The Summer Mountain Bike Essentials I Can't Live Without

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We can’t talk test ski gear all year here in POWDER’s Gear Locker, so there’s a select few months where summer seasonal affective disorder takes over and it’s time to focus on a few other things. Luckily, mountain biking scratches a similar gravity-fueled itch to sliding down a snowy mountainside, and we’ve had plenty of hero dirt across the Mountain West to put some new product to the test.

Just like skiing, wearing proper mountain bike apparel really makes a difference when it comes to comfort on rides, especially on the hottest, sweatiest days. Pedaling a bike uphill for hours (or even just lapping the bike park) is a high-output activity, and temperature regulation is a challenge—one best solved with lightweight, breathable apparel. That’s all to say that I’m a firm believer that a cotton t-shirt won’t cut it.

This spring and summer, we’ve been testing a big selection of thoughtfully-designed bits from our favorite brands. Here’s what I keep coming back to day after day, the pieces I trust and look forward to using for years to come.

Mons Royale Icon Merino T-Shirt

New Zealand‘s Mons Royale has been a leader in the performance merino apparel world since 2009, and one of their original summer products, the Icon Merino T-Shirt is still as good as it was nearly 20 years ago. Turns out merino wool is as effective a wicking and cooling material in warm weather as it is a breathable insulator in the cold. Born from the idea of crafting apparel that was equally at home in the mountains as it was during après, Mons Royale’s apparel is meant to be worn across activities, and meant to be worn a lot. Merino is naturally odor neutralizing—as they put it, it’s meant to “repel stink, not people.” That’s a huge plus for those of us who sweat a lot and don’t want to do laundry every single day. It also has this seemingly magical property that both keeps me cool on hot days, and traps heat on cold mornings. It’s simple, effective, and looks good.

Outdoor Research Freewheel MTB Kit

The designers at Outdoor Research aren’t just focused on crafting apparel for skiing in harsh, wet climates like the Pacific Northwest. There’s an entire line of excellent mountain bike apparel too that works great in those (and dry) climates as well. The Freewheel MTB Short Sleeve Jersey and MTB Ride Short check all the boxes: stylish silhouettes and colors, breathable and stretchy fabric, and a comfortable on-bike fit that doesn’t bunch up in weird places, ride too high (no knee pad gap), or chafe under a pack. A cool bonus feature is the UPF 30+ protection afforded by the jersey’s fabric, keeping the sun at bay.

Stio OPR MTB Pants

When I’m riding shuttle or bike park trails, it’s rare that I’m wearing shorts. The extra protection from overgrown bushes, errant sticks, and the ground fully outweigh the heat penalty. Over the last years, I’ve tried nearly every pair of mountain bike pants on the market, and these days, I’ve found myself reaching for more minimalist pants over classic heavy-duty downhill pants. The extra breathability and stretch feels much better.

Jackson Hole‘s Stio has always designed apparel first and foremost for the home team—skiers, bikers, and runners who live and play in the Tetons. The new OPR Pants (local parlance for the Old Pass Road trailhead) are their answer to a riding pant that can handle everything from high-speed shuttle laps on rugged trails like Lithium or Fuzzy Bunny to lively après sessions at the Stagecoach bar. These slim-fitting pants are built with 4-way stretch, enough durability to survive a crash, and a simple but effective pocket layout (including a zippered back pocket that’s big enough for a phone, an awesome idea that I haven’t seen in other pants before).

Stellar EQ. Aerolight Wind Jacket

A full time job putting together a ski magazine in the summer months necessitates early morning rides to escape the heat. And retain sanity. There’s something innately satisfying about hitting up the group chat with the question of where we’re riding the next morning, going to bed with a plan, and waking up at the crack of dawn to crank out a 2-hour ride before work. Aside from a cup of coffee and perhaps a yummy leftover pastry from an Alpine Sweets-catered event, the other thing that I’m grabbing on these mornings is Stellar Equipment’s new Aerolight Wind Jacket.

It’s not a mountain bike-specific piece, but the fit, breathability, and stretch makes it supremely appropriate. Imagine a Patagonia Houdini that doesn’t give you the same trash-bag effect the second you start sweating. Thanks to some cleverly perforated vents across the back and underarms, the airflow in this jacket is awesome, without sacrificing protection from cold winds. I’ll even wear this on the pedal up, and if the sun brings the heat a little earlier than expected, it’s so packable that I can literally fit it in my pants pocket.

Giro Chamber Trail Shoes

I tend to ride about 50/50 on flat pedals vs. clipped in. For awhile, i thought it just depended on the bike, but now I’ve realized that I just go through phases with it. Currently, I’m doing a lot of pedaling, so I’m in a largely clipped-in phase, taking advantage of the new Giro Chamber Trail shoe. Built as an evolution of the much-loved Chamber DH shoe, a stiff sole is mated with a more breathable and lower-profile upper, a single BOA dial, and a breathable elastic cuff. That cuff keeps out dust and debris, the BOA dial makes closure and fitting as simple as it gets, and the venting and breathability keep the foot stank at bay on long days in the saddle.

Perhaps the best part of the shoe, however, is the extra-long cleat interface, that allows you to position the cleats 10mm further back than other shoes. For progressive riders—and ones who want to mimic the foot position they’re used to from riding flats—that’s huge. That more rearward foot position isn’t about pedal efficiency, it’s about being to clip/unclip more easily, and allow you to more naturally pump the bike and take big impacts on gnarly trails. Try it, you’ll like it.

Honorable Mention: Drift Arc MTB Shoes

Brands come and go, and sometimes come back under a completely new name. That’s the case with Drift (formerly DZR shoes), a premium shoemaker that was known for making extremely durable footwear that strayed away from the classic cycling shoe look. Drift is back with the new Arc MTB shoe, a pair of all-leather waterproof clipless shoes designed to look anything but. If you’re in the market for a pair of performance riding shoes that look like Nike AF1s, look no further.

Personally, I didn’t love the fit (they felt too wide and voluminous), but I can speak to the waterproofing and build quality, which was excellent. There’s no BOA dial, just heavy duty laces, and the stiff sole gives efficient power transfer. One thing to note is the thick rubber sole and very recessed cleat track made fine-tuning cleat position tricky. You’ll almost certainly need to throw a spacer in there.