Scott Trail Storm WP Pant review

Scott's Trail Storm WP Pant is designed for winter conditions and includes a roster of features to keep inclement weather at bay.

• Best mountain bike jackets
• Best mudguards and fenders

The brand's DRYOsphere three-layer fabric is claimed to be waterproof, windproof and breathable, and is treated with a PFC-free durable water-repellent (DWR) layer to help make it impermeable to water.

There are full-taped seams internally and water-resistant zips on the two vents and single right-hand pocket, and the pocket has an internal organiser.

Scott says the pants have been cut for the riding position, and there are mesh panels on the inside rear of each knee for ventilation and additional space for pads.

The trousers are available in five sizes from small to extra-extra-large, and come with Velcro waist size adjusters. My size medium weighed 284g.

Scott Trail Storm WP Pant performance

The Trail Storm WP Pant fitted true to size, and the medium was spot-on for my 73kg, 178cm frame.

The Velcro waist adjusters allowed me to adjust the fit further and tighten the pants as they got heavy with mud and water on grotty rides, to stop them sagging down.

The internal pocket was vast and the internal organiser helped keep smaller objects from falling deep into its cavity. It was comfortable enough to store a smartphone and keys without the pants bunching up when seated on the bike.

However, once I got hot, the material felt sticky and clammy on my skin. This worsened when the outside of the pants wetted out (where the outside soaked through, making them feel damp and clammy on the inside) and they stuck to my skin causing me to feel cold. The hard shell material was the cause of this problem.

They weren’t too hot to wear, though, and the vents were large enough to expel excess heat, unless I was riding very slowly or pushing hard. But, because there’s no mesh in the vent openings, water and mud made their way onto my skin if I forgot to close the vents on a descent.

The back panel isn’t raised, so as water and mud sprayed off the back wheel it could easily make its way onto my lower back and baselayers, too.

Because the ankle cuffs aren’t elasticated, water was able to creep up onto my legs through the opening and, once the pants had got saturated, the ankle material bunched together causing it to flap. A fitted, tight ankle would fix this problem.

Although the mesh panels on the knees did a good job of accommodating knee pads and aiding ventilation, they also allowed water and mud from puddles and grotty trails into the inside of the pants.

Their positioning meant that they were in the direct firing line of water coming off the bike and I noticed my legs were wet after the first significant splash, just seconds into the test period. The mesh would be better positioned on the outside of the knee.

With water and mud getting inside the pants, my lower legs were as wet and muddy after riding in the Scotts as they would have been if I had worn shorts.

The bum panel wetted through after an hour of riding in wet conditions and the DRYOsphere three-layer fabric didn't perform as well as I’d hoped.

For comparison Fox’s Ranger 3L Water Pant didn’t wet through in the same conditions and remained waterproof for the duration of the test period.

Scott Trail Storm WP Pant bottom line

It’s a shame the Trail Storm WP Pants’ mesh openings are positioned in such a way that they let water and mud in, and the backside panel wetted through so quickly.

These significant flaws undermine the usefulness of what is otherwise a fairly comfortable pant with some useful features. If Scott removed or moved the mesh panels they’d instantly score much higher.