What do people wear? I run cold and can’t cope with shorts in this weather. The bike branded ones all seem to cost too much (fox, troy lee, etc) and walking trousers seem too fragile. Do I need to splash out for something expensive?

Tights (in varying degrees of warmth) under shorts for me.

Waterproof??

i have a pair of karrimor walking trousers that are in ways similar to the Endura Singletrack but have lasted way longer and were a third of the price

not waterproof but they are really good for colder rides and knee pads fit on under them too

I’ve got some madison ones I haven’t tried yet. Look well made.

I have had great results with some walking trousers (the kind with stretch panels in the arse and knee) and a sewing machine.

I’ve found the Boardman MTB trousers great over the last month in dry weather, on and off the bike, been perfect as comfy trousers for train journeys between Southampton and Wirral these last few days.

I’m definitely a fan of tights under 3/4 shorts for winter, simply because it removes that flappy bit of leg around the calf that I always get jammed up in my chainring.

I agree with Ross. Good 3/4 winter tights with wind or waterproof 3/4 shorts over the top. For some reason I find this warmer than full length tights.. I think it is because water cant wick up as easily as there is a small gap between the bottom of the tights and the top of my sock.

I’ve always gone for bib longs with waterproof shorts over the top, but this year I think I might give trousers a go. Looking at the Endura spray rather than full waterproof. It’s the old problem, if you keep it all out you just get wet from the inside. But this is all speculation. I’ll let you know in Spring 🙂

Haha… you come on here to ask about trousers to mountainbike in and 10 merry middle aged men will turn up to tell you all about their ladies hosiery.

I have tons of pairs of riding trousers ranging from full motocross cordura DH pants through to lighter weight DH pants to water repellent and thinner trail trousers unfortunately very few of them are the current year model and many are no longer in production.

For lighter weight trousers that are fairly durable check out the ranges from Endura, Madison and Scott, slighlty heavier weight Dakine and ION and for properly durable check out race pants from the likes of Fox, Troylee, TSG etc. The Boardman’s mentioned earlier aren’t a bad shout for £50. Polaris also do a cheap pair but styling is questionable.

Not sure if it’s the sort of thing your after, but I’ve just ordered a pair of these for casual rides /pump track visits/possibly work.

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/pearl-izumi-versa-pant-review.html

Biketart currently have them in stock for £70 and £5 off your first order.

Also Pearl Izumi – their softshell trousers – in the running collection, but ideal for riding (even have poppers to tuck the ankle hems away from the chain). I liked them so much I bought 2 pairs. Limited sizing from PI, but might be able to find elsewhere. Absolute bargain for £40, considering Spesh, ION and the like charge over £100 for similar.

https://www.pearlizumi.co.uk/men-s-escape-softshell-pant

I have a pair of the ION ones, no idea what the model is but have a Google. They arn’t waterproof, they are just DWR. They are slim fitting so if you are a fatty, it’s going to be a struggle to get them to fit, but they are great.

I do wear shorts & some DHB roubaix but don’t like wearing leggings, so it’s not my preferred choice & they are still rubbish when it’s wet.

For when it rains I have some RaceFace Agent trousers, which are waterproof. They are actually quite good as well 🙂

Just bought some Endura MT500 II trousers. They seem great so far, don’t seem to get to hot either.

Bought some fox indicator trousers at the start of the year, only worn them maybe 4-5 times but they’re great, really good fit, not too baggy but can still fit knee pads underneath, snug around the calf and ankle so they don’t get caught in the chainring but they are a bit expensive.

Dezb, those pearl izumi ones of SP will have the arse ripped in no time riding Shirley?

Nope, doesn’t appear that way. They’re stretchy, so I reckon they’ll last.

I took a punt on some of the Endura Singletrack trousers. Initial impressions are very good, even though I normally run pretty hot when riding (or doing any exercise!). They fit well and aren’t too baggy, but nice and flexible.

I don’t think they’re properly waterproof, if they’re the same material as the Singletrack shorts but more than good enough for a few hours out in drizzle/riding through puddles.

I got a pair of Keela roadrunner trousers, they’re very good but I can’t compare them to anything else as they’re my first mtb trousers.

AK