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review

Mountain Hardwear Women's Dynama Capri

8
£45.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Super-versatile and very comfortable, good for recreational cycling and other uses
Weight: 
180g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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A pair of casual capris can be a handy addition to the arsenal of any cyclist who may, at some point, want to ride their bike without necessarily looking like a cyclist. The Mountain Hardwear Women's Dynama Capri isn't a cycling-specific design, but it's stretchy, looks good, breathes well and dries quickly, and it's definitely versatile enough to consider using for recreational riding and summer bimbles.

Manufacturer Mountain Hardwear is not a cycling brand, nor are the Dynama Capri intended to be a dedicated piece of cycling-specific clothing. These three-quarter-length pull-on trousers, made from a lightweight nylon/Spandex fabric with durable water repellency treatment, are aimed primarily at walkers, climbers, runners and pretty much anyone with an active lifestyle who wants a comfortable stretchy pair of trousers for everyday use.

> Find your nearest dealer here

> Buy these online here

Features are low-key, keeping the style uncluttered, with two side pockets and two rear pockets. The rear pockets are obviously not that useful on the bike. A zip pocket would be handy – especially on the bike, but also off it.

The fit is slightly forgiving, with the stretchy nature of both waistband and fabric allowing for an extra slice of cake now and then, and the waistband fits nice and high on the waist, yet not obtrusively so.

Mountain Hard Wear Womens Dynama Capri - waistband

On the bike, they're airy and superbly breathable, giving exceptional levels of comfort from the point of view of moisture management and temperature control, as well as having oodles of stretch.

The lightweight nature of the fabric makes finding padded undershorts that don't show a bit tricky, but it is possible, and they work well in tandem with these for slightly longer rides.

Mountain Hard Wear Womens Dynama Capri - back

I found them fine without liner shorts for shorter to mid-length rides, but given that the seams are not finished with cycling in mind, there's a possibility that chafing may result on longer journeys, although it didn't for me. They would make a brilliant pair of trousers to pack for touring – light, comfortable and good on or off the bike.

> Check out our reviews of underwear and liners here

All in all, considering they aren't intended to be cycling-specific, these function very well. A small zipped pocket somewhere – maybe at the rear of the lumbar area – would be useful, and a gusseted crotch area would help, though that's asking a bit much for non-cycling-specific wear. Just flattened internal seams would be good.

Mountain Hard Wear Womens Dynama Capri - pocket

But in my opinion they look great and allow for an easy and comfortable cycling action without screaming 'cyclist'. At £45 they're pretty good value when considering how many other non-cycling activities they are likely to be worn for.

Verdict

Super-versatile and very comfortable, good for recreational cycling and other uses

road.cc test report

Make and model: Mountain Hardwear Women's Dynama Capri

Size tested: L

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Mountain Hardwear says:

"Versatile capri pant for climbing, hiking, cross-training, or hanging out. Lightweight and supremely comfortable, the Dynama Capri is your go-to capri pant for whatever adventure greets you each day, whether that's an active morning outdoors or an afternoon running errands around town. An everyday favorite and a stylish, user-friendly addition to your busy life."

I'd agree wholeheartedly and they're great for more leisurely cycling too.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Low-profile stretch waistband for extra comfort

Lightweight nylon-spandex fabric has excellent stretch

DWR finish repels water

Lots of pockets to hold keys, ID, phone and other valuables (4)

96% nylon

4% elastane

Available in sizes XS-XL

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Great fabric and well made.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

As casual and recreational cycling trousers they perform well. As a general activity trousers, they're very good.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

Not a lot to go wrong.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
9/10

Light and easy to wear. A great option to pack for touring.

Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
8/10

Very comfortable, particularly the waistband and stretch fabric.

Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

Pretty good value for such a versatile pair of trousers.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very well.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Style, colours, fabric, waistband, fit.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Lack of zipped pocket.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Definitely

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your score

Considering they're not designed as bikewear, they're very useful for certain types of cycling. A small zipped pocket and flat seams would bump the score up.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 43  Height: 1.65m  Weight: 73kg

I usually ride: Boardman Hybrid Fi  My best bike is: Specialized Ruby Elite

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, sportives, general fitness riding, mountain biking

Lara has been riding bikes for longer than she'd care to admit, and writing about them nearly as long. Since 2009 she has been working as part of the road.cc review team whilst championing women's cycling on the side, most notably via two years as editor of the, sadly now defunct, UK's first and only women's cycling mag, erm, Women's Cycling. 

Believing fervently that cycling will save the world, she wishes that more people would just ride a bike and be pleasant to each other. 

She will ride anything with two wheels, occasionally likes to go fast, definitely likes to go far and is always up for a bit of exploring somewhere new and exciting. 

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