Hailing from the beaches of Oz, DHaRCO’s founders have gone from surfing waves to surfing dirt, and its distinctive designs can be found on, among others, the Pinkbike Racing Team and Forbidden Synthesis downhill squads. Adept at turning heads, can it earn a place on our shortlist of the best mountain bike pants?

There’s a single zip pocket on the right hip – we’d like to see this mirrored on the other side

These Gravity Pants come in both men’s and women’s versions with some pretty wild designs, including a head-turning leopard print option. The Gravity Pants are one of the tighter models on test, and the eco-friendly Blue Sign nylon fabric uses only 5% Spandex in the mix, but there’s plenty of stretch and in no way is your pedalling or freedom of movement restricted. They also have a lovely, velvety, interior finish that feels great against bare skin. 

DHaRCO has also added a DWR finish that beads water, making it useful for warding off the odd splash or morning dew. At the waist there are velcro adjusters, offering generous customisation, and the fly is secured by dual pop studs backed up by velcro patches to save any unwanted embarrassment. 

Rear pocket is large enough, but poorly placed in the event of a crash

Rather than symmetrical pockets, DHaRCO has gone for a single zipped hip pocket on the right, a smaller, lower pocket on the front of the thigh, and a bonus pocket at the back of the waist. The latter is much bigger than the one found on the Specialized Demo Pants, but we still can’t think of anything we’d want to stow in there, as the contents will sit right up against the base of your spine.