Sombrio Trail collection: forest style and Shore tough

Sombrio Cartel has a long history of designing riding clothing on Vancouver’s North Shore, dating all the way back to 1998. The Canadian brand’s apparel has never been more reflective of that heritage than with its most recent Trail collection.

Prints for Sombrio’s Ridgeline jersey came directly from the woods of North Vancouver. Specifically, the texture of the Western Red Cedar. Many of the classic wooden features that made “North Shore” riding world renown were constructed out of cedar planks and beams.

The Forrest Bark pattern is just one of Sombrio’s print stories for this year. The others are inspired by trail builders, tools, and the North Shore’s iconic wooden features.

I tested Sombrio’s Ridgeline jersey, Badass short and Spun gloves this summer. The Vancouver brand’s apparel carries a casual style that stands out from the crowd, but is also tough enough to survive on the trails it was inspired by.

Sombrio Ridgeline Jersey

The Ridgeline is a short sleeve jersey with a 1/4 zip front, so you can get a bit of extra air flow on hot days. Sombrio uses a Xylitol coated Chill Mesh fabric, which is supposed to create a cooling sensation when you start sweating. It also has a zippered rear stow pocket (conveniently sized to fit a canned beverage of your choice). There’s also a drop back hem that will keep your lower back covered while in the riding position.

On the trail, Xylitol doesn’t feel like a rush of arctic air hitting your skin, but the fabric does have a nice cool feeling. This also makes it feel lighter on your body, while still being tough enough to not tear on the first branch you brush up against. And the fabric is tough. I put it into the dirt several times, including one occasion where I actually speared myself hard enough on an errant branch to draw blood – which is a rather painful test I hope not to repeat for any other clothing. Still, the Ridgeline jersey emerged unscathed in every instance.

Modeled of the Western Red Cedar, the Ridgeline jersey also looks really good. The pattern adds an element of style that makes the jersey stand out from the herd at the trailhead, but without resorting to bright colours or loud branding.

The Ridgeline jersey comes in the cedar-inspired Grey Bark colour or a more subdued Heather Charcoal pattern. The jersey retails for $80.00

Sombrio Badass shorts

Sombrio’s Badass shorts mix a fun, goofy name with great function. The shorts are in the middle of Sombrio’s line, mixing performance with a more approachable price. The Quattro Flex is a four-way stretch, mid-weight fabric mixing comfort and durability. The 15″ inseam is cut longer in the front to insure coverage goes right to the knee, without leaving a gap if you’re wearing pads. Like the Ridgeline jersey, it feels light but works tough. The shorts all-black fabric and subtle branding make them a good post-ride option, too.

Other features include Sombrio’s velcro waist adjustment system, which works better than most options to provide a solid fit adjustment at the waist. As a taller and lankier rider who rarely finds shorts long enough that also fit my waist, having more than “micro adjust” velcro is greatly appreciated.

The shorts also feature two zippered pockets, one front and one rear. The front thigh pocket has a lift pass holder loop hidden inside. When not riding the park, this doubled as a key holder for short rides where I was packing light. Last, a sturdy front zipper combines velcro with a “hollow pop snap” closure for extra security. This kept the shorts from busting loose at inopportune moments, like during a crash.

The best part of the Badass name is that no one will know if you don’t want them to. Or you can tell literally every person you see at the trail head how badass your shorts are. That choice is yours, do with it what you will.

Sombrio’s Badass shorts retail for $110. They come in Black or Risk Red.

Sombrio Spun gloves

Matching the Ridgeline jersey, or quite nice on their own, are Sombrio’s Spun gloves. The lightweight glove uses a single layer Ax Suede palm, pre-curved to fit best when riding, for a more direct connection to the grips. That’s matched with vented mesh upper, Terry moss thump panel and tougher fabric between thumb and pointer finger where the glove faces the most wear from contacting the bar. All of this is tied together by durable Kevlar thread. There’s also mustache-shaped silicone grips on the braking fingers for improved modulation.

The Spun gloves are light and comfortable enough for all-day riding, but still showed minimal sign of wear after regular use. And, with two mustache style options to choose from, my facial hair has never looked better.

Sombrio Spun gloves retail for $35.00, and come in several patterns to match the brands jerseys.