First of all, many thanks to Dirtlej for sending me the Dirtsuit Core Edition this really nice women’s mud jumpsuit. For the last few winters I’ve only been riding through the cold months with conventional rain trousers or waterproof two-piece suits. So when I was asked to test a full-body option that promised to be really waterproof, I couldn’t resist and was immediately looking forward to trying out this ladies’ dirtsuit in the colour Midnight/Moonlight and size S.
With bike parks being closed for winter, I headed to my home trails, which are always super muddy. These are peppered with really muddy spots, slippery bends and extremely wet and steep downhill sections. If you make a mistake here, you’ll quickly slip away or get stuck in the next mud pit – the perfect testing ground for a dirtsuit, which, according to Dirtlej, can fortunately be cleaned in the washing machine at 30 degrees.
Contents
The fit – a true ladies’ design!
I tried on the dirtpsuit (regular fit) in M, S and XS and finally decided on S. I’m 174 cm tall and quite slim at around 53 kg. Size M was therefore much too wide for me and size XS fitted well, but the legs and arms felt a bit too tight for me to wear knee and back protectors underneath. In the end, as I said, I opted for a size S.
I felt comfortable in it straight away and was delighted to find that it is indeed possible to design an MTB mudsuit for women that looks really good, is comfortable and has all the important features.
Freedom of movement and protectors
Fortunately, the trouser legs are super stretchy, which meant that my knee pads fitted easily underneath. However, I don’t wear shin guards, which could make the whole thing pretty snug again. The long legs cannot be removed or made shorter for the summer, but I didn’t see this as a disadvantage as the main thing for me was not to get dirty or wet.
There is almost too much freedom in the upper body area, as you can see in the photos. (At the photo shoot I only wore a thin foam protector jacket underneath the dirtsuit).
Storage space: I’m not really into “trail handbags”!
I don’t usually carry much with me on the trails, at least I always try to avoid it. However, I mostly have my mobile phone, keys (usually just my flat and car keys) and my small wallet on me – and my mobile phone. Unfortunately, this is exactly where I have something to criticise, because as a social media manager I have a rather large mobile, which unfortunately doesn’t really fit into any of the many pockets. Having stored it in the front pockets, sizewise the only option, it pressed quite uncomfortably into my waist and against my shin when I was going uphill. A pity, because a “handbag” is not really an option on the trail and certainly not my style. Apart from that, the dirtsuit has quite a large selection of small pockets: four around the hips (two at the front and two at the back), one on the right chest and one on the left upper arm.
On the longer climbs, some of which were quite sweaty, I was very grateful for the jumpsuit’s many ventilation options: the ones under the arms proved to be particularly effective in this context. There are also some on the sides under the chest/belly and on the thighs. Certainly extremely useful if you want to wear the jumpsuit in summer. However, if it gets too warm when climbing, you still have the option of just opening the top and wrapping the sleeves around your waist.
Well hidden and elegantly solved – the hood
When I put the overall on, I was a little unsure where to put the hood in case I wasn’t using it. But once I took the suit off again, I found out and was delighted with the really good roll-up solution with Velcro fastening, giving the suit a very clean and sleek look.
The hood fits perfectly over the helmet – even over a full-face helmet (as I tested at home) – and it can also be tightened if the wind comes from the front and the hood tends to draw back too much.
On the trail
How waterproof is it really? The water and mud test
The product description mentioned a “water column of 18,000”, which didn’t really mean much to me at first. Last weekend I was out with a few friends on a trail that I didn’t know yet. There was still snow on top of the hill and the ground was quite hard due to the ice. I didn’t freeze because the suit kept me really warm. Thanks to the very precise and nicely taped seams (including all the zips), body heat will hardly escape, which is why I was very thankful for the good ventilation options from time to time.
The overall has well-placed stretch segments with reinforced seams in various places, for example on the hips and knees. I hardly noticed the knee pads under the fabric and the whole suit fitted perfectly even on smaller and larger jumps and drops. I would never have thought that I would be so impressed with the freedom of movement!
A little further down the trail, the ground suddenly got very muddy and was covered with fallen leaves, making it a very slippery affair. The trail grew steeper and steeper and as I’d never ridden this trail before, I pulled the brakes a little harder than usual … After some back and forth, the rear wheel eventually slid past me in slow motion on my left side. Me and the bike started gliding down the muddy, soft slope until both of us came to a halt. What a laugh – and what a good thing I was wearing my dirtsuit!
Days are getting shorter …
After the second downhill ride, it was only four o’clock, but nevertheless it was getting dark quite quickly. We made our way to the car park. Thanks to the reflective prints, especially on the legs of the jumpsuit, I was highly visible the whole time. I personally don’t really like flashy, bright prints for mountain biking, which is why I found Dirtlej’s solution all the more beautiful, elegant and comfortable.
Home again – my final verdict
According to the manufacturer, the dirtsuit has a breathability of 15,000 g/m²/24h, which sounds good compared to others, although I couldn’t make much sense of the figures. On this day, I was wearing a T-shirt, a protector jacket with a long-sleeved jersey over it and a thin woollen jumper underneath. To be honest, I could have done without the wool layer. The climb was so long and steep (which I didn’t realise beforehand) that it turned out to be pointless. And I’m rather a frostbite. Ergo, this dirtsuit will keep you nice and warm!
My clothes underneath the suit were completely clean despite the mud bath I had taken! The cuffs on the arms and legs also meant that no dirt or water got onto the legs or arms. There is a small pin attached ot he bottom waistband, I didn‘t know what it was for, but I put it in my shoelaces so that the trousers wouldn‘t ride up due ot he knee pads. That worked really well.
Even in the most critical areas, such as the back or the stretch inserts at the hips, no water or moisture penetrated the suit thanks to the DWR coating. When I checked the suit again in the basement at home, I was quite amazed: the mud didn’t seem to have stuck to it at all! It wasn’t clean as in “like new”, but it didn’t look “muddy” to me either …
Apart from the pockets, which are maybe a little on the small side (for a mobile like mine that’s rather on the big one), I’m absolutely thrilled! Especially the really well-made, feminine and flattering design, which I haven’t yet seen anywhere else in this sleek and understated style.
Yes, the price is not exactly low, but with all the features that the dirtsuit has to offer and the super neat workmanship, that promises a good longevity, it is definitely worth the money.
Many thanks to Dirtlej for this really great, elegant and practical beauty!