Mountain biking kit these days is more than just functional clothing – most of the kit put out by the big manufacturers is loaded with nice detailing and useful features that aren’t always picked up on at first glance. The latest load of kit to come through the door here at Factory Jackson HQ is all the highest quality, and is not only brilliant for riding in – but looks really cool too.

Some riders like subtle styling, and others go bold and brash – there’s a bit in here for most. We’ll be covering individual items in more detail soon, but have a browse through the Essential MTB Gear below – it might inspire an impulse purchase!

The 3/4 sleeves of the Ruckus jersey help keep the sun off your arms – but are cool to wear.

The lens may be happy, but it looks pretty damned mean!

Helmet | Bell Super 2R MIPS equipped, Infrared | £174.99 | www.bellhelmets.com

This brilliant bit of kit from Bell is virtually two helmets in one. As you see it here it looks like a full face helmet, but it has a removable jaw guard for use as a regular helmet. Although not an out-an-out alternative to a full face helmet, it’s a brilliant idea for those not needing two helmets; are partial to the odd uplift day or perhaps do the odd Enduro race. The look is a little marmite – but we think it looks stunning when combined with a decent pair of goggles. Review coming soon.

Goggles | Spy Omen, Realtree with Happy Bronze Mirror lens | £79.99 | www.spyoptics.com

If you’re in to downhill action,  then a decent pair of goggles should be on your list. You need to make sure they fit well with your helmet and pick a lens that suits where you ride. Typically that will be a clear lens in the UK – though we all like a mirrored lens best! Spy’s ‘Happy Lens’ uses a bronze lens with mirrored finish. It’s enough to take the glare off, but is bright enough to see well in dappled light  – ideal for those rare days when we get sun. It looks badass too, which can often be the deciding factor.

Jersey | Troy Lee Designs Ruckus TLD Midnight| £53.99 | www.troyleedesigns.com 

Made from a thin comfortable material that pulls sweat away from your skin and dries fast, the Ruckus jersey has 3/4 sleeves which although not liked by all do a great job of keeping nettles at bay without being too hot. Unlike some other brands, the sleeves are cut quite close on the arms, so they don’t flap around unnecessarily.  Also available in desert camo and a a few bold colours, there’s a good option out there to match your bike or preference…

High end button fastenings on the Indy short look great, and are easy to use

Now THAT is a vent. These things are like wearing fresh air!

Shorts | Raceface Indy, red | £59.99 | www.raceface.com

Made from a super light weight 4-way stretch material, the Indy sits at knee length and has vented material all the way up the sides. This short has summer written all over it, though it DWR coated to help protect the fabric and make it dry out faster from down pours. The waistband is nice and deep, and has a lovely twin popper closure, with a zippered fly. The inside of the waistband features a brushed, wicking material that is very comfortable against the skin – and even has the Raceface logo as part of it.

Troy Lee Designs use the highest quality fabrics possible.

This padded zip pocket is ideal for car keys or some loose change…

Shorts | Troy Lee Designs Ruckus (Ops Desert in the first image, Ops Midnight in the second) | £99.99 | www.troyleedesigns.com

The Troy Lee Designs Ruckus short just gets better and better. For 2015 the fit is the best yet – slightly longer in the leg will please taller riders, and the great 2-way stretch material is comfortable but tougher than other light weight shorts. The short is packed with details, like a zippered and padded pocket on the small of the back and a mobile phone pocket that stops your phone flapping around. The included liner is one of the best out there too – bonus.

Great venting on the back, and smart positioning of the smartphone friendly material on the middle finger

Gloves | Race Face Stage glove, Lime| £29.99 | www.raceface.com

With a thin Amara palm, the Stage glove maxes out on bar feel, and has a super light nylon mech backing. Not the one for bush wahcking overgrown Spring trails – but amazing for when things heat up as they cool your hands down brilliant. They feature a neat  pull on stretch cuff design, and have a smart phone compatible patch on the middle finger. Why the middle finger instead of the index finger? Because it’s a slippy material and the index finger works best on the brake levers. Smart.

Checkerboard finger tips you say? Better be fast if you’re wearing these bad boys…

Gloves | Troy Lee Designs SE Pro, Orange | £29.99 | www.troyleedesigns.com

The SE Pro is Troy Lee’s Premium Lightweight glove, with a 2-way stretch spandex body and a super-thin Clarino palm. The fingers feature checkerboard pattern silicon rubber grips, and there is a quality Velcro wrist closure. The back of the glove is tough, yet light and offers enough protection for most forms of writing. Oh, and they look pretty sweet too!

The additional rear coverage of the A1 feels really secure in use.

Nice detailing on the strap locks.

Helmet | Troy Lee Designs A1 Drone, Matte Cyan | £119.99 | www.troyleedesigns.com

With more protection than a conventional open face helmet, the A1 sits low on the back of your head, but has 16 decent sized vents to keep air flow high and your head cool. CNC machined aluminium visor screws and Troy Lee embossed strap locks and adjustable cradle add to the high quality of this helmet. One particularly unique thing with the A1, is how well it fits virtually any head size out there – if you have an odd shaped head, you should definitely try the A1 out – you might be surprised…

The Semenuk pads may be able to take a hiding, but you won’t want to hide them under full length pants

Knee pads | Semenuk Knee Guards | £ 89.99 | www.troyleedesigns.com 

A decent pair of knee pads are a must, and these were designed in conjunction with Slopestyle super star Brandon Semenuk – who wants a pad to be minimal in size, offer as little restriction as possible and to stay firmly in place. If they’re good enough for him to crash his brains out and walk away repeatedly, they’re good enough for you…

This is one tough mother of a lock, but unlike other brutish chain locks can be carried easily – round your waist

Lock | HipLok Gold, Camo/Orange | £84.99 | www.hiplok.com

Ok, so it’s not bike clothing – but you do wear it around your waist.

With a huge, and seriously heavy duty chain and shackle, the HipLok Gold meets the highest lock standard available – the coveted Sold Secure Gold rating.  Despite weighing 5.3lbs, this monster of a lock is easy to carry thanks to it’s belt style construction, allowing the weight to be taken on your hips. It’s a brilliant idea for ultimate security on the go – although they offer smaller, lighter and cheaper locks using the same system. Well worth a look.

The super ventilated mesh back is perfect if you;re the kind of rider that ‘runs hot’

Jersey | Helly Hansen Lifa Mesh Flow  Short Sleeve, Yellow | £40 | www.hellyhansen.com

Designed for trail running, this super lightweight technical t-shirt is perfect for mountain biking in hot conditions thanks to the mesh back – or simply for wearing as a t-shirt. For out-and-out wicking, this is one of the best things you could ever slip in to.

High quality zipper toggles set the Trigger apart in terms of quality

Shorts | Raceface Trigger, Lime | £69.95 | www.raceface.com

Made from super light and stretchy polyester and spandex, these 4-way stretch shorts have a nice twin button and zippered fly closure. The have internal waist cinches; magnetic closure rear pockets and really nice detailing – like the rubber toggles on the zips. Totally glove friendly, and immensely comfortable – one of our favourites items of MTB riding kit last year, and sure to be again!

We love the details of the Raceface Nano pullover jacket’s rip stop material

Jacket | Raceface Nano pullover jacket, orange | £79.99 | www.raceface.com

Made from an ultra light rip stop nylon, the Non is DWR treated and will keep off a down pour and is windproof. It packs in to it’s own kangaroo style chest pouch, and can be scrumpled up to fit in the smallest of pockets. It’s the perfect jacket to stash in your riding pack for those inevitable occasions when the weather catches you out. It’s surprisingly breathable too, and we’ve used ours on a few occasions just to keep the chill out.

The products above will be appearing on Factory Jackson over the coming months, so keep your eyes peeled for reviews and other features.

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