The best mountain bike pants are more prevalent out on the trails than they ever have been, and with the mercury dropping you may be thinking of ditching your shorts for pants. You may already be a hardcore pant aficionado and may have room for one more pair, whatever your reason, a good pair of MTB pants should always form part of your riding wardrobe.
The DHaRCO Gravity pants share the same materials and some of the same great design details as the DHaRCO Mens Gravity Short I reviewed recently. Aimed at a wide range of MTB riding style from trail to enduro and downhill too. The gravity pant uses 4-way stretch water, and resistant stretch materials which are available in a wide range of eye-popping colors and designs.
Design and specifications
With its water-resistant coating, the DHaRCO pants are suitable for all-year riding and also a blue sign-approved fabric which is kinder to the environment.
They are a standard fit – but not super skinny. The cut is articulated to provide optimum levels of comfort and movement and room for pads. Subtle graphics - on this model at least, in the form of small printed logo graphics and some zip detailing make for a good-looking pair of pants.
The same three pockets as the gravity short feature here too. With the main zippered pocket to the right hip and a smaller front thigh pocket. There is also an additional rear pocket for a small item. Closure is a triple lock of zip fly, with a velcro tab under two press studs and you can adjust fit at the hip via velcro tabs. Available in S-XXL sizing.
Performance
Even though they are a ‘standard’ fit I’d describe them as fitted – which I like. I'm not a fan of flappy, overly loose or long pants and these measured up really well. My size small needed a little cinching in with the Velcro tabs at the waist, and with my inseam of 30(ish) inches, the length was great, sitting just above my shoes, which is a rarity for a shorter bloke like me to find.
The material offered up a comfortable amount of stretch for pedalling comfort when wearing my go-to Fox Enduro knee pads and padded and protective undershorts. They also fit well in the right places for maximum comfort when pedalling; at the thigh, calf and around the bum.
These pants are constructed from more panels than a lot of pants I’ve tried in the past, in part to make up the articulated knee panels, and you get a double layer of material at the front of the knee section to add durability. With flatlock stitching throughout they provide bags of comfort.
The water-resistant treatment did its job when splashing through smaller puddles and in light or short bursts of rain, although prolonged wet weather trail riding saw them wet through at the bum eventually – not that much of a problem during the warmer drier months.
They also breathe well too, and I didn’t get to the point of overheating on the warmer days I rode in them. They certainly will struggle come winter to fend off really bad conditions, although I have the feeling they could be great for those crisp dry cold weather trail riding days, but time will tell. The pockets are fine for holding a phone, and a few smaller items which stay close to the body, but I needed to keep that to a small multi-tool and snack.
Verdict
The price point is good for an MTB pant that can be worn for the majority of the year. The fit is excellent, and they are comfortable to pedal in and work equally well on longer rides or bikepark sessions in warm or changing weather. They feel durable enough, and although I’ve never crashed in them I think will take some abuse. Of course, being DHaRCO you could if you like go wild with the color choice to spice things up!
Tech specs: DHaRCO Mens Gravity pants
- Price: $156 / £135 / €149.99
- Material: Nylon and Spandex blend
- Colors: Nine color options
- Sizes: S to XXL
