It’s been a while since I went on a cycling trip. Since the pandemic began, I’ve been mostly cycling around home, or in California destinations like Yosemite, Mendocino, and Monterey. When an opportunity came up to spend four consecutive days cycling in Acadia National Park and Portland, Maine, I realized that I needed to refresh my cycling wardrobe.
While I have plenty of road-cycling kits, I wanted to add a couple of mountain bike shorts and jerseys for the trip, so I turned to the mountain bike collection from Wild Rye—specifically the Wild Rye Freel Bike Short and Sandia Bike Jersey.
The Freel Bike Short is made with an 88% nylon and 12% spandex blend that’s stretchy and breathable, but also durable and abrasion resistant, so you won’t snag it on shrubs right away on Day One. Aside from the short being incredibly comfortable, my favorite thing about the Freel is the deep pockets. There are two front pockets and a zippered side pocket that fits a large phone without it getting in the way. I wish I could say the same about some other brands’ bike shorts.
The Sandia Bike Jersey is made with a combination of 84% poly, 11% merino, and 5% spandex. The long-sleeved jersey has UPF 50 sun protection, as well as mesh and wicking panels to keep you cool and let your skin breathe. It’s got a traditional cycling placket, so you can grab what you need and stash it again just by reaching behind you. I’ve even worn this jersey while hiking, it’s so comfortable.
The Freel Bike Short comes in a variety of color/print combinations: great blue heron, sawtooth mocha, wild thing sea glass, ginkgo jade, sunflower, koi pond, lotus grayscale, mahogany. Depending on your color/print choice, the short lists for $95 or $129 on the Wild Rye site.
The Sandia Bike Jersey comes in black, mahogany, and sea, and lists for $95 on the Wild Rye site.
