner
• Roc Loc 5 fit adjustment
• Colors: black, chalk, portaro grey
• Weight: 370 grams (M)
• Sizes: S, M, L, XL
• $160 USD
• giro.com
• Weight: 370 grams (M)
• Sizes: S, M, L, XL
• $160 USD
• giro.com
| Giro's popular Montaro helmet recently received an update in the form of a new MIPS liner. The liner has a slippery coating on the portion that sits against the helmet's foam interior, and is attached with four elastomers, two at the front and two at the rear. The difference between the original and the new version isn't all that dramatic; it's more of a tweak to improve the durability and integration of the system rather than a complete overhaul. The shape of the helmet remains the same, and it has the same features as the original, including an adjustable visor, rubber grippers at the back to keep goggle straps in place, and a ratcheting dial to adjust the fit. Despite the goggle grippers, the Montaro has what I'd call a cross-country shell profile – it doesn't extend quite as far down at the back of the head. My head is 58cm in diameter, which puts me squarely into a medium on Giro's sizing chart, but I'd be curious to see if a large was a better fit. Personally, I prefer the deeper fit and the extra coverage of Giro's Source helmet. The Source also happens to be 30 grams lighter and $30 cheaper than the Montaro Mips II. Of course, what works for my oval-ish head shape isn't going to be the same for everyone, so it's always worth trying before buying. |
Gore TrailKPR Jersey
Features
• 100% PES (56% recycled) materials
• High stretch, abrasion-resistant fabric
• $60 USD
• High stretch, abrasion-resistant fabric
• $60 USD
| I can already hear the clickety-clack of someone pounding out a diatribe about how $60 is too much to spend on a jersey, and how Hanes t-shirts are the pinnacle of MTB apparel. That's all well and good, and purchasing Gore's new TrailKPR jersey certainly isn't required to have fun mountain biking. However, Gore does deserve credit for creating a super comfortable, fast drying layer that fits my lanky frame perfectly. The sleeves are slightly longer than usual, which means there's no constriction no matter what shape you're making on the bike (the stretchiness of the fabric helps with that too). The jersey is light enough to wear on warmer summer rides, or as a base layer on those cooler spring and fall laps. |
Shimano AM903 Shoes
Features
• Instep strap and lace cover
• Speed lacing system
• Price: $170 USD
• Speed lacing system
• Price: $170 USD
|
The AM9 was revised slightly for 2022 with a wider upper strap, and a slightly thicker tongue. Other than that the basics remain the same – the enduro / DH-oriented offering has a speed lace system that's covered with a velcro flap to keep debris out, and the asymmetric cuff provides extra protection around the ankle. There's also a very solid toe cap to deal with the rocks and stumps that jump out into the trail sometimes. I was a fan of the previous model, and that sentiment holds true with the newest version. Beta's Ryan Palmer wasn't as enamored with the size of the velcro strap, but it works just fine for me, and it sits flat and out of the way. The speed lace system does seem a little longer than it needs to be; thankfully there's a velcro portion that's used to stick the laces to the tongue of the shoe, and then the cover hides the whole mess from view. The AM9's hit the sweet spot for me when it comes to stiffness. Shimano gives them a 5 (out of 10) on their scale, and I'd agree – they're not XC disco slipper stiff, but they're also not so soft that they cause any discomfort on longer rides. There's plenty of room for cleat positioning, and as you'd expect they work perfectly with Shimano's own pedals. |
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Member since Feb 1, 2009
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you might be able to try and contact one of the smaller mtb clothing companies. They could probably custom make you something. It wont be as cheap as a cookie cutter but the fit would be great and the warranty would be just as good.
Sweet, I’ll give the Wranglers a try. Just looking to keep the mud off my legs and maybe stay a bit warmer/dryer on those 38 degree rainy days. Hopefully they aren’t too tight over knee pads.
The giro chambers are Seriously awesome for pedals with no platform.
offthegridsurplus.com/collections/trailblazer-5-0-5-1/products/trailblazer-5-0-pants-coyote
Climbing pant, not riding, but same features: decent rise in back, articulated knees, reenfrace on the knees and inside lower leg, cuff tightener to keep them out of your chain.
The newest version looks a bit trimmer than mine in the knees, so buy them somewhere you can return them if you plan on using kneepads underneath them.
www.pinkbike.com/news/review-ions-2022-range-including-a-wet-weather-jersey-and-kneepads.html
For everyone who recommended the Wrangler ATG Convertible Trail Jogger, it was spot on. A tiny bit snug over knee pads, but totally works. For pants that are meant to be used/abused, $27 was a very easy entry point. A note for others, the waist size is vanity size generous. You could probably size down a whole size in waist. Pretty warm for anything over 45 degrees F, but great for cold and wet rides.
Similarly the fit/cut for trousers always feels nicer to me. With shorts they're either low enough to not get snagged on knee pads that they feel quite loose/flappy and feel quite "boxy" when I wear them, or they ride up over my pads and feel bad. That doesn't happen with any of the Fox, Commit or Decathlon trousers I wear.
Trousers also don't get snagged on things in the same way my shorts did.
I don't really find much difference between shorts and trousers in terms of how hot I get, in my experience the knee pads I wear have a bigger bearing on how hot my legs feel like they get.
- You can wear 'm to church and after that head straight to the trails.
In WNC, I was able to run them November to March.
But on rides I'm going to be charging in warm weather, I'd still rather have shorts and knee pads. I can comfortably run Nukeproof Blackline Trail pants with knee pads under (Leatt Airflex Pros) without interference. Plus my right shin has very little skin left on it.
@ridesmoothbro , the US Nukeproof dealer, insisted I try them and I don't regret it. A lot more comfortable than I ever thought they would be.
Tried some stretch tech pants from Eddie Bauer & from J Crew Outlet, but they both hated knee pads & would sag in the butt when on the bike.
Gorse. Thats why
What a load of bs….there is no way you would go out during summer in a woollen jumper
Not sure im gonna be wearing many tank tops this summer.
@mikekazimer that must be a pretty sweet perk of the job to get all that nice swag... let me know when you need to make space in your closet i will happily pay for shipping
No doubt, I am aware. But since *Toe Clips* aren't a thing any longer shouldn't we progress?
Heck, call them clippy-ons, sir-clips-alot, clunky monkeys, who cares really. But to keep calling them 'clipless' when you absolutely clip in every time is a bit of a misnomer. IMO.
XOXO
That's fair. I don't have a strong attachment to clipless and almost ended my comment saying that it may be time for us to move on from a name that makes no sense to most people. I'd vote for clip-clops because then we could get someone to make some clip-clop flip flops. (I don't actually want that name or a cleated flip flops)
If it changes, that's probably for the best, but I'll still dumbly call them by their old name for five years until I finally get embarrassed enough by how out of touch I am that I put effort into learning the right new name.