Race Face Indy Apparel Review

The Race Face Indy collection features jerseys, pants, shorts, knees and elbows. In this review I look at the Indy jersey, the Indy pants in all their dark mustard glory, and the Indy knee pads. From the top I'll start with the Indy long sleeve jersey.

Race Face Indy Long Sleeve Jersey

I have been addicted to Merino shirts for a few years now. The soft lightweight fabric combined with its ability to keep the upper body warm or cool depending on the season, makes me wear nothing but Merino all year long. The old bike jerseys I would wear prior to my switch to Merino usually felt like I was wearing garbage bags when I started to sweat in them. I switched to training shirts from RYU and Lululemon for awhile and that did the job but when the big sweats soaked the shirts they just got heavy and wetter throughout the ride. I wasn't thinking of the Race Face Indy long sleeve jersey as a summer shirt for big climbing days but more of a cooler temperature shuttle day shirt. For that application it performed well, and by that I mean it wicked the small amount of sweat away and what was left was comfortable without having that garbage bag feel. I believe this is due to the combination of perforations and underarm/side of torso venting. The 94% poly/6% elastane material would probably sweat like the old shirts but the perforated fabric and vents let the material breathe way more than an unventilated jersey. The large fits me in all the right places; I particularly like the loose feel that lets the shirt hang from the chest down which might account for some extra breathability.

An additional feature is the 30 UPF rating for riding in the sun, which I did not do a lot of other than some road miles getting to and from the shaded trails. It was good to know it was there. According to my extensive 7 second research a UPF rating of 30 indicates the fabric of a garment will allow 1/30th (roughly 3 percent) of available UV radiation to pass through it.

As for the price, the commenters will let us know it is way too much and that a better or comparable jersey can be bought from Walmart or Costco for 20 bucks. Whatever the deal, when compared to bike brand jerseys this one comes in around the same price as the others. What separates the Indy is the perforations and breathing which brings more value to this piece than others I have checked out.

It comes in black, charcoal, coral (what a statement to wear that one) and the colour I tested: pine.

Race Face Indy LS jersey 100 CAD, but currently on sale for 50 CAD

Race Face Indy pants

My first bike pants were Race Face Ruxtons. In that review I wrote that "I never understood what it was about pants that all my riding crew were on about until recently I started wearing them myself, now I wear them whenever I can. It could be the decrease in cleaning pads and socks or the mud, rain and moisture mostly running off the ankle cuff, instead of down my shoes, but really it is the comfort of having everything under one roof. Not to mention post ride bro downs are way more comfortable with pants instead of shorts, at least below 18º Celsius". Years later, well, 2 years later, I enjoy riding with pants more than ever. Unfortunately due to my excessive heat and sweat buildup during rides I need to plan for the proper pant for the temperature. The Indy pants are good for rides from 5° Celsius to 18°ish Celsius. Anything over that and it's 7Mesh lightweight Glidepaths or shorts for me.

The Race Face Indys are the first pants that stray from the code of Shore colours: black, black and if really necessary, grey. Because of the lighter hue on these clay-coloured pants I have not wanted to ride in conditions where a mud stain would show on the rear. If I only had one pair of pants I would just do it, but why not keep one pair slightly less stained I say. Because of that I have not tested the DWR coating's ability to shed water. Based on my super scientific method of spraying different amounts of water on the pants in the shower I can say the DWR works for small amounts of water keeping the inside of the pants dry. This would translate to shedding water like in a light rain and wet but not soaked trails...I think (Trevor will be ride-testing these in wet weather and reporting back, won't you, Trevor? -Ed). For wet days and soaked trails I go with the Race Face Conspiracy pants.

The nylon/spandex blend fabric feels smooth, somewhat light and comfortable against my skin. In addition to the stretchy blend, the Indys also feature vents behind the knees and along the inseam from a bit below the crotch to a bit above the knees. The two zippered pockets are deep and fit the phone quite well. At first I thought it would have been better to place a pocket on the outside-rear of the leg like other ride pants but these front pockets work perfectly and I don't notice my pocket's contents on the ride. The zippers are smooth and the rubber pull tabs work but would be better if they were slightly longer for easier pull when wearing gloves. Silicone strips on the waist band keep the pants up after the heat and sweat build up. The waist closure is the same as the Ruxtons (and many other brands): an adjustable ratchet closure. The combination of the fly and the closure is a step up from the Ruxtons which only had the ratchet.

The Indy pants are comfortable, light, breathe well, look and feel great in my opinion. I noticed when writing this that they are 50% off like a lot of the stuff on the RF site which makes them an excellent value at 95 CAD, regularly 190 CAD.

Race Face Indy pants

Race Face Indy knee pads

I have worn a lot of knee pads in the last three years, having reviewed Coverts, Recons, and Roams, gave away some, and relegated others to the I'll wear them when the others are dirty/wrecked. I used to prefer a pad like the extinct Race Face Roam that is not a slip on but that pad had troubles with velcro closures not closing and also scratching skin spots. The slip-ons tend to be a bit warmer due to the excess fabric used to keep them in place however the trade off is comfort and a more snug fit.

I have owned the previous version of Indy knee pads for about 4 years and only worn them about a dozen times because I assumed they would not be safe in big crashes. When I got the new Indys I noticed the fit was more snug. I checked in with Race Face to get the goods on what they changed on the goods. I was told that the shape of the D3O LP1 foam impact protection inserts was changed. The goal was to be more form fitting and thus more comfortable. Compared to the old Indys the goal has been met. As for my trepidation about whether or not they will help me in a crash...stay tuned since, knock on wooden knee, I haven't crashed on my knees in these or others in years; damn I fear I jinxed myself.

Details

*Breathable stretch mesh rear panel.
*D3O® LP1 foam pad
*Abrasion resistant fabric
*Upper thigh silicone grippers and silicone shin patch
*Hook and loop upper calf strap
*Snug fit
*Jesse Melamed wears them and crashes in them.

RaceFace Indy pants 120 CAD regular (currently on sale for 84 CAD)