Its fair to say that Royal Racing is now a well established brand that certainly holds its own against the other top apparel brands that have been in the industry for a much longer time. Their products always have a distinct and fresh look about them, which has not only made them stand out in the crowd, but earned them loyal fans the world over. So lets look at the Royal AM Ride short sleeve Jersey and Matrix shorts; designed to keep you feeling cool and looking fresh on the trails…

Words: Tom Shilvock | Photos: Nathan Carvell & Tom Shilvock

The whole Royal range is very colour coordinated as they only use a handful of specific colours, so it’s very easy to pick and chose different items from their range to suite your own style. Royal may have cut their teeth in the market with their DH clothing, but they now have a heavy presence in the Trail, enduro or “just riding your bike” market. I chose the AM Ride SS Jersey and the Matrix short in the colourful, but not too loud electric blue. The first time I tried them out was on a 4 day 180 mile Welsh epic to give them a good test, plus loads of local blasts!

Royal AM Ride Short Sleeve Jersey

The first impression of the Jersey is of course the bold blue and angular logo across the chest (it does come in a black/grey option as well). The material is light and airy with quality stitching, with attractive little features like small rubber logos and a material covering over the stitching around the back of the neck. With a price tag of £26.99 it is priced very competitively for a top of this quality.

In use the fit is good, with a good length that doesn’t ride up your back when on the bike. It’s a baggy top, but well fitting so that you have got plenty of movement in it, but without any unwanted excess material. The cut around the neck is spot on – not too high or low and the same can be said about the sleeve length that finishes just above the elbows – obviously this all relies on getting the right size. Royal’s size chart is pretty much spot on, but I would advise if you are close to the end of a sizing bracket to go up a size.

On the bike it has a nice relaxed fit with a welcome airy feel to it. I spent a couple of long hot days in the saddle with this top on and really couldn’t find anything to fault with it. The quality seems to be standing up to my first impressions after a good number of uses and washes, it’s holding up well. It has got a couple of pulls in the material from the odd bramble, but apart from that it looks as good as new.

Royal Matrix Short

Royal state that the Matrix has been their best selling trail short since 2011 so they’re obviously confident in the product and want to keep it as their best seller! The short on test was in a darker shade of blue to the jersey tested, with a subtle pinstripe in the lighter blue to match to jersey.

Like all good technical MTB specific shorts, the Matrix is packed full of features – with four large pockets on the front, two of which are zipped… A small zipped key pocket on the right hand side, which is always useful unless you live in a hut in the woods, and if you do live in the woods then the pocket has got a headphone port so you can listen to some tunes! All the zips have an embossed rubber Royal logo on them and a soft material strip covering the inside of the waist band for added comfort and no sharp edges to dig into you.

Just below the waist on the back of the short is an elasticated panel for extra flexibility when on the bike. One simple but affective feature of the short is how you do them up. There are two poppers on the front, but behind them is a slide lock clip on the left. I have found with a few shorts that have only got poppers, that when you compress your body on the bike it can actually make the popper pop open,which isn’t the best look! This simple hidden third fixture stops any distractions away from just riding your bike.

Like the jersey the fit is good, but again, if you are close to the end of a sizing bracket go up a size even though the shorts have an adjustable “hook and loop” waist adjusters so you can dial in the fit. The short also comes with a padded pant liner, which doesn’t clip into the short in anyway to make the two items one (apart from a very loose loop system). Personally I like this as it means you don’t have to run the short with the liner if you were just going for a quick hack in the woods – or you can use the liner with other shorts.

I used the liner for two long days in the saddle (had to travel light!) with no discomfort down below, so it’s obviously not just a “token” liner. The fit of the liner is good as well. I have been put off from buying short/liner combos in the past as I find the shorts fit me fine but not the liner, but I must say I was pleased at how well both the short and liner fitted. I wore the shorts on all four days of my epic and they held up well plus being comfy on the bike and looking good when not. They have been used lots since then and are showing no signs of wear. With a retail price of £69.99 the short is reasonably price with the liner and features on offer…

Conclusion

Overall the Royal AM Ride SS Jersey and Matrix shorts make a good combo to tackle a true epic or even a quick razz in the woods! Both items are well priced and could easily been worn individually. The highlight must be the price of the jersey, which at £26.99 is refreshing for a technical top that looks this good and from a top bike brand!!

Royal Racing is exclusively distributed in the UK by Decade Europe. Hit the Royal banner below for more info on these products and the rest of the Royal range. See you trail side, Tom!

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