The elasticated cuffs stop water splashing upwards and getting legs wet. Ian Linton / Immediate Media Sizes: 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40in | Waterproof rating: 10k | Breathability rating: 10k | Rating: 9/10

This off-the-bike fitness challenge will help refine essential MTB skills and seriously boost your power A ratchet strap provides reliable and secure waist adjustment and stops the trousers falling down once wet. They didn’t soak through during testing, keeping us totally dry after hours of torturous wet-weather riding, even once they were covered in mud. Seams are all internally sealed and taped to improve their wet weather credentials, while a DWR coating has been applied to help water bead. To gain the desired waterproof status required the best waterproof MTB pants make the switch from stretchy softshell construction to a fully moisture-proof membrane. These are often constructed with two or three layers – a waterproof layer that is topped with an outer face fabric, or in a three-layer variant, you’ll typically find the waterproof membrane sandwiched between a specifically designed inner and outer layer. How do you measure waterproofness?

Fox Ranger pants details

This 100% waterproof trouser uses a 2.5-layer fabric with a little bit of stretch and is rated 10k for both breathability and waterproofness. While it’s true that other quality riding trousers with a DWR coating that keep you dry-ish in less severe conditions can be had for half the money, the Hydromatics are priced in line with other fully winterised equivalents.

The ratchet strap did provide reliable and secure waist adjustment, though. Ian Linton / Immediate Media As for sizing, try before you buy, because the waist sizes up quite large and adjustment is limited. 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. VentsTrust our 14 years of experience in the bicycle insurance industry. Our comprehensive, customisable, and competitively priced coverage includes easy online quotes, fast claims handling, and expert customer service. Fox clothing is known as one of the most stylish brands on the market, and its current outerwear collection enhances this quality with some serious technical know-how, whatever the weather throws at you. It’s at this stage of the buying process, when you’re looking at different options, that you should set a budget. Do some research to understand how much roughly you can expect to pay for the sort of level of product that you’re looking for. Then match that to your own personal circumstance and how much you can afford to spend. This will really help you in narrowing down the right product for you. Price of Fox Racing Ranger 3L Water Trousers Ideally, you’ll want a snug but non-restrictive fit: too loose and you could risk the trousers sagging; too tight and they’ll be uncomfortable or restrictive. Look out for elastane blend materials to help give extra stretch, and make sure there’s plenty of room for you to wear knee pads underneath too.