MTB vests for athletic cyclists
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In cross-country, the gilet is the item for the ups and downs. It protects the torso on descents and does not get in the way on climbs.
Why in XC in particular
Hardly any discipline has bigger jumps in effort. On the climb, your heart rate goes to the limit; on the following descent, you hardly pedal, and the headwind hits a sweaty upper body. A jacket would be too much uphill, nothing at all too little downhill. The gilet is exactly in between.
For off-road use, two properties are more important than on the road. The material should be somewhat more robust, because branches and bushes at the trailside do not get out of the way. The back should also be long enough to cover the lower back in a low position.
In races, weight also plays a role. Ultralight gilets under one hundred grams can be put on and taken off while riding without stopping; in a marathon, this is a noticeable advantage over a jacket.
Models that roll up into their own back pocket are especially practical in XC, because you often put the gilet on and take it off several times per lap.
