PNW Ozone Trail jersey review – quietly clever trail T-shirt

PNW Components built its excellent reputation with really clever but well-priced dropper posts and have then expanded into other contact points including grips, bars, stems, and pedals. Now they’ve added an essentials clothing collection aimed at competing with the best mountain bike jerseys and shorts. The Ozone Trail Jersey knits that ‘really clever but well priced’ ethos into a super comfortable, versatile shirt. 

Design and performance

At first glance, the Ozone is just another tech T-shirt. Get up close and you’ll notice it gets separate side panels, with laser-cut perforations in and below the armpits. Put it on and you’ll realize the sleeves are longer than average so they cover your guns but not so long they irritate your elbow crease. The hem is lengthened too, but again it’s not nightdress length so it doesn't look unfitted.

The stealth vibe is continued by the four subdued color options and the only logo is a small PNW triangle on the left hip with the commendable “Do Bikes” slogan on the inside. Seams are flat-locked and there’s no collar tab, just a side tab showing the 80 percent polyester, 20 percent wool fabric blend, and washing cycle instructions. It doesn’t say that the fabric is Bluesign approved for ethical action all the way through the manufacture and logistics chain, so I’ll tell you that now. And no I’ve not forgotten to mention the secret pocket or the glasses wipe, they just aren’t there. You do get a ‘lifetime warranty’ on material or construction defects though, and PNW has a program to repair crash damage if they can too.

Performance 

I briefly mentioned how it fits when you put it on, but I need to circle back around to explain what a luxurious experience pulling the Ozone on is. The wool and polyester blend is properly soft, gorgeous, and instantly comfortable in a way that even the best pure synthetics can only dream of. 

Thanks to the cut and fabric the whole jersey hangs really well too, so there’s nothing getting in the way of your flow but nothing flapping so much it catches on passing trees and bushes. The material also stays comfortable in a really wide temperature range from ‘being brave’ to ‘properly boiling’. The wool element stops it from chilling off when wet and there’s never that clammy feel full chemical cloths can send shivers down your spine with. It also helps keep the propagation of bacteria down, so you don’t smell like rental knee pads after the first climb. In fact, deliberate testing/default grubbiness proved it’s good to go straight from the bathroom/bothy/workshop floor for several days on the bounce without becoming socially significant. The cut and lack of logo mean you can even keep it on for apres ride ale/burrito/fine art exhibition opening duty as long as nobody else points out what a minger you’re being. 

When you do get round to washing it, things won’t get weird if you keep the temp to 30 degrees, and while it does take slightly longer to dry than a pure synthetic, it’s still fine to wear if slightly damp. It’s showing no sign of doing the usual wool thing of shrinking from Grizzly to Grom in a couple of months either. Speaking of sizing, both men's and women's jerseys are available in XS to XXL sizes with a slightly more shaped cut for the girls (or anyone else who fancies a bit less flap around the midriff.

Going back to the no pockets or glasses wipe thing. A, I generally find even really small pockets make any fabric flap painful or pull a lightweight jersey out of shape, so I don’t use them even if I’ve got them. And B, you can wipe your glasses/goggles anywhere you want on the soft fabric without scarring your precious optics.

Verdict

The PNW Ozone Trail Jersey is seriously low-key in terms of aesthetics, but that subtle vibe hides a shirt that’s more comfortable, in a wider range of conditions, for longer than your average tech tee without being much more expensive. It doesn’t have pockets or a glasses wipe but I never actually missed them and as long as you’re not careless with your laundry it should hold up really well over a long time. 

Tech Specs: PNW Ozone Trail jersey

• Price: $49 / £44
• Material:  Bluesign approved 80% polyester, 20% wool mix 
• Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL
• Colors: Women’s Alien and Eclipse. Men’s Crater (shown), Helium, Alien and Eclipse

Buy the Ozone Trail jersey direct from PNW