Troy Lee Designs Resist Trouser Review

To be frank, I didn’t have high hopes for the Troy Lee Designs Resist Trouser. Before trying them I had a ride or two in the Troy Lee Designs Resist jacket. I was not impressed.

• Price: £149.00
• From: saddleback.co.uk

The fabric of the Resist Jacket was nice enough and all, but I didn’t get along with the general cut of the jacket and I also found a couple of things about it outright annoying (the unadjustable gaping cuffs and the pingy elastic dangly bits of the hood cinchers, mainly). The jacket didn’t feel like it was designed by someone who had ever ridden in rain.

What about the Resist trousers then?

I’m happy to say the Troy Lee Designs Resists Trouser completely confounded expectations and have proved to be an excellent winter (OK then, spring-summer-autumn) weather garment.

Unlike most waterproof trousers, the Troy Lee Resists don’t feel like overly baggy over-trousers. They feel and are cut pretty much like regular riding trousers. Suitably tapered, when wet they don’t end up acting like soggy sandpaper and removing all the paintwork from your bike’s stays or crank arms. There’s a nice bit of stretch to the fabric, which really helps things.

They don’t feel overly nasty against bare skin. Having said that, with my usual combo of decent length socks, knee pads and liner shorts, there isn’t much actual bare flesh on my legs when riding. But still, I’ve definitely ridden in waterproof trousers that feel unpleasantly cold and plasticky and these do not.

In terms of staying waterproof, so far so good. Troy Lee does make all sorts of claims as to its DWR finish lasting three times as long as other DWR treatments, and while I don’t have any actual science to back this up, I am impressed by how they’re holding up.

I do try to only rinse (rather than full-on machine wash) my outerwear garments, but even with that proviso the Resist trousers are doing really well durability wise. Yes, even on the arse panel section which takes a real hammering, as it were.

I’m not overly fussed about the pockets and the thigh vents, but they don’t seem to get in the way of the form or function of the garment, so, fair enough. Some folk will find them more useful than I do.

So there you go, the best waterproof mountain bike trousers come from California. Who’d a thunk it?

This product features in our Daytrippin’ Kit Essentials buyer’s guide

Review Info

Ben Haworth

Orange Switch 6er. Stif Squatcher. Schwalbe Magic Mary Purple Addix front. Maxxis DHR II 3C MaxxTerra rear. Coil fan. Ebikes are not evil. I have been a writer for nigh on 20 years, a photographer for 25 years and a mountain biker for 30 years. I have written countless magazine and website features and route guides for the UK mountain bike press, most notably for the esteemed and highly regarded Singletrackworld. Although I am a Lancastrian, I freely admit that West Yorkshire is my favourite place to ride. Rarely a week goes by without me riding and exploring the South Pennines.

More posts from Ben