Bike Perfect Verdict
No splash protection for winter/wet but great fitting, super-fast drying riding/racing pants with all the features you need at an excellent price.
Pros
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Excellent price
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Great stretch fit
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Lightweight
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Secure waist
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Generous hand pockets
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Wide size range
Cons
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No reinforced seat
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No weatherproofing
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O’Neal’s new Trailfinder Pants are part of its Spring 2021 range but we’ve been lucky enough to get a set to test ahead of the curve. Unless you need extra weather and wear protection they’re a really comfortable race/riding pant at a bargain price.
O’Neal already has the Minaar collaboration ‘Legacy’ pants for top-level racing and the Predator III for heavy-duty park/freeride work but the Trailfinders are totally new lightweight legwear for trail and enduro riders or even XC jockeys who don’t like tights.
That’s because the stretch fit fabric with super-stretchy triangular ankle inserts gives a really close but not constricting fit. This works great with no saddle/chainring snagging or bagginess even on multi-hour snow/sleet/splash/slop trail rides with intervening road sections. They’re really light and quick drying, so while there are no weather protection panels they stay comfortable and relatively warm even on properly grim rides. You could easily spray on a liquid DWR proofing layer to add some showerproofing too.
There’s still enough stretch to fit over full-sized knee pads and pedal like a maniac and the waistband gets elastic side panels to help you breathe. A ratchet buckle closes the velcro fly for easy adjustment while riding. The generously sized zipped hand pockets get big tabs and extra pullers to work with gloves, but garages to stop them from being pulled open accidentally. Seams are double stitched (triple down the main rear seam) for durability but there’s no reinforced butt panel. As a result, the seat of our pants is starting to grey out from riding wear after a few months of intermittent use, although there’s no actual thinning or damage to the fabric yet.
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Verdict
Great value, comfortable, versatile, lightweight, all-round riding pants if you don’t need extra weather or wear protection.
Tech Specs: O’Neal Trailfinder Stealth pants
- Price: $100.00 / £70.00
- Sizes: Adult 22-38in, Youth 22-26in
- Weight: 266g (32in)
- Color: Black
