Mountain Bike Clothing Review: Dakine Descent Short Sleeve Jersey

For the past few weeks I have been testing the Dakine Descent Jersey, a short sleeved, all mountain, Enduro-oriented jersey designed for the rowdy crowd. It is lightweight and supple, yet designed to take abuse. That, my friends, is my kind of fabric.

The Dakine Descent Jersey ladies and gentlemen

Out of the Box

The Descent is constructed of of 130g 100% quick dry polyester, which has a soft feel while clearly maintaining a sense of durability. Antimicrobial technology is incorporated into the fabric, but unfortunately my manliness overpowered the science behind this several times. The fit seemed true to size with room to spare for range of motion and longer days on my trusty steed.

Sunglass wipe sewn into the wicking material

The Deets (from Dakine)

Crew neck
Raglan sleeve construction
Interior sunglass wipe
Comes in size S-XXL
MSRP: $50

Testing

The Descent was tested in the Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico spring and summer where the heat gets high but humidity remains relatively low, though I did ride after several storms where the ambient dew point was a tad muggy for midday riding. Being a darker jersey, it did feel hot when pedaling uphill, without a breeze, in the direct sunlight… but that, of course, is what you might expect from any textile. I contrasted this jersey to a white one I often wear when the temps are blazing, and there wasn’t much improvement, so the Descent impressed me all the more.

I took several hard tumbles on really technical trails, including one massive fail at a bike park, but after 3 months of testing, riding, washing, and repeating, this jersey has shown virtually no signs of wear since I first pulled the tags off. That seems almost unbelievable, considering this jersey became my go-to garment this riding season. Despite being a “tester,” it basically became my favorite jersey for any and all types of riding, and I was bummed when it was solemnly hanging out in the laundry basket and I had to choose something else in my well-stocked arsenal of riding apparel.

Breathable and comfy with excellent range of motion for moving over the fun stuff

Overall Impressions

This review is short and sweet for a reason–this jersey rocks. I tried hard to destroy it simply by choosing it for almost every adventure I indulged in this season, and it kept begging for more. It is comfortable. It feels light. It holds up under mismanagement. It looks great and has lots of room. The price is affordable–so much so that you could get away with having 2-3 of these in your closet for years, and nothing else.

In fact, the only thing I would change about the Dakine Descent is where the sunglass/lens wipe is located. Aside from being on the left side (and most people are right handed), it is tucked way back adjacent to the seam, so you have to work to get at it, especially if you are wearing a hydration pack. It would have been more useful if it was more forward, maybe directly in the front, to wipe off the fog or mud or whatever nature throws at you. Aside from that, this is the perfect jersey for all mountain riding. This is an excellent product that I have already been recommending to my friends.

Bonus: it also pairs well with the Dakine Descent mountain bike shorts, which I reviewed here.