Clothing brand PRIMAL are perhaps little known in Europe, but in the US they are a stalwart of the road cycling market. We took the opportunity to welcome this new clothing brand to our shores by taking some of their mountain bike range out on the trails in chilly condition to see how they fared in the Scottish highlands.
Primal clothing were born and bred in Colorado where they have been producing road kit since 1992, and now they are dipping their toes into the wonderful world of mountain bike kit. They have a distinctive graphic style which contrasts the block-colours of a lot of kit currently on the market.
The PRIMAL Modenza Loose Fit Short
The Modenza Loose fit shorts are available in both men’s and women’s fit with the women’s version avoiding the lure of pink styling – a refreshing blue contrast fabric adorns pockets and waistband. The 118 € price point puts them quite high on the price spectrum so we are expecting some quality and long lasting kit. The shorts boast a four-way stretch fabric and flat lock seams which give them an overall feeling of quality, they look and feel like they are going to last a harsh winter of riding. In the complex world of women’s cycle short styling (feminine but no flowers, colourful but not My Little Pony-esque, flattering but not sexy) these shorts are a good length for the average height lady on a trail ride and for pairing with sandals when the sun returns.
Primal Athene 2nd Layer jacket
These shorts are accompanied by the Primal Athene 2nd Layer jacket (128 €), This is an outer layer for chillier temperatures, promising ventilation and wicking along with keeping us warm in temperatures as low as 0 oC. Anything that encourages cycling through the winter months is worth a try!
The Athene top can be worn for road cycling as well as mountain biking and boasts rear pockets for holding essentials. These are great for shorter rides when you don’t need a bag worth of kit. Subtle reflective strips run through the front and back of the Athene jacket for those winter days when you get caught out in the gloom.
Our Impressions
After riding with the full kit, I found the shorts to be remarkably comfortable. They fit well over knee pads and fall to a good length. When riding in wet condition, splashes of water beaded off the surface of the shorts and was easily brushed off. These are most certainly not waterproof shorts but they do offer a degree of water resistance. The styling is neat and low key and the stitch quality appears, at this point, to be rock solid.
The Athene jacket is certainly a departure from my normal single colour style. The ladies medium is loose fitting which, although perhaps not the most flattering of cuts, is very comfortable and great for a versatile top layer.. It felt cosy in chilly conditions but was still comfortably breathable to pedal in. The jacket offers a certain amount of wind protection, enough to keep the worst of the chill at bay and would be a good single jacket on cold and dry days. We did find that the elasticated wrist and waist bands mean that the top tends to ride up a little rather than sitting low over the shorts. The Athene is well made with thoughtful touches like the reflective strips sewn at the seams, it feels like a top to last!
For more information you can check out the Primal Europe website
Words: Cat Smith Photos: Trev Worsey
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