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Wet-weather pants that aren't just for the trails |
Words by Jay Sinclair
As I sit here staring out my window at the North Shore snow line moving down towards the water, I reflect on how for most mountain bikers the riding season comes to an end. For some of us. however, the season never really ends - we just take the winter gear out of the cupboard and make due in the cold and wet. The one thing that I have learned in my 32 years on this planet competing in sports ranging from downhill skiing to racing across the Pacific Ocean on a sailboat is that performance is affected by the warmth of your muscles. To perform at your best, good gear is necessary. In cold, wet weather, good gear is mandatory. I am lucky enough to have a subscription to DIRT magazine, and one day while perusing through the magnitude of European race coverage, I noticed a sidebar with a pair of interesting riding pants. Looking like snowboard pants, being waterproof and having a cut that suits riding a bicycle, my curiosity was peaked to say the least. Enter a small company based out of the U.K., Status Racing. With all of the wet and cold weather in the U.K., the boys at Status were forced to come up with a pant design that would keep the elements out and retain all of the functionality that a freeride/race pant needs. The Climate Trouser fits the bill well. The pants are made from an MVP fabric that is waterproof and breathable |
 Status Racing's Climate Trouser Photo: © Status Racing |
The pants contain a number of interesting features: interchangeable liner, waterproof zips, high back design, internal leg tighteners, outside leg vents, inside leg vents, and a calf-mounted pocket.
The most interesting concept of the design is the interchangeable liner. The trousers, being a shell pant, have a rubber lining to the outer MVP material. This rubber lining is not comfortable against the skin nor does it offer any form of insulation from the cold. The concept of the removable liner is that with two different options you can change the liners to suit your needs. Status Racing offers both a mesh (tested) and a fleece liner that snaps in with little clothing fasteners. The mesh liner helps to insulate and keeps the cold clammy-feeling rubber off your skin.
 Waterproof zips and Velcro closures Photo: Jay Sinclair |
All of the zips on the Climate Trousers are waterproof. There is no sense in manufacturing a waterproof pant if the water pours in through the zippers. The only zips that are not waterproof are the inside leg vents located in the crotch of the pants. This could cause some problems on really wet days when the water is coming up from the front tire, but as of yet I have not had any problems. At first glance, I was unsure about the placement of the crotch zips. I was worried that they might rub on my inner thigh while on the saddle, but no worries. The zips have been placed just far enough down not to rub. |
The waist of the pant is cut quite high to help keep the water out while riding. If you wanted to double the pant up as a snowboard / ski pant, this feature would easily help to keep the snow out as well. The front closure is a large Velcro patch that adds adjustability and stays where you put it. The waist of the trousers has belt loops if you want to add that studded belt look to your image.
The Climate Trouser features two adjustable leg tighteners, one at the calf and one at the cuff. The bungee cord adjusters allow you to taper the pant to your preference, and help to keep them out of your chainring.
Located on the outside of both legs is an 18" sealed zipper that contains mesh-backed vents. By undoing the zipper you can easily tailor your venting needs when the days get warmer. Combine these with the crotch vents and you can control your warmth levels quite well. The trousers have two waterproof, fleece lined pockets on the front. The pockets are deep and the fleece is welcomed in between runs. The calf pocket is an interesting idea. I liked the concept of additional storage, but when I put my keys in it they tended to bang on my leg while I was riding. If you were to just take the key that unlocks your doors, I doubt you would have any problems. The pants come with a plastic loop on the waist that you could feasibly clip your keys on to, yet I am not sold on riding with my keys not in a secure zipped up pocket (Ask Nigel Quarless about loosing keys). Pricing has not been set yet but they are selling in the UK for £120 (loosely converted to CDN$275 or US$210). That price puts them into the high-end |
 Cuffs with bungee drawstrings Photo: Jay Sinclair |
All in all, the Climate Trousers are probably the best riding pants I have seen. They do double duty as snowboard / ski pants and have many options for warmth and comfort. The manufacturing is well done and the company advertises a good customer support system.
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