Fox Racing Men's Ranger Pant Ranger Pant

Product Information

The fabric is think with four-way stretch plus a DWR coating to ward off drizzle and splashes. Inside, a soft facing feels good against bare skin. Sizing is true to size with a generous cut but without being baggy, and waist adjusters allow you to customise the fit, plus belt loops mean you can add a belt if you want.. A tapered leg plus elasticated hems makes getting them on and off easy. Pants are never going to be as breezy as shorts, but the Burner Lite comes closer to any I’ve tried thanks to the lightweight material that feels breezy, and never clammy. There are also laser cut holes galore, with a score or more either side of the knee to draw in air. I’m happy in the Burner Lite up to 20°C or so, which means I’ve been wearing them all this summer without problems. The Flexair lineup is Fox’s lightest weight and most breathable offering when it comes to riding apparel. Their latest Flexair Pro pants feature a tapered fit for increased mobility while minimizing snagging. Combined with Dyneema (the world’s strongest fiber, allegedly) panels for increased abrasion resistance, they are now beginning to blur the lines between trail and downhill riding pants. In terms of performance, the shape, cut and fit of the Rangers most closely compares to the Specialized Trail pants. Reasons to buy: Lightweight and airy. Great fit and comfort. Well priced considering the quality, fit and performance. Women’s version also available

While Rapha might be a brand more often associated with road cycling, its trail mountain bike range is impressive, and we found these offered comparable performance to the Troy Lee Skyline trousers during testing. Fox’s material doesn’t have a DWR coating, but also doesn’t absorb a lot of water when wet and get too heavy and flappy, so you can use it even when the trails are pretty soaked without any of that sodden dragging-trousers-down fabric feel you get with some rivals. There’s also a really good balance of being airy and well ventilated yet offering enough warmth to take chill winds off on the coldest days, so the Ranger is a genuine year-round UK option. We’re big fans of Endura’s MT500 Burner Pant, it looks good and offers great durability and protection. This new Lite version is arguably better for trail riders though, because it’s incredibly light at 268g, or nearly half the weight of the downhill pant. Fox has constructed the Rangers from a relatively stretchy, light fabric. At just 270g (for the size small), the Rangers are certainly light, but the fabric doesn’t feel delicate or fragile, and it has proven to be durable throughout testing.

The best waterproof mountain bike trousers/pants:

Manufacturers describe their garments as having three two or layers but what does this mean? A two-layer fabric is made up of an outer face fabric bonded to the waterproof membrane, usually with a mesh liner hanging inside. On a 2.5 layer, the mesh liner is replaced with a micro (or half) layer, which is either bonded or printed onto the membrane. A three-layer garment has the membrane sandwiched between two Nylon layers. Vents Thoughtfully designed features like the zipper leg opening give these pants an edge up on other tapered pants that can be cumbersome to take on and off. Compared to the older Flexair model that I typically ride in, the new Flexair Pro offers improved ventilation. Its panels are made from Dyneema, a material that is 15x stronger than steel and extremely lightweight. These panels offer similar abrasion resistance and protection to the Cordura ones found on the Defend, while allowing the Flexair Pro to maintain its ultra lightweight construction. When it comes time to retire my older Flexair pants, the Flexair Pro will be high on my list for their versatility and added durability. Combine performance, comfort, fit and the price and you have the best on test – totally recommended. A simple, single meaty popper is all that’s used to keep the Rangers closed. There’s no zipped fly or Velcro in place to keep the overlapping fabric in place, but I had no issues with the trousers gaping open or coming undone.

Some of my co-workers and I had the opportunity to test a variety of Fox’s latest pants and chat about their differences. The models we tested ranged from the ultra light and pedal friendly Flexair Pro and Ranger, to the protective, downhill-oriented Defend. While all of these models share the same high quality construction as my previous Fox Flexair pants, they each have features unique to their intended use.

Refunds

While the price is higher than the Endura MT500 or Fox Ranger pants, this is offset by an included repair kit and free crash repair service. Overall, these are quality riding pants that fit great, feel comfortable and work in a range of conditions. If you wish to return your bike to us please keep it in the box it arrived in and call us on 01772 644340 and we will arrange a collection. While the double loop lies almost perfectly flat and sits really close to the trousers, I found it fiddlier and less convenient to use. That said, once you’ve adjusted it to your preference, you can soon forget about it (unless you need to make some adjustments after a particularly big meal). Fox Ranger pants performance