Editors' Choice Laurin Lehner: My favourite outfit: "Hello summer, come in!"
Laurin Lehner
· 07.05.2025
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BIKE editors have the luxury of being able to access a wide range of clothing and accessories - regardless of brand. So they know what really works.
My summer outfit for mountain biking
Biking in summer is the best. It doesn't take much, but the little should be tried and tested. Contrary to the current trend, I wear shorts instead of long trousers in summer. I also wear a cotton shirt. Advantage: It doesn't stink so quickly and is cheap.
Athletes know: Knees never heal! Or at least only badly. That's why I hardly ever do without knee pads. When it comes to socks, I recommend a high cotton content. Why? They are more comfortable than synthetic socks and you don't sweat as much in them. At least that's my opinion.
A few Flat pedal shoes. Goggles protect your eyes from bright sunlight, stones, midges and the wind. And the open-face helmet protects your head. The summer outfit from head to toe - plus alternatives. These products have proven their worth. Now all that remains is for summer to arrive.
Open face helmet: Sweet Protection Trailblazer MIPS
The Trailblazer from the Norwegian label Sweet Protection has past laboratory tests shone with first-class shock absorption and outstanding rotation protection and scored "very good". The ventilation is excellent and the fit is solid. The visor is infinitely adjustable and stays reliably in the selected position. The helmet tends to be large. Ideally, you should try it on, because only a helmet that fits perfectly can offer its full protection.
- Price 199,95 Euro >> e.g. at Mountain friends or Mountain time available
- Weight 378 g (58cm)
- Sizes 53-56 cm / 56-59 cm / 59-61 cm
Glasses: Naked Optics "The Blade"
You can easily spend 200 euros on sunglasses, but you don't have to. At the Austrian label Naked, you can get cool glasses for less than 100 euros, such as The Blade. These sports glasses with half frames and interchangeable lenses, specially developed for bikers, are available in seven frame colours. And they start at just under 80 euros. The glasses sit well on the face and the nose piece is adjustable and also fits thicker noses, like mine.
Facts
- Adjustable and interchangeable nose bridge
- ventilates quite well, but also protects very well
- super tinting with lots of contrast, especially for roads
- Fits under the helmet without bumping and pressure points
- Dimensions: 145 x 59 mm
- Weight: 33.8 g
- Price: 79,99 Euro >> available here
- Many replacement lenses available: 19.99 euros (clear / orange lenses) // 24.99 euros (other 5 colours)
Glasses: Cotton shirt
No, this is not a special bike T-shirt, but an ordinary cotton shirt, here from the First Degree Shirt Team brand. Why not a jersey or functional shirt? Because cotton is the best in my eyes. It is comfortable to wear, breathable, absorbs sweat well, is reasonably odourless and can also be worn for another session. This is usually not the case with functional jerseys. So make sure it's 100% cotton, because cotton is simply unbeatable!
Watch: Coros Vertix GPS
There are many watches, but hardly any without GPS functions and app connections. In addition to the time and date, the altimeter and of course the look are important for bikers. The Coros Vertix looks good and can do more than I do with it. The design of the dial is customisable and the strap is solid. The successor model is now available >> available here.
MTB shorts: Fox Shorts Flexair
A good pair of shorts is worth its weight in gold. The Flexair is made from 4-way stretch fabric with ventilation zones at the front. The material is robust enough and slightly dirt and water repellent: there are bike shorts without zip pockets - incomprehensible to me, after all, you don't want to lose your smartphone and keys on the trail.
The Fox Flexair naturally has such pockets. The ratchet fastening has proved its worth. Nevertheless, there is something to criticise: The shorts are a tad too short for me. They could go a bit above the knees. What do you think? The Fox Shorts Flexair are available at Bike Components available.
Good alternatives: The Fox Ranger or the Ion Bike Shorts Ionic LT.
Knee pads: Ion Arcon LT
The Ion Arcon LT is a hybrid knee pad - neither a park pad nor a very light trail pad. The Upper Bavarian label has managed to combine a lightweight sock with a level 2 pad.
It is easy to put on, doesn't slip, hardly ever pinches and also covers a lot of shin. The weight is also acceptable. What more could you want? Perfect for 80 per cent of all the trails I ride. Weight: 456 grams (size L) >> at Maciag Offroad or Rosebikes available.
Good alternatives for the mountain tour:
- Ion MTB K Sleeve AMP: Lightweight, affordable protector. It's comfortable to pedal with and even easier to stow in your rucksack on mountain tours. Protection level 1 >> available here.
- Fox Launch Elite: Lightweight, solid fit, easy to pedal. Also easy to stow in a rucksack >> available here. However, more expensive than the pedant from Ion.
Socks: Korbisquat Tattoos
I love socks! You can never have enough of them. However, I often struggle with bike socks because they are usually made of synthetic material. I call these things "sweat socks". They're not for my sweaty feet.
Cotton is the solution. The stylish Signature socks from Profi-Shredder Korbi Engstler are Maloja quality. They look good and are made from 78% cotton (rest: 19% polyamide, 3% elastane). The price is also okay and currently even reduced.
Shoes: Five Ten Freerider Pro (BOA)
Yes, the Five Ten Freerider Pro look like I've just taken them out of the box - in dry summers, the stylish white colour lasts a while. The shoe is also available in black. Price: 170 euros >> e.g. at Rosebikes or Maciag Offroad available.
The Freerider Pro are tried and tested with a grippy sole (Stealth S1 Phantom), a good fit (please note that Five Ten shoes have been slightly smaller for some time now) and MTB features such as toe protection, etc.
The Boa fastener is new. At first I thought nobody needed it, but now I appreciate the rotating wheel. The foot is fixed in the shoe in an instant and can be slipped out again quickly. Top!
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Laurin Lehner
Editor
