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Maloja Clothing mountain bike gear review

  • Ron 

One of the best things that you can say about a piece of technical clothing is that it ‘disappears’ when you’re wearing it – that you don’t have to think about where it is on your body. The new line of mountain bike wear from Maloja Clothing certainly meets that criteria.

Maloja, based in the U.S. and Canada creates both technical and casual clothing. Their design mantra is “Soul in the Woods” and their inspiration comes from our forests and mountains. They are crafted with an eye towards sustainability, many products being made with recycled polyester or blends of hemp and organic cotton.

I was sent their ButterpilzM jersey and RetoM shorts for review recently, and decided to throw them right into the cauldron that is mountain biking in the midwest and mid-Atlantic. When you travel to go riding, you want to make sure that you’re dealing with trusted gear and clothing, but I took the risk and brought the Maloja pieces on a biking trip to Blacksburg, VA.

Sitting atop the Continental Divide, Blacksburg has plenty of trail options available for all riders. According to Trailforks, the immediate region boasts 95 trails totaling 172 miles. However, we drove out to Roanoke the first day to take on the Carvin’s Cove trail network.

The last thing you want on a 2 mile climb is your clothing making you overheat, or getting in your way and the RetoM shorts and ButterpilzM jersey did not disappoint. The same can be said for the technical 2 mile descent on the backside. Everything just disappeared while providing plenty of protection, support and cooling.

RetoM Shorts

The RetoM shorts are made with what Maloja calls Blend Stretch  – a very elastic fabric made out of a combination of nylon, polyester and Elasthan fibers. Nylon fibers on the outer surface makes the material very robust, while polyester fibers on the reverse side of the fabric provide fast moisture transport outwards. They also have an insert below the waistband in the rear that stretches and allows some additional flexibility in the piece when you’re bent over in the riding position.

I especially appreciated the external hook and loop sizers for the waist of the shorts. A lot of brands put the adjustment system on the inside of the waistband, occasionally leading to chafing or scratching against bare skin. They are placed more towards the front of the short and, unlike other shorts I’ve had, did not seem to be affected by hydration pack straps. They also have a durable snap waist.

I try to keep as little in my pockets as I can when I ride, but it’s sometimes necessary. I like zippered pockets for this reaosn. Unfortunately, the RetoM only has one zippered pocket in the front. That said, the standard slit pockets in the front do have a breathable liner that helped with airflow.

ButterpilzM Jersey

Not much to say about the ButterpilzM jersey other than ‘it works’.

No one wants to sit around after a ride in a stinky and sticky jersey. Post ride, the ButterpilzM dried quickly due to its Naturalon fabric. A combination of 100% functional polyester fiber and cotton, Naturalon combines a natural look and gives rapid sweat absorption. There’s also a Polygiene® finish that is designed to block BO, even after multiple wears and washes.

 

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