SCOTT TRAIL TECH 10 – LIGHTWEIGHT MOUNTAIN BIKE CLOTHING

               Lightweight clothing? Are we ready for it?

Technical clothing for trail riding has seen huge developments over the last decade. New brands have arrived, bringing improved fabrics, fresh ideas and progressive designs to the marketplace. Many others have been slow on the uptake however, still producing styles that offer very little that’s new, in dated materials.

With the highly developed trail and enduro bikes we’re now riding, riders’ expectations are high, and this translates to all other areas of our kit.

Your Kitbag: Helmet, kneepads, footwear and all your riding clothing, has room for improvement. For the 4-season biker, kit for all seasons is needed too. Are you riding in the same kit year round? Just throwing a jacket over the top in the cooler, wetter months? Maybe using those heavy old shorts in the summer, putting up with their bulk and weight? Many rider’s are, not being fully aware of what is on offer and what advantages they can bring.

With bikes and hardware, we are seeing a fusing of worlds: Gravity bikes have borrowed from the XC camp and trail bikes from the DH camp. The same goes for the kit we are wearing…

Let’s forget about categories or disciplines and think about the tools for the task.

Scott-Sports are not shy of modern, progressive, design, and under the watchful eye of Ben Walker (Gravity related product manager) are marching forward with some very well designed light weight mountain bike clothing. Very light in fact…

The Trail Tech 10 range from Scott Sports is a new range of jerseys, shorts and jackets designed for the fast moving mountain rider. A ‘capsule wardrobe’ for the trail or enduro rider, in super light technical fabrics. We have been thrashing this Scott kit during the spring and summer and have been impressed…we really have not used clothing this light and comfortable in warmer weather. Let’s take a look at what we like about this range.

            Weight? These shorts weigh just 120g, most baggies are 400g+

TRAIL TECH 10 SHIRT

A stripped to the bone technical top, but far from basic. Weighing in at just 80g, this feather weight shirt is just what you need when you are pressing on hard in the hottest of weather. The cut is spot on, with no side seams it sits close to the body, but not tight. The Polyester weave efficiently lifts moisture from your body keeping you comfortable; we never felt the lack of a zip at the neck was a problem, even on the hottest of days. The Trail Tech jersey dries quickly too, great if you are on a ‘stop start’ all day ride or Enduro event.

Scott have really gone to town with this jersey, being part of their ‘Lightweight Concept’ range. The small rear pocket (for cash/key etc) is bonded on and the hem is also glued not stitched. Unnecessary? Maybe, but this is lightweight mountain bike clothing at its very best.

Price: £64.99

Weight: 80g (A typical trail jersey alternative weighs 200g)

Colours: Red/orange, Two-tone Blue, Black

Sizes: S – XXL

TRAIL TECH 10 LOOSE FIT SHORTS

These super-light shorts from Scott have been an eye-opener for us here at Dirt. They have made us get the scales out and weigh some of our kit, questioning the impact this has on our riding; only something we have done before with jackets.

At 120g a pair these have a ‘barely there’ feel, which felt great out on the trail. The ‘tougher than it looks’ fabric has a slight stretch to it, is quick drying, and offers a degree of wind resistance too. As with the jersey, the shorts have an excellent cut. A closer fit than many trail shorts, with little flapping but enough space to sit over the newer generation of lighter weight knee pads. The leg length is shorter than most (maybe needs 3cm more?), our only real criticism. A minimalist (bonded on) waist adjuster keeps the shorts in place very well, with next to no slipping when  pedaling hard, in or out of the saddle.

Comfort is the real benefit with the Trail Tech 10 shorts. Breathability from the wafer thin fabric is excellent, keeping comfort high. A real benefit whether on a hard charging evening blast or a full day out. We paired these with the Specialized SWAT bibshorts (with storage pockets) on most rides; a winning combination.

Price: £69.99

Weight: 120g (A typical trail short alternative weighs 400g)

Colours: Red, Blue, Black.

Sizes: S – XXL

An Avocado, five slices of granary, a medium onion or two eggs? At 200g for the jersey and shorts, this combo is lighter than any from this list. Amazing.

TRAVELING LIGHT: IS IT FOR YOU?

This Trail Tech kit is quite something. Supremely comfortable, super breathable, quick drying and with a ‘barely there’ feel. They are noticeably different to what we are normally wearing and felt liberating, especially on the hotter, faster rides.

The fabric is tougher than it looks (and offers limited weather protection as it stands) and is designed primarily as stand-alone kit for summer use. However, with riders now questioning heavy hydration packs and looking at lighter hip packs and bottles as alternatives, the weight of our kit certainly is starting to be investigated. When the weather cools and trails dampen, we are going to be layering this kit to see how it works as a clothing system, adding technical over and under for the ultimate comfort.

Pioneering lightweight mountain bike clothing from Scott. We’re impressed, and hopefully just the start of more innovation in technical kit.

scott-sports.com