Troy Lee XC shorts + jersey review

There’s little argument that Troy Lee Designs make some of the most stylish mountain bike clothing, but sometimes their ability to remember what riders actually need seems to slip.

Their XC shorts are just such a case. We’re not sure what sort of XC TLD expect you to do in these heavy, stiff and hot shorts, but it’s not like any we do. Seriously, we’d recommend keeping them for a bit of hardcore trail bombing and freeride light work, where the velcro in/out thigh pads might come in useful. The jersey is a different matter, fast wicking polyester with a loose but not baggy cut, it’s ideal for tooling about the trail on a summer’s day. With a half-length hidden zip, venting is easy and the triple rear pockets have a fourth hidden zip pocket for the house key or mobile. If it were our cash we’d buy the jersey but leave the shorts and plump for something like Endura, Gore BikeWear, Polaris or Sugoi.