Rocday MTB Kit – Apparel Review
There are a plethora of Mtb clothing brands on the market today but we tend to see only the mainstream brands out on the trails. Pretty much all brands have online shopping but not all ship to us Southern lot down here. So we should all take a moment and thank our lucky stars for distributors…and one such distributor is MTBSport.com.au who are shipping the good stuff to us Aussies.
One of the brands MTB Sport is offering is a brand called Rocday. A brand created by a couple of European riders with passion and experience in bike riding, that makes them well adept when it comes to creating mountain bike clothing.
Roc Lite Shorts
Straight out of the bag these shorts look and feel impressive! We opted for a pair in the green. The colour is a little more subdued than it appears on the website, but still a really stunning colour.
Rocday has struck a good balance in the style department, with just enough core branding and styling. But it’s not all about style. You’ve got to have a good balance of style and functionality and Rocday seems to have struck an equilibrium here.
Construction & Features
The fabric is a 4-way stretch material that provides a level of stretch when moving around, on and off the bike. We also appreciated the very high quality of stitching and construction put into creating these shorts.
They come with a solid looking hook for hanging and drying, which looks more like something you could hang your car off. The waist adjustment Velcro traps on the sides are a pretty standard feature on mtb shorts these days, but these seem to be constructed with a little more clout.
The fabric is highly breathable and has a water resistant coating so they wont absorb water easily, it tends to just run off and not soak in. With the deluge of rain we’ve been experiencing here in Sydney, this was music to our ears.
“Light, very comfy, and high breathable shorts designed for all-mountain and trail riding. Created for best in the mountains and on the trails, but are also great to hang out on the beach after rides.“ Roc Lite shorts, Rocday.
The top-quality construction and styling make for a very desirable product.
The two front pockets are cavernous! If you like to carry things in your pockets, don’t have any fears about stuffing items into these bottomless pits.
If you like colour but don’t want to scare the wildlife (or your riding buddies) off, then you’ll really like the subtler colour schemes these shorts come in.
The Roc Lite shorts have some very nice touches. Pic:©Richard McGibbon
The adjustment straps use a big Velcro surface, so even after many hours of riding they didn’t detach or loosen up.
The two front pockets are cavernous! If you like to carry things in your pockets, don’t have any fears about stuffing items into these bottomless pits.
But there’s more…Rocday have designed them so that items when in the pocket, will stay on the outer side of the leg for comfort! It’s well thought out touches like this that really make a difference.
Unfortunately none of the pockets on this model had a zip. I would of really liked a zip on at least one of the pockets. Oh well, you can’t have it all.
Fit
I’m 6’1” and usually take a large in MTB shorts, with a waistline sitting anywhere between 32” and 34”, depending on how many beers/pies I have indulged in recently. Based on the website sizing and advice from the distributor, I chose a pair in large. They were a good fit but there wasn’t a lot of room for an increase on the waist.
Rocday have nailed the fit on both the shorts and the jersyes. Pic:©Richard McGibbon
Either way, the waist strap adjusters can be loosened or cinched up to get the perfect in-between fit. The adjustment straps use a big Velcro surface, so even after many hours of riding they didn’t detach or loosen up.
Length is an important factor for me so I was very happy with the length of these. They feature an extended leg profile that works with or without knee pads.
The fit around the thigh was just right. Not too tight or too baggy that they have the potential to catch on to things. Plus with that extra stretch in the material, you really don’t feel restricted at all.
Apart from my bulging waistline, check out the rear ribbed panel, branding and stitching. This is top notch stuff! Pic:©Richard McGibbon
On The Trails
Out on the trails they felt incredibly soft and supple with a light and airy feel. The slight stretch material provided a high level of comfort and mobility throughout the day, even when having to get off the bike and push up and over obstacles. I could essentially go hiking in theses!
The quality stitching and seam construction adds a layer of strength to the shorts which gave me a lot of confidence, especially when I took a few spills, thanks to the special combination of polyester fibres which act as resistance and durability to prevent damage.
Out on the trails the shorts felt extremely comfortable and tough to boot!. Pic:©Richard McGibbon
Mount Jersey – Long Sleeve
Rocday say that it’s an “Universal jersey with long sleeves for enduro and all mountain riding.” but we’ve been riding it for all types of mountain biking, XC, Enduro and DH, short rides and longer rides. It’s so comfortable it’s become my go to jersey, recently.
The fabric is light and breathable enough to wear during the warmer months. I’ve just been rolling up the sleeves on warmer days, which stay rolled up, and it’s thick enough to wear on those colder morning rides.
The jersey has a lot of well thought out touches like the neck tape made of soft fabric without edges to avoid irritation when riding and the goggles/glasses soft cloth cleaner, which is stitched on the inside near the bottom of the jersey.
Stating the obvious but we like it! Pic:©Richard McGibbon
The sleeves have been purposely designed to be slightly too long, so when in attack position they draw back to the perfect position on the wrist and forearm. GENIUS!!!
The Mount jersey from Rocday, with it’s branding placement spot on. Pic:©Richard McGibbon
As soon I pulled it on, it felt great! Rocday seemed to have made this jersey just for me! Well, that’s the way it felt. A perfect fit. The fabric feels soft and light against the skin and has a slight stretch to it. I have long arms and sleeve length can be an issue for me but the sleeves on the Mount Jersey were perfect.
The sleeves have been purposely designed to be slightly too long, so when in attack position they draw back to the perfect position on the wrist and forearm. GENIUS!!! The rear of the jersey has also been extended to cover your back when riding and avoid shifting up with your pack.
On The Trails
We’ve been testing the jersey for several months and there are no signs of wear and tear or weak spots. Out on the trails the jersey feels light and airy and comfortable, even on longer rides.
The sleeves were the perfect length when down. Slightly over long to accommodate when in the attack position. Pic:©Richard McGibbon
The jersey has been tested in hot days and cooler mornings, sleeves up, sleeves down, it seems to be one of those jerseys you can use for any weather condition, especially here in Australia.
The jersey has been tested in hot days and cooler mornings, sleeves up, sleeves down, it seems to be one of those jerseys you can use for any weather condition, especially here in Australia, and that’s exactly what I have been doing.
All of the extra touches such as the glasses wipe cloth, soft neck tape, extended rear and sleeve length, have been well thought out and all come into play on the trails. It’s the details in the design like this that makes certain brands stand head and shoulders above everyone else.
Flow Gloves
More gloves! Yes please. I’ve mentioned previously about our love for gloves…ooooohhh, ahhhh, mmmm. The Flow gloves are a lightweight glove for warmer days and trail riding.
They Flow model come in three colours and we opted for the orange to kick off against the green jersey and shorts. The gloves are lightweight and you feel this as soon as you pick them up. The quality of the surface fabric, the clarino palm and the stitching are of high quality.
The Flow gloves feature a short cut design with no velcro strap and a highly breathable stretch fabric, making them great for the hot Aussie conditions. The stretch fabric and small elastic gusset on the side of the wrist help with the snug fitting.
They may not be the burliest of gloves but I’m not a fan of those anyway. Choosing the right pair of gloves is a personal choice. I prefer a thinner glove for more bar feedback, so these felt perfect.
The short cut design doesn’t cover the whole wrist, giving it a minimalistic feel and the stretch in the fabric allows for that “fit like a glove” fit. Pun intended.
The Flow glove features silicone sections on the index and ring finger to help with brake lever grip and smart phone touch sensitivity.
The palm is made from high quality CLARINO® fabric, and has some light foam padding to help reduce fatigue and add comfort.
Fit
I like gloves, have I mentioned that before? I feel I’m a little bit of a glove aficionado and these ticked all my boxes. The short cut design doesn’t cover the whole wrist, giving it a minimalistic feel and the stretch in the fabric allows for that “fit like a glove” fit. Pun intended.
Finger room for me was good. I have large hands and the XL size was spot on. The sizing chart is pretty accurate and they even have a finger length measurement, which we don’t see very often. This ensures you order the correct size.
On The Trails
I certainly felt the effect of the silicone sections on the fingers whilst riding. They had a noticeable effect, adding a degree of extra grip on my levers. It was also a relief not to have to keep taking the gloves off to operate my phone. First world problems I know, but this is where we live.
The Flow gloves from Rocday. Pic:©Richard McGibbon
The Flow glove is a great all rounder. Pic:©Richard McGibbon
The extra padding on the palm was certainly appreciated but nothing new in glove design these days, but it was something we didn’t expect in a lightweight glove like this. The decision to remove the velcro closure and go with a short cuff was a good one in our books. It’s just another thing to go wrong and hassle with.
There’s an extra piece of panel between the thumb and first finger which adds more grip to the bar. A finally, the terry cloth section on the thumb does it’s job very well of wiping away brow sweat. We had copious amounts on this day.
Conclusions
I think in today’s society of grossly saturated choice and throw-away culture, things have become focused on quantity over quality, to a certain degree.
At Tyres and Soles we are constantly striving to push back against this. We like to stop and ponder, take our time, smell the roses and stay true to our ethos of working with brands that offer a level of quality and style, with a well thought out approach to design that must add value to our lives when doing the things we cherish the most, I.e. being outdoors.
OK, we got a little deep there but we feel very strongly about it and wanted to remind you, our readers, that we will stick to our roots of sincerity and honesty when approaching reviews.
The Rocday shorts, jersey and gloves all feature well thought out details and touches that are not mere marketing or PR tricks but actually add value to the riding experience.
We have had and are still having a blast with the kit and hope that the above review will help you in some way when thinking about your next shorts, jersey or glove purchase.
We rate the Rocday products very highly, but why take our word for it? Go and find out for yourself.
Price / Where to Buy
Roc Lite Shorts – $125.00 AUD
Mount Jersey/Long Sleeve – $70.00 AUD
Flow Gloves – $50.00 AUD
Rocday are now available in Australia by the very nice people over at MTB Sport. Hit them up on their website or Facebook page.
