This year, UK brand Altura is turning 25 years old and we are pleased to see that one way they are celebrating this milestone is by releasing a freshly designed range of mountain bike clothing. Although Altura have been absent from the MTB side of the sport for a while, they’re no stranger to making excellent quality MTB kit.
Altura have scored favourably with MBR in the past with their Attack 360 jacket and Attack One80 shorts scoring highly in past reviews thanks to their excellent features, fit and value. Altura clearly knows what's what, so it's great to have them back on the scene. We took a closer look at three jerseys, three pairs of shorts and a pair of gloves that are suited to all riders looking to get their MTB fix in style.
Jerseys
Starting at the top, the first item we checked out was the Kielder long sleeved jersey. It’s great to see Altura making moves to more environmentally sustainable kit. Both the long-sleeved jersey and the short-sleeved version incorporate 100% recycled polyester fabric.
This gives excellent sweat wicking properties and it’s super fast drying too. Altura have cleverly placed fabric with maximum breathability in key areas such as the pits and the back for maximum comfort.
The bonded neckline and cuffs are low profile to prevent chafing, and as we’ve seen before with Altura, the relaxed cut and fit is spot on. We especially liked the longer, contoured cut at the back to give good coverage when on the bike, helping to avoid unintended fleshy exposure. The short-sleeved Kielder jersey has all the same features except for – yeah, you guessed it – long sleeves.
The short-sleeved version is perfect for spring and summer rides with the long-sleeved version adding a little extra warmth and protection. Retail price on these jerseys is £35 for the short-sleeved option and £45 for the long-sleeved version if you’d rather have the option of keeping your arms covered, both options look to be of superb value. When it comes to making sure your new top matches or clashes with the rest of your kit, you have three options – with a couple of nice shades of green, plus blue in the long sleeved and yellow in the short-sleeved.
The Kielder jersey also comes in a women’s cut, again with all the same features, blue and yellow colour options, and this time, three-quarter length sleeves. The women’s jersey retails for £40.
Legwear
Altura’s new Esker shorts do not come with a liner which means they are perfect for matching up with your favourite bib short or liner. This makes them versatile and you aren’t paying for something you might not use.
The Esker shorts are a good length, they work well whether you are wearing knee pads or not and the back is contoured for good coverage when on the bike. The shorts are well specced with nice detailing such as stretch panels, belt loops and a zipped pockets for valuables.
One extra nice feature is the fabrics water repellent coating which means if you do get caught in a shower or you blast through some water you won’t have soggy shorts for the rest of the ride – a reminder that these were designed in the UK!
The Esker shorts come in green or black and black or purple for the women’s option; both styles retail for £55.
If you’re braving heavy rain, know the trails will still be wet from a previous downfall or just don’t trust the forecast and can’t stand the idea of a soggy chammy, the Ridge Tier shorts are the ones to go for in Altura’s range.
With 10k waterproof, yet breathable fabric, and taped seams, these shorts have been designed to keep you comfortable through the worst conditions. Like the Esker they come without a liner so you can pair them up with your favourite padded undershort.
The side release buckle is easy to use and adjust even in the wet and there is extra coverage with the contoured waistline and extra protection with longer, articulated fabric at the knees. In addition the water resistant zipped pockets help to protect your valuables.
As with the rest of the new range the fit is relaxed, yet with a good cut that prevents excess fabric flapping around. To top it off, these shorts sit nicely with knee pads which is just what we want to see when we decide to pad up.
The Ridge Tier shorts retail for £80 and come in navy with orange detailing, or black with green detailing.
Gloves
To finish off the range Altura have a new glove, the Kielder. This is a highly breathable, lightweight glove, the style of which has become super popular with riders, us included. The minimal padding on the palm of the kielder gives superb feel and control.
To aid control further, Altura have added silicone brake lever grippers to the index and middle fingers. The perforated Amara suede palms help to keep sweaty palms at bay and of course help to protect your hands both from the rigours of riding and – when it all goes wrong – crashing!
Around the wrist Altura have used a neoprene cuff which keeps the gloves in place without the bulk of a velcro closure.
The Kielder gloves come in three colourways - grey, dark green and carbon (black to you and me), all with a retail price of £25. There are six unisex sizes on offer from extra small to double XL so every rider should be able to find their perfect fit.
The new range is feature packed, stylish and makes inroads to helping riders choose more environmentally sustainable kit – it’s great to have Altura back on the scene.
For further details head to altura.co.uk
