Altura Ridge Tier waterproof trousers

Altura’s Ridge Tier trousers are affordable, sub-£100 waterproof pants with a modern, tapered cut, fully sealed internal seams, and waterproof and breathability ratings of 5,000mm.

The brand has years of experience designing mountain bike kit for UK conditions, so you’d expect reliable winter trousers would be the brand’s bread-and-butter.

However, easily penetrated waterproofing and a lack of waist stability mean performance is limited on the bike.

Altura Ridge Tier waterproof trousers details and specifications

Made from a 5k waterproof and breathable fabric, the Tier waterproof mountain bike trousers are claimed to have a tapered leg design with an articulated knee for freedom of movement and plenty of space for knee pads.

The seams are taped, and while Altura says the material is waterproof, the brand warns the two pockets and their zips may not be.

While designed for mountain biking, the brand says the trousers' styling makes them suitable for walking or hiking in rainy conditions too.

The elasticated waistband uses a fastener, but isn’t adjustable.

The Ridge Tier trousers come in five sizes, from S to XXL.

Altura Ridge Tier waterproof trousers performance

Altura’s leg cut and shape are great, and the material feels lightweight and unrestrictive.

The elasticated cuffs keep the trousers nice and tight at the ankle and they stay well out of the way of the cranks and chain.

There’s enough space and articulation to fit even chunky pads inside, without being too floppy around the knee.

The fit is also good around the hips and backside for mountain bikers, who often have bigger thighs and smaller waists.

The material used is lightweight and comfortable, and has a good amount of stretch while riding and pedalling.

With a 34in waist, I opted for the Medium size, because Altura’s pants only rely on an elasticated waistband for stability.

This design means there’s no ability to cinch the waist tighter for different body shapes and the elasticated tensioning section only wraps the rear portion of the waistband from each side of the hips rather than all the way round.

I had a big issue with the waist design though, because the elastic used is quite floppy and lacks sufficient tension to stabilise fit and keep the pants pulled up securely above the hips.

The front fastener, which uses a press stud and button, presented an issue too. The opening for the metal stud was slightly too wide, so it frequently undid.

This meant the performance of the Altura trousers was poor from the start. On two different riders, they wouldn’t stay up without using a waist pack to help secure them like a belt, and things got worse out riding once heavy mud and moisture were added to the equation.

Extra wet weight pulls the pants down more, and at times in the worst conditions, it felt as though the Ridge Tier trousers could fall right down to my knees if the saddle wasn’t getting in the way.

Altura’s 5K material also got saturated and started to leak way too quickly, so I got soaked in heavy rain at a multi-day enduro in Devon.

This Ridge Tier therefore clearly doesn’t "keep you dry and comfortable on the trail whatever the weather", as the brand claims.

Altura Ridge Tier waterproof trousers bottom line

Altura’s pants are keenly priced, but not up to the job of mountain biking in foul weather.

The shape of these trousers is great, but I didn’t rate the waterproofing, and they're not as breathable or fast-drying as some regular mountain bike trousers I use, which remain securely in place and offer better protection against splashes and spray.