TESTED: Solo MTB Clothing

Solo clothing earned their name from some retro inspired performance clothing, but have recently branched out into trail wear for the mountain bike market. And to be honest it is a flooded market.

The Corridor jersey is a  length sleeve job, again something very popular at the moment. But that is no bad thing. Compared to others I have used, the fabric felt softer, and the mesh side panels and longer rear made for a great fit. The raglan sleeves fit over my shoulders really comfortably and the flat-locked seams don’t leave imprints under a Camelbak.

The shorts feel pretty heavy-duty, and the material is super tough. While there is a liner, it is removable if you have your own bib shorts you’d rather pull them over. Or if you want to whip out the liner for some post-ride airing you can do that too.

There are enough pockets, and cinch tabs to fine tune the fit. There are also ventilation zips on the front of the leg, to keep airflow up and overheating down.

Solo on the trail

What I noticed the most was the shorts – they really hit that middle ground of ‘knees out’ or ‘knees covered’ nicely, while still not getting in the way. They have a reasonably fitted leg but if you wanted really fitted trail shorts you might still be best to look elsewhere. The liner was OK, but to be honest I prefer some bib shorts underneath.

Four pockets, two zipped side pockets and two velcro cargo pockets, are probably a bit much – but you don’t need to use them. If you like riding with things in your pockets you’ll be in heaven. I found them most useful before and after the actual ride. But the zippered vents were handy, and they didn’t open so much to feel like a balloon.

And the jersey? It was nice and light through the end of summer, and has transitioned into a great jersey in the cooler months too, pairing well with an undershirt. I never had reason to think about the shirt once it was on, and the fit was dialled.

Solo are mostly available through the AvantiPlus network, and if you’re after some smart but not wild trail gear – I’d really recommend trying some on.