Outdoor Research Launches Its First Dedicated MTB Clothing Line – Mountain Bike Press Release

As outdoor apparel manufacturer Outdoor Research releases its first dedicated mountain bike gear collection for spring 2024, the Seattle-based brand is expanding its roster of athletes with the addition of four riders who will provide their product category expertise and feedback as OR gets fully and completely focused on the category.

Trail and freeride athletes Georgia Astle, Bas Van Steenbergen, Tom Van Steenbergen and Damon Iwanaga join Outdoor Research’s roster of athletes in conjunction with the release of OR’s eight-piece Freewheel product collection, currently in retail and direct from OR is available.

The Freewheel collection brings the technical design expertise and materials innovation leadership that have defined Outdoor Research’s products for more than 40 years to a category that represents a core activity for a large portion of the existing customer base.

“Many of our long-time customers are already mountain bikers – for them, hiking, climbing and skiing are their core sports,” said Chris King, VP of Brand for Outdoor Research. “Combined with the fact that many riders already use versatile OR products such as the Helium Rain Jacket, Ferrosi Overshort and Echo Tops, further foray into this area is a natural progression for us.” Georgia, Bas , Tom and Damon will be great ambassadors to help us show both existing and new customers what OR brings to the category.”

Georgia Astle lives and rides in Whistler, Canada and began her career racing downhill and enduro. In recent years she has expanded into the freeride sector, where she continues to drive the further development of the sport. Her most recent wins include first at Crankworx Whistler in SCOR Air DH, third at Crankworx Innsbruck in Whip Off and second at Crankworx Rotorua in Whip Off. Astle will be competing at Crankworx Innsbruck, Poland Polska Fest Jump Jam and Crankworx Whistler this year.

Bas van Steenbergen and Tom Van Steenbergen grew up in the Netherlands before moving to Canada as children. Both brothers began their racing careers with BMX before moving on to mountain bike racing and then freeriding. Bas focuses on World Cup and Crankworx events, where he recently took two wins on the King of Crankworx World Tour, while Tom focuses on events such as Red Bull Rampage, where he took second place last year. Tom will be competing at the Cam Zink Invitational, Crankworx Whistler and Red Bull Rampage this year. Bas has just finished competing at Crankworx Rotorua and will be competing at Crankworx Whistler later this year.

Damon Iwanaga currently lives in Incline Village, Nevada and began his journey to professional mountain biking on the motocross circuit before transitioning to freeride mountain biking. Iwanaga still attends events and volunteers in the mountain biking community through coaching, trail building, and fundraisers in his local community. Iwanaga is expected to compete in the upcoming Sea Otter Classic this year, as well as the TDS Enduro, Cam Zink Invitational, Crankworx Whistler and the Fest Series Huckfest.

The Freewheel collection brings together proven technology from OR’s outerwear and sportswear collections, including DuraPrint®, a 3D printed overlay. DuraPrint provides additional abrasion resistance in high wear areas without adding weight or compromising the flexibility of the fabric – a natural fit in the cycling category. It also offers expanded and comprehensive sizing options, up to 4X Plus for women and 42 for men. The new collection includes:

• Freewheel Ride Shorts for Men and Women – Made with lightweight, breathable materials and a bike-specific fit, reinforced with DuraPrint® technology for added durability. $115.
• Freewheel short sleeve and long sleeve jersey for men and women – with lightweight, breathable UPF 30+ sun protection and a bike-specific fit. $60, $70.
• Freewheel Half Zip Hoodie for men and women – made with breathable, bluesign-certified weather-resistant materials and a bike-specific fit for riding on colder days. $179.
• Freewheel Mountain Bike Gloves – focus on breathability and grip to give the rider complete control of the mountain bike on trail rides of all levels. $39.
• Leather Palm Freewheel Cycling Gloves – Durable and abrasion resistant constructed with an emphasis on grip, cushioning and comfort for ultimate handlebar control when trail riding. $59.
• Freewheel 5L Hip Pack – Offers a large main compartment and a long list of mountain bike-specific features to carry bike essentials, snacks and layers for trail rides of all lengths. $85.

The Freewheel collection is now available online at outdoorresearch.com/freewheel and outdoor retailers.