YT now make shorts and pants for trail and gravity riders, but the sendier gear comes in male only options
The new legwear looks great, but why don't women get their own gravity cut?
YT Industries have just launched their first-ever range of MTB shorts and ride pants, which adds to their existing Performance Wear selection of mountain bike jerseys. The long and short legged additions come in either Gravity and Trail versions. But while the Trail legwear comes with male and female-specific cuts, disappointingly for a usually progressive brand like YT, women don't get their own versions of the gravity-orientated gear.
We contacted YT to ask them about this omission and this was their response.
"When consulting our athletes, it became apparent whether one prefers pants with heavier material or lighter pants was a matter of personal taste, rather than being directly correlated to the trails & features they're riding.
"Using this feedback, the decision was made to start with the women's Trail pants/shorts made of lighter material, but made with full Cordura yarn which gives you similar abrasion resistance to the Gravity line. In addition to this, the size run of Gravity pants starts from 28" enabling smaller riders to access regardless of gender."
The YT Gravity Pants are constructed with a four-way stretch, DWR (durable water repellent)-coated Cordura material designed to keep you dry. Heavier weight Ripstop sections make up the knee, thigh, and seat to give more durability to the pants. The legs are tapered to give a slim fit, akin to Specialized's Trail Pants, with stretch inserts around the ankle to help keep out dirt and water, as well as fabric out of the drivetrain. Articulated knee sections should help stop the pants from bunching up as you pedal, and lazer perforations on the front panel are designed to give some ventilation. The pants fasten up with a ratchet closure system, while Velcro waist adjusters allow you to tweak the waistline fit. The pants also get two hidden zip pockets to the front, plus one on the left leg, designed for lift passes etc. The Gravity Shorts have much the same features but are lopped off at the knee.
The Trail Pants are constructed from a lightweight, four-way stretch Cordura material which YT says gives all-day comfort, they're DWR coated to keep showers at bay too. Like the Gravity option, the pants feature pre-shaped knees with enough room to run pads beneath, a ratchet closure system (the women's model gets a button fastening), and Velcro waistline adjusters. They also come with three zipped pockets – one on each leg in jean's pocket positions and a third at the rear of the waistband. The Trail shorts have the same features as their longer-legged relative.
YT Performance Pants and Shorts pricing
The Gravity Pants will set you back $109.90 / £109.99 / €109.90, while the Gravity Shorts cost $80.90 / £89.99 / €89.90, both are available in black only.
The Trail Pants have an RRP of $99.90 / £99.99 / €99.90 and the Trail Shorts cost $79.90 / £79.99 / €79.90. The men's versions come in black or stone gray color options, while the female-specific cuts come in stone gray.
All the new gear is available now from yt-industries.com
Rich Owen joined the BikePerfect team as editor in 2021. He's worked as a journalist and editor for over 24 years, with 12 years specializing in cycling media. Rich bought his first mountain bike (a rigid Scott Tampico) in 1995 and has been riding MTB for almost 30 years.
Current rides: Merida One-Forty 6000, Banshee Paradox, YT Jeffsy Core 3, Saracen Ariel 30 Pro
Height: 175cm
Weight: 69kg
Don't buy a budget hardtail! The full-sus Calibre Bossnut is the best-value MTB right now with a massive £500 price cut in this Black Friday MTB deal
Continental’s Olympic and World Championship XC winning Race King Protection is the fastest rolling MTB tire I’ve ever ridden, but it’s not for the nervous