3/4 Tech Pants: Ideal for Trail Building & Biking
Winters in the Pacific Northwest are dark, damp, and bone-chillingly cold. No, not cold in the sense of snowy climates with sub-zero temperatures. But the cool temps plus all the rain has a way of chilling you to the core. A day out on the trail, whether building or biking, means layering up.
When it comes to mountain biking, I'm first and foremost a shorts guy. While my favorite is a good pair of jorts (jean shorts), I know that most of you are probably looking for something with a little more performance than a pair of Old Navy jeans with some stretch in the fabric that were converted to riding shorts at the end of their life.
While I love my jorts and their functionality for both mountain biking and gravel riding, they are not the best for the winters here. Therefore, when NAR Supply Co. reached out about sending me a pair of their 3/4 tech pants, I knew it was time to address my winter riding gear.
More than that, I spend a lot of time out on the trail shooting photos at dig days. That means lots of standing around on damp 44-degree days. Standing and shooting photos means getting cold if I'm not moving much. I've been wanting and needing a pair of mountain biking pants, but I kept putting off buying one. NAR Supply Co. came to my rescue without realizing it.
While I received the pants right before summer, I didn't get a chance to wear them for a while. Being 3/4 in length with thermal lining, the thought of a sweat-fest wasn't appealing. However, I wore them while riding at our little in-town bike park a couple of times on cooler days. I was a sweaty mess by the end. The good news was that as the temps began cooling, I could wear these pants while riding and shooting photos. I couldn't be happier.
The first time was on a cold and windy day up at Timberline Bike Park on Mt Hood. These pants not only kept me warm but performed well. One of the features I most love about the pants is the parallel zippers on both sides of the knees. That allows me not only to vent like armpit zippers but also to have access to my knee pads when I need to adjust them.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the 3/4 length. I was a bit uncertain until I had ridden with the pants a few times. As I shared at the beginning, I'm definitely more of a shorts (jorts) guy, and the 3/4 length was perfect for me. When not on the bike, I'd let them sag a bit to cover more of my legs, but when I started riding, they'd hike up above my calves.
Keep in mind, I'm also 5'10" and wore a size large. Length-wise, I'm probably in the medium range. However, I actually like the touch of extra length in the large. They cover more of my legs when I'm standing around, but when riding, especially with knee pads, the pant bottoms are just below my knees. Even when riding without knee pads, I like this extra bit of "comfort" of knowing I have something to cover my knees from scrapes if I jettison off my bike.
They make for great pants while working on trails. Not only are they insulated and warm, but since they were designed for performance (e.g., mountain biking, snowboarding, etc.), they'll do well when you are swinging a McLeod and moving dirt.
As I wrap this up, any time I do a review, I always have to consider that everyone has preferences. I really enjoy these 3/4 tech pants, and they will be the main staple of what I wear throughout the winter, out on the trail, and when on or off the bike.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sean Benesh
Sean is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Trail Builder Mag. He is also the Communications Director for the Northwest Trail Alliance in Portland, Oregon. While in grad school, he worked as a mountain biking guide in Southern Arizona. Sean also spends time in the classroom as a digital media instructor at Warner Pacific University.
