Designing race wear that doesn't mimic another company's selection while at the same time striving for a successful formula that will earn your product recognition and ideally the sales numbers that follow is challenging. Of course, at the same time the gear must be affordable, durable, functional and, most important, fashionable. Well, the folks at Shift certainly have the unique factor honed to perfection; their line sports styling that is nowhere near anyone else's, which is a good thing. Throw in front man Jeff Emig to campaign the clothing, and the stuff practically sells itself.
After spending hours in a set, we can see another reason for the gear's success beyond the interesting use of camouflage. The stuff feels good to wear. The $139.95 Mach Pant isn't so heavy as to need suspenders to stay up, and is roomy enough for knee braces yet close-fitting enough not to be a nuisance. The matching $39.95 Mach Jersey is light and breathable, stays tucked in and doesn't try to strangle you. It vents out the sides and back enough to help us maintain our cool on warmer days. With spandex in all the right places, we soon forgot about the $29.95 Mach Gloveit simply became a second skin. That's the brief summary of what we liked about the set of Mach race wear we wore on tracks and trails.
We also tried out the new XC Jacket during colder, wetter days on the trails. Our only beef with the XC is it is about a size offthe XL fit like an L. An enduro jacket should fit over the chest protector and drink system to allow you to open the vents and actually access the nice pockets included in the shell. The XC was a tad snug. The ballistic material at the elbows was something we've seen only on big-dollar adventure/ street jackets. Add in the removable sleeves, big pockets and venting options, and the $139.95 jacket is the very way to stay warm.
So far the only problem we've encountered with the rest of the gear is the rubber logos on the pant's knees are beginning to peel off after several rounds in the washing machine.
Capping off our outfit was the Adult Roost Deflector, which went on without drama, felt secure and remained unobtrusivethe way a chest protector should. At $69.95, this is money well spent, especially when you get hit in the chest by a rock or if you spend time honing your belly flop.