2014 Specialized Bike Apparel

Demo Pro Long Sleeve Jersey

Reviewer: Eric Melson

Size Tested: Medium

Color: Black

MSRP: $100-$150 (Depending on size and color)

Features:

• VaporRize moisture transfer knit fabrics
• One zippered side pocket with sunglass wipe
• Pad ready
• DeflectUV 30
• Relaxed fit

Reviewer Info: 5’10’’, 165 lbs. Typically wears size Medium.

Days Tested: 4

Location Tested: Whistler, BC

The Specialized Demo Pro is a comfortable long sleeve jersey that is great for cooler days.

I almost always wear a size Medium, and the Medium Demo Pro jersey fits true to size. It isn’t  too baggy or too tight, and it never restricted my upper-body movements. All of the seams on the Demo Pro jersey felt smooth, and I didn’t experience any uncomfortable chafing on rides.

One thing to note is the interesting cut on the neck of the Demo Pro. The jersey has square collar, which is comfortable and works fine, but the somewhat futuristic look can seem a little out-of-place on a mountain bike jersey. I’ve had several people comment that the the collar looks pretty weird compared to more common v-neck and rounded designs. It’s worth double checking to see if you like this style before spending $100-150 on the Demo Pro jersey.

I rarely wear long-sleeve jerseys, and usually prefer a 3⁄4 cut, unless it’s a cold day. On cooler, rainy days in Whistler, I really appreciated the warmth of the Demo Pro jersey’s longer sleeves.

The Demo Pro jersey is made with VaporRize fabric. This material is stretchy and never hindered my range of motion on the bike. The jersey’s long sleeves make it pretty warm, yet it remains relatively breathable. I did overheat on most trail rides (except for on cold days, when I was perfectly comfortable), and I only wore the Demo Pro jersey while lapping the park.

The Demo Pro jersey has a simple design, with minimal features. It has one small zippered side pocket that houses a google wipe.

Bottom Line

I’d recommend trying on the Demo Pro jersey before buying it, as the unique collar may not work for everyone. Even though the Specialized Demo Pro jersey was too warm to wear on most trail rides because of the long sleeves, the jersey is a great choice for the bike park or on the trail when the temperature drops.

 

Demo Pro Shorts

Reviewer: Eric Melson

Size Tested: 32”

Color: Black

MSRP: $105

Features:

• VaporRize moisture transfer stretch woven fabrics
• Three zippered pockets
• Laser perforated venting
• Pad ready
• Side waist adjustment tabs
• Deflect UV 50+
• 16” inseam (in size Medium)

Reviewer Info: 5’10’’, 165 lbs. Typically wears size Medium.

Days Tested: 5

Location Tested: Whistler, BC

Specialized’s Demo line of clothing is named after their downhill bike and is aimed at the Freeride / DH crowd. The Demo Pro shorts are Specialized’s DH short, and have a baggier cut to accommodate pads.

Depending on the brand, I usually wear a size 30 or 32, and the size 32 Demo Pro shorts fit me perfectly. The shorts also have adjustment tabs on either side of the waist to achieve a more precise fit.

The Demo Pro shorts are quite long, with a 16” inseam in a size 32. The extra length works well with my knee pads, preventing the shorts from riding up above the pads while I’m sitting on the chairlift or while riding.

The Demo Pro shorts are made with a type of Specialized’s VaporRize fabric that is very stretchy and wicks moisture well. The shorts allow for a full range of motion, and I never felt my movement restricted. The fabric is thin enough to breathe well on warmer days and while pedaling, but has also been able to withstand some abuse in the park.

Since the Demo Pro shorts don’t come with a chamois, you can choose to wear them with your chamois of choice. For trail rides, the Demo Pro shorts fit comfortably over my favorite Sugoi RS Pro liner with a chamois, but they also worked well over just briefs on lift-served days.

I really like the clean, simple look of the black Demo Pro shorts. There are just a few white stripes on the sides of the legs, and overall, I think they look really good. If you prefer a more vibrant color though, the shorts also come in bright green.

The Demo Pro shorts have three zippered pockets: two on the front thighs, and one in the back. The two front pockets are deep enough to store some smaller tools and a phone, but since the pockets sit right on top of your thighs, whatever you put in there does get bounced around a bit. The back pocket is pretty small, and is just the right size for a energy bar.

Bottom Line

The Specialized Demo Pro shorts are long enough to work well with knee pads, and I really like their comfortable, stretchy fabric. The Demo Pro is a versatile pair of DH shorts, that works great in the bike park, and on trail rides, too.

 

Mountain Bib Liner with SWAT

Reviewer: Noah Bodman

Size Tested: Medium

Color: Black

MSRP: $88

Features:

• VaporRize moisture transfer mesh fabrics
• Five SWAT integrated pockets
• Fold-over leg cuff
• Body Geometry Mountain Chamois
• 10” inseam-size medium

Reviewer Info: 5’9”, 150lbs. Typically wears a size Medium.

Days Tested: 5

Location Tested: Whistler, BC

I prefer wearing a chamois when rides include a lot of seated pedaling. A lot of bike shorts these days don’t include a liner, so it’s worth investing in a decent liner for days on the trail. Specialized’s Mountain Bib is a high quality liner that has several storage pockets. Specialized also offers the Mountain liner, which is similar, just not in bib form.

I usually wear a size Medium, and the fit on the Medium Mountain Bib liner was comfortable, but slightly snug. The fabric was not quite as stretchy as I would have liked. The tight fit, in combination with the bib design, made pee breaks a bit of a hassle. The liner is intended to integrate with Specialized’s shorts, and it has little loops at the waist to hook into their shorts.

The Mountain Bib liner, like many of Specialized’s softgoods, is made out of “VaporRize” fabric that is supposed to help wick moisture away from your skin. I found the VaporRize material on the liner to perform fairly well at this task; the Mountain Bibs aren’t the most breathable liners I’ve ever worn, but they’re not stifling. I can wear them on all but the hottest, most humid days, at which point I’d probably opt for something that’s more vented, and not a bib short. In general, I’ve found bib shorts to be a little hotter than normal short liners.

The Mountain Bib liners also incorporate Specialized’s SWAT (Storage, Water, Air, Tools) integrated pockets. The idea behind SWAT is that you can cram all of your stuff into pockets, so that you don’t have to bring a backpack if you’re trying to go light. Since I usually prefer to ride without a pack and tend to carry a lot in my pockets, I love the idea of streamlined and effective pockets. In practice though, the pockets were just alright.

The Mountain Bib liner has five pockets – three in a row across the lower back and two slim pockets along either leg. The leg pockets work pretty well, but they’re not zippered and I worry (perhaps unjustifiably) about things falling out of them. They’re also pretty small, so the leg pockets can really only carry a bar or other small snack.

The liner’s lower back pockets are much larger, and a rolled up tube, small pump, and multi-tool will fit without too much trouble. On smoother rides, this worked great and these pockets functioned somewhat like a fanny pack. But over rough terrain, and especially when I started hitting jumps, the gear in those pockets would move around in an annoying and uncomfortable manner.

I found Specialized’s “Body Geometry Chamois” to be perfectly comfortable. I haven’t spent enough time in them yet to see how well the padding lasts, but so far I haven’t experienced any uncomfortable rubbing, even on some longer rides. The Mountain Bib liners are pretty expensive, and I’d say the chamois is comparable in terms of comfort to chamois on other high quality shorts. However, the chamois on the Mountain Bib liners don’t have some of the additional panels and varied materials that you’ll find in Specialized’s top-end shorts, like their road oriented RBX line.

Bottom Line

The SWAT pockets on the Mountain Bib liner aren’t the perfect solution for carrying a lot of gear on rough trails, but they work really well on smoother, cross-country rides. If you are looking for a comfortable, high quality liner and like to wear bibs, the Specialized Mountain Bib is a great option.

 

LoDown Glove

Reviewer: Eric Melson

Size Tested: Large

Color: Black

MSRP: $25

Features:

• Pre-curved palm and finger construction
• Durable single-layer Clarino palm
• Full-wrap fingertips
• Silicone textured fingertips

Reviewer Info: Reviewer Info: 5’10’’, 165 lbs. Typically wears size Large.

Days Tested: 5

Location Tested: Whistler, BC

The Specialized LoDown is an all-mountain, minimalist glove with a tight fit to help improve the rider’s control on the handlebars.

I normally wear a size Large, and the Large LoDown definitely feels snug. The glove has a pre-curved shape and is made with a thin, stretchy fabric to prevent bunching and maintain good mobility, despite its tight fit. The gloves’ fingers are pretty long compared to other gloves I’ve worn.

The LoDown doesn’t have any sort of velcro or elastic closure on the cuff but I didn’t find this to be necessary given their tight fit.

The LoDown’s palm is faux leather with a raised silicon layer, which helped provide a good feel for the bar to improve control on long descents.

The LoDown is pretty similar to the Troy Lee Designs XC glove; it’s not necessarily a delicate glove, but it is quite thin. Since the glove is so thin, it vents well and works great in warm weather. The tight fit doesn’t leave a lot of room to wear a liner underneath, though, so the LoDown isn’t the best option for colder days.

Bottom Line

The Specialized LoDown is a simple, all-mountain glove with minimal features. If you’re looking for a thin, stretchy, and tight-fitting glove for maximum feel and control of the bar, the LoDown is a great choice.