TESTED: Unit MTB clothing
Need some fresh kit for summer? Well why not look at this combination from Unit? It works well in Aussie conditions.
Mountain biking doesn't need to be gear intensive, it's just riding bikes in the bush afterall. But it's nice to have the right things. Good gloves, comfortable shoes, helmets with more protection, eyewear with good clarity, a backpack that stays in place – and clothing that suits our conditions and fits the right way.
The cycling market is flooded with bike clothing. From skintight lycra, to downhill pyjamas there's something to suit just about any desire. But it's not a given that anything will work for Australian conditions.
What are Australian conditions anyway? Warm, scratchy, and with a lot of sun would be my summary. The weight of plenty of riding gear that comes from the northern hemisphere just doesn't cut it in our summer, and then some super light materials don't cut it when used in our spiky flora and rocky environments.
Last month we were sent some Unit clothing to play with when visiting Tasmania. The few days in Tassie were stunning, reach close to 30 degrees, so pretty spot on for testing for summer.
The Progress Jersey in red reminded me of a bike park guide's top, which is not bad thing, but is a super comfortable 2-way stretch material. It's a short-sleeve top, not another 'me too' 3/4 sleeve trail top, and has a little pocket on the left hip as a media pocket. It works just as well for any small and light items.
The jersey sat well with a backpack or without, and dried quickly without holding too much sweat – whcih is a bonus. It doesn't feel as hard wearing as say something like the DHaRCO short sleeve jerseys, but it's more comfortable against the skin as well. At $70 it is well worth looking at, plus it comes in black as well.
The Rising Shorts also pretty light, and shorter than some of the ones in my wardrobe, which I don't mind at all.
This makes them an 'above the knee guard' set of shorts which actually means they tend to snag less. They have two side pockets and two cargo pockets, which for my personal needs is at least two too many. Others differ, but I don't like riding with much in my pockets, and I'd rather have a simpler short. That said, off the bike having two normal side pockets is very useful. So I could be swayed.
The material is 2-way stretch again, and was pretty hard wearing so far without being too thick and hot. I live in Queensland and that really works for me. The velcro tabs on the side sit really flat and are comfortabel even if you have a thick waist band on a backpack.
At $80 they are well-priced. Coincidentally they double up as a set of board shorts pretty well for a post-ride swim. There's an inner available too, but I prefer to wear bib shorts underneath for long days out.
I really dug the gloves, partly because they're bright, but also the finger and thumb length was spot on – not something everyone gets right. The grippy bits on the palm and fingers are yet to wear off, but I find gloves tend to suffer in these areas with a lot of wear. That's the same for any brand.
The Unit socks come in 5 packs of tall or short, with a mix of black and white. I'm not going anywhere near short socks or white socks on my mountain bike, but the black ones were comfortable, and the 5 packs are bargains, at about $25 for the low socks and $30 for the tall ones.
All in I was impressed with the gear. It was comfortable, dried quickly, hasn't build up any in-built stink, and it wasn't restrictive on the bike thanks to the stretchy material. I don't think it will be the hardest wearing gear, but I'm happy to give some of that up for greater comfort in hot weather. Head to their website for more options.
All photos: Tim Bardsley-Smith
