At a glance A light, anti-smell, well-fitting mountain bike top with subtle reflective detail that wicks sweat well and looks good in both men’s and women’s versions.
Tested by
Claire Maxted, tester for The Bike List
Performance
Last year The Bike List reported that The North Face would be branching out into technical mountain bike clothing in early 2011. We were lucky enough to get some sneak previews and we’ve been dutifully sweating in them for review purposes ever since - take a look at The North Face Xenon mountain bike jacket review here.
So now it’s time for the Muddy Tracks to face the firing line. Would this short sleeved t-shirt live up to The North Face’s high standards for walking and mountaineering gear? I’ve been slogging up the Lake District fire tracks and making my best attempt at zooming full tilt down the single track that followed, to put this new tee to the test.
The Muddy Tracks is a mid-weight t-shirt made of half normal polyester and half anti-smelling Minerale polyester. I found that this wicked sweat well so you can take this light top on multi-day mountain bike trips without fearing an eye-popping pong factor.
We found both the men’s and women’s versions fitted well – they are comfy, stretchy and rubberised The North Face writing on the inside of the drop tail hem holds the t-shirt in place while you’re bent over the bike. The North Face logo on the front is reflective and there are reflective details on the base of the back. The seams are, as you’d expect, flat locked and off the shoulder in case you want to pair the top up with a backpack for all-day rides.
For shorter blasts round the hills and there’s a nice-sized zip up pocket at the back big enough for an iPhone and a pack of energy chews. The zip is a good idea for mountain biking, which is inevitably more bumpy and hazardous to pocketed items than road cycling. However, you will probably want to stop to get it open and closed again.
I did invent an ingenious one-handed zip opening method for this well-placed pocket. If you use your first two fingers for the zip and your 3rd and 4th bent round to hold the start-point of the zip, you can just about open it one-handed. Pulling it shut with one hand seems to work just fine. This opening issue could be a bit irritating if all you want is a quick energy chew on the way round a fast ride, but I’d hazard a guess that most riders aren’t going to be eating and texting whilst bumping along the trails, so stopping to open the pocket shouldn’t cause any major problems. Interestingly, the men’s version has two elasticated rear side pockets, which solve any zip issues altogether. Maybe The North Face could combine both versions so riders can have the best of both worlds - their phone in the zip pocket and energy chews in the elasticated ones.
Clever hexagon-patterned vented fabric in white with grey detail has been employed on both men’s and women’s tops to disguise mud. This bright idea means that The North Face have effectively got away with using white on a bound-to-get-filthy mountain bike t-shirt. Clever stuff. The men’s has this patterned venting at the back, and the women’s at the side, which also serves to give the top a bit more of a flattering, womanly curved shape. More venting comes in the form of the useful half zip, and when fully done up both it and the collar serve to keep you much warmer.
All in all the Muddy Tracks Short Sleeve Tee looks like just another addition to the mountain bike t-shirt market place, but it actually hides some really good features – the light, anti-smell fabric, subtle reflective detail, mud-hiding patterns, nice cut and quality feel. The zip pocket is the only thing I’d have a slight quibble over. I’d like zips and elastic. Am I just greedy?
However, zips aside, this heralds a great start to The North Face’s mountain bike range. The Muddy Tracks Short Sleeve Tee doesn’t fail to meet the same high standards they have applied to their walking and mountaineering gear for many years.
Buy from www.wiggle.co.uk
The North Face says:
The Women’s Short Sleeve Muddy Tracks Tee is a midweight biking top with quick drying performance fabric. In a sleeker performance fit and biker shaped profile, this tee is built for hard charging riders who demand comfort and biker-specific apparel. A back panel in open hole mesh accelerates breathability. Zip up the deep zip neck for warmth and protection or zip down to max the ventilation. Flat locked seams reduce chafing. Elasticated branded gripper elastic on the longer back hem to keep the tee from riding up. A back zipped storage pocket and two elasticated back bottle holder pockets keep vital nutrition and hydration within easy reach. Highly visible reflective logo and cool prints for increased road safety.
Features
- Midweight short sleeve biking top with quick drying performance fabric
- Half CF zip neck
- Flatlock seams
- Performance fit
- Ultraviolet Protection factor (UPF) 25
- Branded Silcon print on back hem
- Back zip storage pocket
- Reflective logo and print
- SIZES - XS. S, M, L, XL
Find out more uk.thenorthface.com
