Kit: Patagonia Dirt Craft Mountain Bike Pants

Behold, our first ‘kit review’. Don’t worry, this is not about to become that sort of site but I think it’s worth gradually posting about some bits of kit we’ve liked, or otherwise, now that we’ve used things for a good while.

Also, this is not about encouraging people to buy stuff. Quite the contrary, in fact. This is about identifying stuff that lasts, or shaming stuff that doesn’t :) Let’s start…

Kit: Patagonia Dirt Craft Mountain Bike Pants

I’ve worn these pretty much every day since we entered Africa, some eight months ago. I wore them a lot before too, so they’re ~10,000km in. They are light and airy, with some strategically placed laser-cut holes, and they are so robust. Granted the arse end has taken on the colour of my saddle and through repeated washing and wringing (not recommended) they have become a tad baggier but—especially given the treatment they’ve had—they are remarkably resilient. The material is extremely tear resistant and quick drying. Stains seem to wash out too. They provide full-length sun cover yet I find them as comfortable as shorts, even in the wild temperatures we have experienced.

If I have one criticism, it’s that some mechanical means of cinching the waist would be helpful. The elastic waistband is generally fine (though it too is probably not as functional as it once was due to my maltreatment) but occasionally they can ride down on a big climb, under the weight of sweat. Ewwww.

That’s it though. Otherwise I love them. They aren’t cheap but, I think, they are great value. They have outlasted two cycling tops already (more on those below) and you won’t find a company that aligns much better with my world view (they restructured in 2022 to make the Earth their sole shareholder). I can certainly recommend them for long-term cycle touring and I anticipate them lasting for many more kilometres yet!

A quick note about the top in this picture. This is a Decathlon Special as I donated my previous top to a street tailor in Agadir before we crossed the Sahara, because it had started to lose its sunproofing. It too had been maltreated (washed and wrung regularly) and worn daily for months, so it did well. More than I can say for my Decathlon replacement. I bought it (and Beck bought similar) because it was all we could find around these parts. High-end outdoor shops weren’t a thing and we needed something with sun protection. These tops were SPF50+ and they worked ok for a while. No doubt the aforementioned maltreatment and the harsh conditions would damage any clothes but these were much more prone to wear and damage (and stretching) than anything we’d worn before. They kept us going for a bit but we’ve had to replace them already (unfortunately with more Decathlon Specials, as that’s all there was in Dakar). We’re working out how we might get some better quality bits sorted for our next phase. We might even be able to meet up with Beck’s brother to do a ‘drop’ of some bike parts and clothing 🤞🏼

Note: the trousers Beck is wearing in this picture are also from Decathlon and are doing pretty well.

Lastly, an honourable mention to the chuddies I wear. Neither of us wear padded cycling shorts/underwear - although I have a thin pair I sometimes turn to if we are riding long distances over multiple days. Anyway, this means I have extensively researched underwear. Actually, as with a few things, I just ended up copying what Alee Denham uses. Like him, I wear Uniqlo AIRism Ultra Seamless pants, which, as you can imagine, have experienced some things by this point. I wore these for a year or so before we left on our tour, and I cycle in one of two pairs (I also have an Icebreaker pair but I don’t like them as much) pretty much wherever we go - plus constant washing and wringing. They couldn’t be in better condition by this stage. They are really comfortable on the bike, they don’t ride up much and there are no seams to chafe. Plus they dry out super fast. Bloody excellent cycle touring underwear, and no mistake!