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Three trail pants fit for fall riding

Pedal into all kinds of weather before winter sets in

Fall riding is some of the best riding all year. But cooler temperatures do require a bit more coverage to stay warm. Trail pants are a great option all year, but especially on crisp fall days that start and end cool and always carry the chance of a little rain falling.

From light options for when you just barely need pants to heavier-duty options for late-season or frosty shuttle laps, here are three trail pants to keep you pedalling comfortably well into fall.

Rapha Trail Lightweight pants

A lighter version of Rapha’s Trail pants, the Trail Lightweight pants use a four-way stretch material and an elastic ankle cuff to keep them from catching on chains or branches. While the Trail Lightweights are designed for warmer weather, Rapha still adds a light DWR coating for some water repellency. A snap-button closure keeps them in place with two webbing straps to adjust fit. Two zippered thigh pockets hold essentials, one with an internal phone sleeve.

Like all of Rapha’s mountain bike line, the Trail Lightweight pants come with a repair kit to fix small tears. The brand’s repair program will help fix larger problems.

Rapha sells the Trail Lightweight pants for $205.00 in six sizes from XS-XXL and in five colours (navy, deep blue, light gray, “old gold” and blue green).

Race Face Indy pants

Race Face re-introduced the Indy pants as a lighter, more pedal-friendly option to its all-weather Conspiracy option. The Indy’s are great for trail riding and tough enough for enduro racing (and landed on several EWS podiums this year). The pants are comfortable with a tapered lower leg that keeps the cuff from getting caught up in the chain or sliding around too much on the bike.

New for this year, Race Face offers a “tall” version in Medium and Large sizes that adds a couple of inches to the inseam. All Indy pants have two zipper pockets, a solid ratchet front closure, a silicone gripper inside the waist to hold the pants in place and DWR coating for water resistance.

Race Face sells the Indy pants for $142.50 in eight sizes from XS-XXL including new Medium Tall and Large Tall lengths and in three colours (black, clay and charcoal).

Sombrio Vanquish pants

Sombrio has 20 years of experience designing apparel on, and for, riding on Vancouver’s infamous North Shore. The Vanquish pants show that the well-established brand is confident to produce well-designed pants and comfortable enough to not have to follow trends. If you’re looking for a pair of riding pants that don’t follow the near-spandex trend of current DH race apparel, Sombrio offers a more relaxed fit (without sliding into the old-school baggy moto wear look). The Vanquish pants are comfortable to pedal in and will offer good protection if you do hit the dirt. Sombrio uses a Quattro-Flex Dura fabric that is water-repellent and DWR-coated to keep you dry as fall rain gets started. There are two zippered thigh pockets, one with a loop for keys or a park pass.

Sombrio sells the Vanquish pants for $253.00 in six sizes from XS – XXL and in two colours (black and milky coffee).