TESTED: Dakine trail gear

Recently we had the pleasure of rocking some of Dakine’s latest trail gear. Dakine have been a major player in the snow and water sports arena for some time now and are perhaps best known for this here in Oz.

This range has all your bases covered with a range that’s proven and tested across all stages of the EWS, Downhill World Cups and Bike Parks around the globe under riders like Thomas Vanderham, Yoann Barrlli and Casey Brown, just to name a few.

During the Cannonball Festival in Thredbo we spent many hours doing runs, getting to intimately know some of this new 2018 Dakine gear. Over the course of the week we fell in love with the Thrillium Jersey, Pace Shorts and oh so simple Traverse Gloves. One of the first things you notice with both the Thrillium Jersey and Pace Shorts are their simple clean look that’s not crazy over-the-top with big logos and loud patterns. Part of this lends to Dakine’s defined ‘casual culture’ across all sports bringing with it a look that doesn’t scream “I AM A RAD MOUNTAIN BIKER THAT’S COME TO THE SHOPS TO GRAB A CHOCOLATE MILK ON MY WAY HOME!” Just ditch your riding shoes, put on a pair of thongs and hit the pub to unwind with a burger, brew and your mates; without telling everyone in the bar there’s an expensive bike unguarded outside.

Though understated, the Thrillium Jersey does deliver some cool tech. With a casual fit that gives you a great range of movement you also get a handy sunglass wipe for the hot and sweaty rides, and lastly, not to forget the Polygiene – a fabric made of *magic* (and a touch of science) to keep that post ride pong at bay, even allowing for multiple uses before it needs to hit the washing machine!

The Pace Shorts continue this casual culture appeal with a very surfer look and feel, even to the point where you could easily use them for a post ride swim (clean) in the local river. The 4-way stretch material will dry fast and offers great movement on the bike and fits great over knee pads with no bunching or snagging. While you don’t get any zipper pockets you do get two very deep front pockets that don’t let anything wiggle out, maintaining a cool and unpretentious style.

When it comes to gloves our test rider prefers close contact with the bars, preferring to wear only very thin gloves or even no gloves at all. So when our rider asked if they could keep the Traverse Gloves you know it has to be a winner. The Traverse Gloves are like a race car, it simply has what you need and nothing you don’t. With an ultra-thin silicone mesh palm and micro fleece thumb wipe to keep the sweat away there is not much more you need…. Oh and we can confirm that the Traverse Gloves allow you to use your smartphone, ensuring you can get #lightbro for #instagram and organise post ride beers. Quite simply, the Traverse Gloves give you everything you need, without making a big song and dance about it nor costing the earth.