Women’s Mountain Bike Pants for Winter Riding
It’s winter riding season! While it will (hopefully) get too snowy up here in Truckee to ride pretty soon, I’ve been getting out and enjoying the hero dirt while it lasts, plus we have plans to drop down the hill to get in more winter riding.
After a couple of rides in long shorts, knee pads, ski socks, and STILL being cold, I decided that it’s time to finally invest in some mountain bike pants. Several women’s mountain bike brands have launched pants recently, so I decided to try and track down a pair that are long enough to fit me. I’m 5’11” and usually wear full length pants with a 35 inch inseam. For reference, I looked at the inseam length for pants in size medium or 8-10, since that’s the size I usually wear.
Did I succeed? Let’s find out - here’s my round up.
Price: $135; Size 10 - inseam: 28 ⅝”, waist: 30”, size range: 00-24
We took our best-selling, most versatile short style and made it into pants! Mountain biking doesn’t stop when the cool temps or weather rolls in and now you don’t have to either. We made these for days when you need a little bit more coverage but still want the same great performance. But, per our usual approach – the pants were designed to wear beyond mountain biking and were engineered for a life outside or on the go. This style spans sizes 00-24 and has a versatile fit to comfortably accommodate you. It is slightly more relaxed than our shorts so if you want a tighter fit size down!
Price: $189; Size 10 - inseam: 32”, waist: 32”, size range: 0-14
Finally, a true bike pant for women! Thoughtfully designed and packed with features that cater to a woman's body and needs, these pants will take you from the sweltering summer heat of the bike park, to cool fall singletrack, or layer them for winter biking. Bonus: The Freyah is incredibly versatile, packed with breathability, durability and style. Don't be afraid to rock them wherever your high-impact adventures take you. Constructed from our signature WRDuraStretch 4-way stretch nylon that you've fallen in love with in our flagship Freel and Freda shorts, these pants will be your go-to for years to come.
The inseam length for the Freyah on the website is unclear “Our size 6 Freyah pant features a 31.5" inseam with the cuff fully extended. The inseam length grades up and down from there,” but I reached out to their customer service and they let me know the length for the size 10 pants is 32”.
Price: $180; Size Medium - inseam: ?, waist: 30”, size range: XXS-XL
Made from an extremely durable double weave fabric with a lightly textured backer for comfort finished with a durable water repellent (DWR) treatment for enhanced weather protection. Low profile stretch waist for locked in comfort on the bike. Ergonomic fit and construction for unrestricted freedom of movement with reinforced knees for added durability, allowing them to be worn with or without knee pads. Rapha Repair Kit included and eligible for further Rapha repairs service if needed.
Inseam length not listed
Patagonia Dirt Roamer Storm Pants
Price: $269; Size Medium - inseam: 32”, waist: 30.5”, size range: XXS-XL
It’s always bike season if you’re dressed for the right conditions. These lightweight, packable and fully waterproof MTB-specific riding pants repel rain, snow, wet underbrush and frigid temps, while also breathing and stretching enough to keep you pedaling through the next storm. Fair Trade Certified™ sewn.
Price: $170; Size Medium - inseam: 31.5”, waist: 31-34”, size range: XS-XL
The FLOW 2.0 is finally here. Get that same great comfort that you loved in the original Flow pant with some upgraded features to make your ride that much more enjoyable. 4 way stretch for a comfortable ride, Two thigh pockets for the necessities, Pocket at center back for a secure place to store lift tickets, credit cards, or even your cell phone, Perforated panel behind the knee for ventilation and to reduce bulk, Laser cut holes at inner thigh for ventilation, Zipper at the lower leg, DWR coating, Longer Inseam and space for knee pads, High rise back to keep you covered, Strategically placed waist adjust that minimizes bulk and reduces bunching over the bum.
Price: $150; Size 10 - inseam: 30”, waist: 29.5-30.75", size range: 2-14
Whether it’s cool weather or itchy bushes, this full-length pant is ready for the trail. We use 4-way stretch Cordura to make the pants tough enough for serious trail riding without restricting pedaling. A tapered leg keeps the fit slim, but still has room for knee pads. Two zippered Trail Access pockets keep necessities easily accessible. Finished with PI Dry®® permanent water-shedding technology. While perfect for cooler conditions, this pant can be comfortable into the 70s. We cut this pant specifically for women’s proportions and added styling to match.
Price: $170; Size Medium - inseam: 31”, waist: ?, size range: 2-14
Developed as a full leg version of our award-winning mountain bike shorts, Glidepath is a super comfy bike pant, perfect for carving up the trails and working on a beverage. With its 4-way stretch, water-repellent fabric with looped back yarn for fast wicking, Glidepath flexes and protects in all the right places. Reinforced, articulated knees are ready to pedal, with room for light knee pads. And just like its shorter length partner-in-grime, Glidepath features two front hand pockets and two rear-facing zippered pockets for your cargo. A tapered leg with a cuffed hem completes the pant.
7mesh does not list a waist size in their size chart, but the medium has a hip measurement of 39”.
Am I ordering any of these? Well, the longest pair of women’s mountain bike pants seem to be the Patagonia Dirt Roamer Storm Pants and the Wild Rye Freyah and both are STILL are three inches too short. So it looks like I won’t be buying any mountain bike pants quite yet, but I hope this round up was useful for other women shopping for mountain bike pants.
And if anyone out there has found any extra long women’s mountain bike pants, please let me know!