DHARCO GRAVITY PANTS AND JERSEY REVIEW

NO ORDINARY KIT

Words by Robert Johnston  |  Photos by Finlay Anderson

DHaRCO is a mountain bike apparel brand hailing from Sydney, Australia. Hoping to impart some of their surf culture-inspired style on the mountain bike world, with the “No Ordinary Life” mentality, DHaRCO has a range of gear with designs from mild to wild that’ll likely suit most tastes. Outside of the design, how does the DHaRCO Gravity kit perform? We were excited to hit the trails in their Gravity Pants and Gravity Jersey to find out.

ABOUT THE DHARCO GRAVITY PANTS AND JERSEY

DHaRCO is a gravity brand, so it made sense to test their Gravity Pants and Jersey. Unsurprisingly, these items are targeted at aggressive mountain bike riders looking for stylish and durable gear to support their gravity-fed bike antics.

DHaRCO Gravity Pant | DHaRCO’s take on the ultimate gravity pant is fairly simple, but effective. An eco-friendly Blue Sign approved nylon and spandex blend fabric with a mid weight is used. This gives four-way stretch, helping the pants to move with you. With moisture wicking and temperature regulating properties, it strikes a balance between heat management in hotter climates and keeping you warm on cooler days.  The mid-weight material features a regular cut, with articulated panelling to improve flexibility and durability.

DHaRCO equipped the Gravity Pants with three zippered pockets to help store the essentials safely. The right thigh features a vertically zipped pocket with a DHaRCO graphic that adds a welcome bit of flair. The left thigh has a horizontally zipped pocket further down. Both of these are large enough to fit a standard smartphone without issue. The rear is given a final zipped pocket, sized perfectly to store a key and lift pass.

Sizing options go from S-2XL (30” to 38”) for Men with a standard fit, and XS-2XL for Women with a slim fit. If you’re particularly long-legged, DHaRCO offers “Cathro Extensions” pant extenders, which can be sewn onto the bottom to give you the perfect length. The fit can be adjusted with two generous velcro tabs, and the front is secured with a two button and velcro combination. Available in a range of different color options from mild to wild, the DHaRCO Gravity Pants retail for US $156 / £135 / €149.99.

DHaRCO Gravity Jersey | Designed to compliment the Gravity Pants, the DHaRCO Gravity Jersey is a 100% recycled polyester mid-weight mountain bike jersey. The polyester fabric features a four-way stretch, with moisture wicking properties to keep you dry and comfortable when you ride.

Further boosting the comfort of the DHaRCO Gravity Jersey are the mesh side panels, aiding in breathability. On the hip is a zipped pocket, perfect for a lift pass or car key. The Gravity Jersey is a standard fit item, so sizing up is recommended if being worn with protection beneath. Available in sizes S-2XL in men’s fit with a choice of six colors, and XS-XL in women’s fit with a choice of four colors, the DHaRCO Gravity Jersey retails for US $74 / £72 / €79.99.

THE DIRT

From bike parks in the Alps at 20C+ (68F+) to local pedal missions in Scotland below 10C (50F), this DHaRCO kit has seen a wide range of use cases. In fact, I’ve found myself reaching for it more often than any other kit since it arrived with me. I attribute this to its dialed and comfortable fit and solid middle-of-the-road performance. Not to mention, I dig how it looks, which always helps.

DHaRCO Gravity Pant | The size L (34) Gravity Pants fit well around my waist, but were on the borderline of being too slim for my legs. This is a fate I suffer with the vast majority of mountain bike pants out there. DHaRCO has struck a solid “regular fit” with the Gravity Pants, and the four-way stretch was sufficient to keep them comfortable. It was only on the biggest pedal-fed rides that I began to notice a small amount of restriction creeping in. The length is on the longer side, meaning that I didn’t need to call upon the Pant Extenders. But I think they’re a seriously neat solution for the lanky people out there, if executed properly.

The quality of the DHaRCO Gravity Pants was evident from the get-go. From the neat details around the zip and waistband, to the durable feeling material and stitching, they feel like a set of pants that are built to last. It was only on humid days or the hottest days in the bikepark that I noted they run a little hot, at least compared to some of the ultra-thin pants by other brands. But for more typical temperature bikepark lapping, they were perfect.

The pockets are all sensibly sized and positioned, offering enough storage to keep most riders happy, without looking like a cargo pant. The material has held up well to a couple of spills and the general abuse of life on a bike, with no evidence of tearing or compromised stitching. As you would hope, since they’re not exactly cheap. But it really feels like you get what you pay for with the DHaRCO Gravity Pants.

DHaRCO Gravity Jersey | I really like the cut on the DHaRCO Gravity Jersey. For an XL, it’s not particularly roomy, but the cut with the slightly slimmer midriff keeps it looking athletic. The material has a nice amount of stretch built in, allowing it to move with you. And the arms are cut with a small amount of room for a thin elbow pad. The zipped pocket is a neat touch, perfect for keeping a lift pass safe.

DHaRCO’s mid-weight polyester jersey doesn’t do anything special in terms of heat management or moisture wicking. But it performs exactly how you’d expect a polyester jersey to, which is no bad thing. Being 100% recycled material is a nice touch, and I’m a big fan of this Stanley brown colorway, which matches the Loam color Gravity Pants well. It’s been holding up well to the abuse and frequent washing, so I’m conviced it’s going to stand up well to the test of time.

The Wolf’s Last Word

The DHaRCO Gravity Pants and Jersey have found themselves at the top of my pile for my rides the second half of this year, and for good reason. With high quality construction and materials, solid fit, and great looks (at least, in my eyes), the DHaRCO Gravity kit is easy to recommend.

Price:
$156 / £135 / €149.99 (Gravity Pants)
$74 /£72 /€79.99 (Gravity Jersey)

Website: dharco.com

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