WINTER TROUSERS

Trail pants designed to keep you warm, dry and clean in the slop

1 Scott Trail Storm WP £149.99

SO GOOD… Scott’s pants fit true to size and have articulated legs with space for wearing pads. This is aided by mesh panels on the back and side of the knees, which, together with zipped thigh vents, also help prevent overheating. We found the Velcro waist tabs useful. You get a vast pocket, with organiser, too. The durable water repellent (DWR) coating is PFC-free.

NO GOOD… Those mesh panels are in the firing line of spray from the wheels, so if you ride through a puddle, water drips down the inside of the legs. The trousers also wetted through after just an hour of riding, particularly at the seat. Even before it got wet, the three-layer fabric felt clammy, and this worsened when the pants became waterlogged, making us feel cold. Water also splashed up through the open ankle cuffs, causing the material there to bunch and flap. Our lower legs ended up as wet as if we’d been wearing shorts. Scott say they’re aware of the mesh issue and will be changing the design, which would improve the score. www.scott-sports.com

3 Alpkit Parallax Men’s £79.99

SO GOOD… The elasticated waist and adjustable pull cord meant we could tighten the Alpkit pants enough that they didn’t fall down even when covered in mud and water. They deal with sweat well, the inside only getting wet on very slow climbs. Once damp, they were still comfortable against our skin and didn’t cause our knee pads to fall down. They resisted full water penetration during testing. We like the light feel and the way they easily pack into the supplied bag.

NO GOOD… The fit is fairy baggy, especially around the calves, where the material flaps in the wind. Adjusting the Velcro ankle cuffs doesn’t reduce the volume. The 2.5-layer material wetted out quickly, with the outer layer getting soaked through and making them feel damp on the inside, even though the water didn’t get all the way in. This suggests the DWR coating can’t cope with the abrasion and rubbing of bike use. When we hosed them down at the end of a ride, the seams leaked, letting water in. www.alpkit.com

4 Gore C5 Gore-Tex Paclite £179.99

SO GOOD… True to GORE’s claims, the C5 PACLITEs kept us dry during the test and didn’t wet through or leak during the post-ride hose-down. There’s a raised panel at the rear, which helps reduce the amount of water and mud splashing onto the small of your back. At the waist, a drawcord, fastened with a knot, stops them falling down once wet. They fit true to size and, while there isn’t much stretch in the fabric, there was no excess tension around the crotch or hips. The large, calf-height zip makes it easy to take them off with shoes on. They’re light too, at 167g for our medium pair.

NO GOOD… The lack of thigh vents means these trousers get quite hot and, once you get sweaty, your legs stick to the inside. We found they tugged our knee pads down, especially when pedalling seated. The ankle cuff poppers aren’t as good as an elasticated cuff and don’t feel very refined, considering the high price. We struggled to fit a modern smartphone in the single pocket. www.gorewear.com

5 Fox Ranger 3l Water £140

SO GOOD… In the correct size (see below), the fit is perfect and sculpts to the riding position well. There’s ample space for knee pads, and tapering at the calves means they don’t flap in the wind. Elastic ankle cuffs stop water splashing upwards and the legs from riding up. A ratchet strap provides reliable and secure waist adjustment, and stops them falling down once wet. They didn’t soak through during testing, keeping us totally dry after hours of torturous wet weather riding, even once they were covered in mud. The material feels soft and doesn’t stick to the skin, even when sweaty. There are two zipped pockets, which are large enough for essentials; a smartphone is a squeeze and causes a bit of bunching, but doesn’t make the pants uncomfortable to wear.

NO GOOD… Try before you buy, because the waist sizes up quite large and adjustment is limited. In contrast, the legs are quite short, so we ended up pairing these trousers with waterproof socks. They get hot on climbs, too. https://uk.foxracing.com

6 Decathlon Rockrider All-Mountain £39.99

SO GOOD… For the money, these are amazing. Even though Decathlon claim them to be just water-resistant, not fully waterproof, the triple-layer seat and calf panels only started to soak through after long wet-weather rides. The thighs and waist are made of a stretchy, breathable fabric, with a DWR coating and ample room for knee pads. This treatment does a good job of making water bead and run off, and even once the material wetted through, the trousers remained comfy and didn’t stick to our legs. The waist is secure enough to stop them slipping down, too. A raised rear prevents crud splashing onto your back, while elastic ankle cuffs keep water from splashing up inside. The stretchy, lightweight material feels snug and dries fairly quickly.

NO GOOD… Sizing is on the small side, especially around the waist and crotch, so consider going up. The two zipped pockets aren’t big enough to comfortably store a smartphone. www.decathlon.co.uk