Mountain biking is one of those sports where we often find ourselves in physical discomfort. We’ve all got horror stories of bonking during a big ride or taking a digger and still having to pedal out — we hope that’s not a triggering way to start. The last thing we need is to add to this discomfort with poor clothing choices. We’re firm believers in high-quality gear that can appropriately cater to the elements. Mountain biking technical wear isn’t cheap, so it’s also important to make sure you’re investing in something that will last. Oh yeah, and it has to look good too.
We’re stoked to say that the Akta kit we’ve been riding in pretty well ticks this trio of boxes. This rider-owned Canadian brand is making some gutsy moves. The overall quality of the clothing is right up there with the big brands we know well — it’s always exciting to see a new player on the scene challenging the more established companies. The Akta getup we’ve been trialling is packed with impressive technical features. Accompanied by subtle, yet current and unique styling (yeah…noice, different, unusual). To round it all off it comes in a price that’s competitive among similar threads from more established brands like Fox and TLD (Trail SS Jersey $108 AUD. Trail short $199 AUD).
Trail Shorts. Design and tech features
Starting with the trail shorts. These are some of the best shorts we’ve ridden in recent times. That can be attributed to a few key features we’ve come to appreciate. Mountain bike-specific shorts (unlike other sports shorts) are unique as they have to cater to riders spending a lot of time sitting down. Is that a banana in your pocket? Or are you just happy to be here? NO! Because front pockets don’t work! Name a mate who enjoys bulky items like a phone digging into their hip for hours, at the top of each pedal stroke…we’ll wait.
Not only has Akta placed both pockets on the side of the shorts. They have also designated one of the pockets for fragile/expensive items like phones and GoPros. This specialty pocket is armed with D3O padding. As an aside, phones and GoPros (and keys!) also don’t feel great when crashed upon! All pockets are lined with a soft screen-safe material to prevent scratches, and, as you’d expect, both pockets have zippers. A must for mountain bike clothing! This is feedback coming from someone who has lost their car keys, phone, time and dignity on the trail as a result of zipless pockets — a nightmare to say the least.
The only pocket-related suggestion we’d have for Akta is to include an additional small one. You know, perfect for a credit card, lift pass or car key. We’ve seen pockets like this located on the back of the waistband in other shorts. These types of pockets are great for bike park days when you want to secure your lift pass and avoid the need to pull it in and out regularly, as our bike park-ing forefathers were subjected to in years gone by.
The shorts are secured with both a partially elastic waistband as well as a ratchet closure. There is a lot of flexibility in the sizing here. With these features, we feel as if they’re able to cover at least a couple of full sizes in the waist. For example, a size 32 with the ratchet in the tightest setting or a 34 in the loosest position. The elastic section is cleverly located on the front of the shorts, meaning that no matter where you sit in the size range, there will be no bunching of fabric across your back and hips for a neat and tidy fit. The Trail shorts also have a slightly raised rubber gripper on the inside waistband to stop them from slipping down. This is particularly useful if you wear knicks underneath.
A couple of other subtle features that add to the overall quality of the product are the vents on the inner thigh and reinforced crotch to prevent tearing and excessive wear from pedalling.
As for the material, Akta has gone for a blend of recycled nylon (88%) and spandex (12%). This is DWR treated to repel light rain and mud. So far, it has rained a lot here this summer, and we’ve noticed that water and sweat haven’t been soaking into the shorts. This is a not surprising feature as these guys are from Vancouver after all, and if you don’t know, it rains there…a lot!
Trail Jersey SS. Design and tech features
Straight up, we are fans of the relaxed fit of the jersey. The elbow-kissing sleeves are an appropriate length, so when you’re in a riding position, they don’t pull up too far. It also has a slightly longer rear panel to accommodate a forward riding position, which means that the jersey always covers the waist of your pants and those plumber’s cracks can remain discreet.
The fabric blend Akta has opted for utilises recycled polyester (87%) and spandex (13%) and is both Bluesign and GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certified. The fabric also sees Prosilion® silver ionic yarn, which is a permanent antimicrobial technology that should help to avoid that perma-stink some synthetic fabrics can pick up after a while. The inside of the jersey has a subtle textured pattern to it, though it’s a small detail, it keeps the jersey feeling soft and light on the skin. Along the lower hem is a microfibre lens cleaning patch for glasses, cameras and phones. The jersey also has an SPF 50+ rating, which is a must in Aussie summer conditions.
Style and Aesthetics
Having a good-looking kit is always a nice bonus. It’s subjective, but we really like what they’ve done here. The styling is quite subtle with Akta. The minimalist logo creates branding that isn’t excessive by any means. Their choice of neutral colours is on trend, too. However, they’ve managed to add a unique spin to it with the earthy beetroot hue of the jersey. Forest green and beige are big at the moment but we really liked this unique take on a popular trend. If the colour options aren’t for you, they also offer their kit in the crowd favourite of black.
Watching the World Cups, you may have noticed that slimmer fits are all the rage. Akta has also gone along with this in their shorts. However, they haven’t done this by compromising fit. Although they have an overall low profile, the waist is comfortable and flexible, allowing for a correct fit that isn’t tight around the waist.
As for the jersey our 74kg, 179cm tester opted for a size large. This provided the desired relaxed fit. A medium would have also suited, but with a more ‘racer’ style fit.
Final Thoughts
We’ve reached a point with mountain biking tech wear; if you don’t make a quality product, you won’t survive because the market is full of great options. As the new kids on the block, Akta has taken this challenge head-on. Their technically sound products are matched with great styling, eliciting a big ‘ol thumbs up from us. Pricing is fair for the quality product you’ll receive. Value for money on these items is made even better now that those crazy Canucks are doing free shipping to Aus over $150 AUD.
This is our first experience with Akta, which has excited us to see more. We’re expecting to spot their stuff being repped on Aussie shores in the not-too-distant future.
For reference. Our tester weighs 74kg and is 179cm. He was wearing medium shorts and a large jersey.
