TESTED: Rubber Side Down Global Artist Series Jerseys

Words: Hayden Wright

Photos: Gerard Lagana

The gravity mountain bike clothing market is seemingly flooded with Australian brands looking to make their mark and stand out from the crowd. From the likes of DHaRCO, Crofto, Unit among many others there are seemingly endless options for riders looking for a baggy fit jersey to suit their own personal taste. The latest in a line of local brands we have come across is Rubber Side Down Global (RSDG). Touting a line of jerseys and accessories with a unique flavour and environmentally conscious construction Ash and I were excited to get a few of their ‘Artist Series’ jerseys in the mail and put them to the test on the trails over the past few months.

The Details

RSDG are an Australian owned brand, and they are designed in Australia, with the items cut atnd stitched here as well. They’ve got an emphasis on doing things in an environmentally friendly way, and use 100% recycled polyester construction. They have a variety of cuts and patterns available, with men’s and women’s fits. They also have youth options!

Jungle Pink Short Sleeve Jersey – $99.95 RRP

Ash really liked this jersey. She commented that the design was really eye catching – something unique in a world of solid colours and sharp lines typically seen on mountain bike jerseys. Her favourite aspect was the flattering, form fitting cut of the jersey. She feels that the majority of women’s jerseys are typically too revealing around the neckline, not providing the amount of sun protection and skin coverage that she would like. The Jungle jersey has a high neckline and a longer cut on the sleeves like what you would typically see on a road jersey. Pair all these great features with a dropped tail and you have a jersey fit that is on point from tip to tail. Ash also mentioned that she likes that while the main body of the jersey is brightly patterned, the sleeves and collar are black. This gives you a great spot to wipe your brow mid ride without worrying about staining the lighter toned pattern on the torso of the jersey. 

Sidewinder Eucalyptus Long Sleeve Jersey – $109.95 RRP

The Sidewinder Eucalyptus jersey is a part of the new ‘Artist Series’ which RSDG are producing. The print design is quite subtle, using pastel tones of olive and grey. It’s nice to have more subdued colour options, for days where you don’t want to look like a power ranger out on the trails. As with Ash and the Jungle jersey I really appreciated the high neckline and dropped tail, ensuring I am sun safe and not flashing everyone my knicks while out riding. The long sleeves were also a good length and diameter. I find many jerseys are going with a tight cuff and generally tight fit on the arms in the current market, but this jersey bucks that trend and, in my opinion, offers more comfort and breathability as a result. 

The recycled polyester material does a good job of wicking away sweat but in my opinion is a touch thick for use in peak summer – here in Queensland anyway. The upshot of this is durability, as some super light jerseys don’t really have a long lifespan. It would be nice to see some mesh panels on the sides and back to aid in breathability – particularly for a jersey which comes in at over $100RRP. But again, this might impact the UPF30 rating, which I was happy to see. Asides from those few small nit-picks this is a great jersey and I really like how environmentally friendly both the packaging and construction is. 

Youth Matrix Red Long Sleeve Jersey $79.95

Words: Anna Beck

As a parent, it has been encouraging to see an increase in options to clothe and protect the next generation of shredders. Given the option to test the Matrix Red Long Sleeved Jersey, the kiddo was enthused: mainly because her friends had advised her that a long sleeve jersey is just for going downhill, and as such she thought that meant she would be absolved from any climbing exertion every time she wore it.

Even after we broke the bad news, she was impressed with the 100% polyester breathable fabric and ‘super rad’ design, which was parroted from the rest of the grom crew. Fit-wise, the kiddo is (a small) 9 years old and usually rocks a size 8 in clothing, we found the size ten to fit well: I’d recommend checking the sizing as it seems a little on the smaller side. 

Even though she did have to tackle the climbs despite the long sleeves, she noted that the fabric kept her nice and dry when sweating bullets in the Queensland summer, and with a UPF 30+ rating it keeps sun-averse parents happy as well. 

The longer tail helped avoid any skin gap when getting low on the bike and the tailored sleeves and neckline fitted well and ensured there were no ‘flappy’ sleeves. 

There was one concern; the kiddo was sad snacks weren’t catered for with a pocket…however she cheered up when we reminded her that jersey snacks can flap around and be annoying, and that she had multiple other snack-portaging options (shorts, hydration pack, spares pack).

At $79.95 it isn’t the cheapest youth jersey option out there, but the fabric, being Australian made, UPF rating and general ‘rad’ factor mean you should consider the Rubber Side Down youth range for your little shredder.

From: rubbersidedown.com.au

Hits

• Environmentally conscious packaging – recycled materials and recyclable!
• Australian made
• Great fit
• Multiple designs available from plain to wild
• Long and short sleeve options

Misses

• Slightly heavy fabric for peak summer riding
• Slightly higher price tag than some
• Single material construction – no lightweight mesh