Pants are never going to be as breezy as shorts, but the Burner Lite comes closer to any I’ve tried thanks to the lightweight material that feels breezy, and never clammy. There are also laser cut holes galore, with a score or more either side of the knee to draw in air. I’m happy in the Burner Lite up to 20°C or so, which means I’ve been wearing them all this summer without problems. Some trousers are cut roomier in the knee, so they don’t tighten up as you pedal and also allow you to wear knee pads underneath. A few trousers even have reinforced material over the knee, so if you do skin your knees you’re less likely to put a hole in the material. Waterproofness All waterproof fabrics are rated for waterproofness and anything over 10,000mm is pretty watertight in normal conditions. Breathability is also rated – look for the MVTR (Moisture Vapour Transmission Rate) figure. Above 20,000g/m²/24hr means good breathability. Fabric construction

Elasticated cuffs help keep your legs dry and stop the fabric catching on the drivetrain. Ian Linton / Immediate MediaAt Chain Reaction Cycles we found 283 products from Fox Racing, of which 10 were in the Pants – Cycle category. Seams are all internally sealed and taped to improve their wet weather credentials, while a DWR coating has been applied to help water bead. On the flip side, the fit is fairly baggy, especially around the calves, where the material flaps in the wind. Adjusting the Velcro ankle cuffs doesn’t reduce the volume either. While the price is higher than the Endura MT500 or Fox Ranger pants, this is offset by an included repair kit and free crash repair service. Overall, these are quality riding pants that fit great, feel comfortable and work in a range of conditions.

With a good set of waterproof trousers you can splash through puddles like a five year-old Do I need to wear padded shorts under my mountain bike trousers?

We then wanted to get a bit more specific and only look at Fox Racing products that are listed in the Pants – Cycle category. Manufacturers describe their garments as having two or three layers, but what does this mean? A two-layer fabric is made up of an outer face fabric bonded to the waterproof membrane. Inside may be a hanging mesh liner to protect the inner membrane. On a 2.5 layer, the mesh liner is replaced with a micro (or half) layer, which is either bonded or printed onto the membrane. During the test period they didn’t soak through, and kept me completely dry on every wet weather ride, even after being subjected to hours of constant splashing in puddles and rivers as well as torrential rain. All of the waterproof mountain bike pants above have been thoroughly tested in the wettest weather and muddiest trails we could get our bikes on. They’ve been tested against heavy and light rain, and upward splashes from puddles and wet ground. Breathability was assessed based on how they felt after hard riding, and they were also assessed on comfort, fit, features, price and value for money. In terms of performance, the shape, cut and fit of the Rangers most closely compares to the Specialized Trail pants.

A simple, single meaty popper is all that’s used to keep the Rangers closed. There’s no zipped fly or Velcro in place to keep the overlapping fabric in place, but I had no issues with the trousers gaping open or coming undone. My 73kg, 178cm frame was best-suited to the 30in size Ranger, and offered a snug and comfortable fit with plenty of scope to adjust the waist via the ratchet strap.

This 100% waterproof trouser uses a 2.5-layer fabric with a little bit of stretch and is rated 10k for both breathability and waterproofness. While it’s true that other quality riding trousers with a DWR coating that keep you dry-ish in less severe conditions can be had for half the money, the Hydromatics are priced in line with other fully winterised equivalents. You can have the most waterproof material in the world, but if it’s not breathable it’s not suitable, especially when worn for endurance activities like mountain biking. But what does breathability actually mean? A breathable material lets body heat and sweat efficiently exit which in turn helps regulate temperature and stop the pants from having a ‘boil in the bag’ effect resulting in them getting wet from the inside out. layer main body fabric that is waterproof, windproof, and breathable. To bump up the moisture protection, these So the first aspect of price that we’re going to look at is the price of Fox Racing Ranger 3L Water Trousers. One of the best features of the Fox Ranger 3L is the tapered leg. This is featured on all Fox pants and not only does it keep any flapping material out of the chain it also stops it sagging down at the bottom, which is not a good look.

While the double loop lies almost perfectly flat and sits really close to the trousers, I found it fiddlier and less convenient to use. That said, once you’ve adjusted it to your preference, you can soon forget about it (unless you need to make some adjustments after a particularly big meal). Fox Ranger pants performance

The ankle cuffs are elasticated and the legs have a tapered fit. There’s a small amount of stretch from the 86 per cent polyester/14 per cent spandex blend in the lower leg fabric and the waist is fastened and fit adjusted using Fox’s ratchet closure system. In terms of waterproof resistance, we found Ridge is very effective against both splashes and sustained rain and keeps you bone dry inside, but the dull soft-shell fabric doesn’t quite bead water or shrug off muddy splashes as readily as a more traditional waterproof trouser, such as the 100% Hydromatic or Troy Lee Designs Resist, and can get heavier than some fabrics as a result. If you can’t put a price on staying warm and dry, the phenomenally expensive POC Consort MTB Dungaree could be the waterproof mountain bike solution for you.