The Lakewood Adventure pants are lightweight and low key trousers from gravel-brand Cascada, but do they cut the mustard for mountain biking?
The Cascada Lakewood Adventure Pants are lightweight, technical trousers for mountain biking, gravel, adventure cycling and commuting. They’re designed, technically, for ‘gravel’ but Jamie thinks they carry across nicely into chunkier terrain.
Key Features
- Made in Italy
- Tear-resistant 4-way stretch rip-stop fabric
- Water-repellent treatment in the outer layer
- Reinforcements on the knees
- 4 pockets (two side and two rear)
- Regular fit
- £122.00 RRP
- Cascada.cc
Since the Lakewood pants have arrived I’ve practically lived in them, wearing them in almost every walk of life.
They pack down super small to stuff in a frame bag on bike packing weekends, they’re comfy on the mountain bike, they’re low-key and just look normal for the pub.
They’re one of those items that just works really nicely and has naturally found its way into my list of items I search for every time I ride, and a lot outside of that. I’m wearing them right now as I sit in the office tapping away on this review.
The Cascada Lakewood Adventure Pants are light, very comfy, soft-feel, and reassuringly tough. There are no restrictive waistbands or tight bits like boring old jeans, they’re just comfortable and feel ‘right’.
The 4-way stretch material feels great and is never restrictive at any point, adapting its shape as you move around on the bike but without feeling too baggy or flappy. Sat on the bike, hiking up a mountain or just at my desk, they feel like the best fitting, best feeling pair of trousers I own.
Whilst it may not matter to you, I love that these trousers don’t scream “I’M A MOUNTAIN BIKER”. They’re plain black and with a regular fit so just look like normal clothes – perfect if you want to wear them off the bike, ride to the office or your rides take in a cafe or the pub.
If you’re someone, like me, that often rides instead of driving it feels nice to have kit that works well on the bike and then transfers nicely to wherever you’re heading without needing a kit change.
They also, most importantly, are made with some subtle, technical features.
They weigh very little which is great on the bike and makes them very easy to travel with. They’re perfect to throw in hand luggage on a trip away and equally perfect in your frame bag on your bike-packing adventure.
The regular fit means they’re neither baggy nor tight with a ‘just right’ fit that works nicely when pedalling. For the mountain bikers, they’re just the right fit for knee pads and have room for my full-fat Troy Lee pads underneath. I’ve worn them for a big, gnarly day at Bike Park Wales and was happy to see the Lakelands come out the other side unscathed.
The material is a tear-resistant, 4-way stretch, rip-stop fabric that’s survived a good deal of use so far with no damage, bobbling, pulls or tears. There’s reinforcement on the knees and a really effective elasticated cuff at the ankles to keep them out of the way of your chain. The cuff is styled just right so it doesn’t make the Lakewoods look too ‘technical’ but does the job exactly as it should.
They also feature a water-repellant treatment, meaning they’ll dry reasonably quickly on long rides. This isn’t the same as ‘waterproof’ and a decent drenching will still soak them through – but – it helps with splashes and drizzle.
And the price? The Lakewood Adventure Pants are £122. They’re not the cheapest out there, they’re not the most expensive. The price puts them at a similar point to Endura’s Burner Pants or MT500 Spray Trouser, Rapha’s Trail Pants or the Fox Ranger Pants. You can certainly buy cheaper, and you can certainly buy more expensive.
What don’t I love about the Lakewoods?
The pockets don’t offer much security – there’s no zips, velcro, buttons or closures of any kind and I’m reluctant to stow anything in them whilst riding. They’re fine to quickly chuck your keys or phone, but, I wouldn’t trust them far beyond that. The added D-loop and belt loops provide a secure point to attach keys to, if that’s your thing.
You may also not love the slightly quirky shoelace that Cascada supplies as a makeshift belt. It works surprisingly well and adds a bit of off-beat style but isn’t as effective as the usual solutions.
If you’d prefer, the belt loops can fit a narrow belt and Cascada manufacture their own ‘Hook Belt’ (currently out of stock). The shoe-lace thing isn’t perfect but it contributes to the super lightweight and low-bulk feel of the Lakelands.
We love:
- Probably the most comfortable cycling trousers I’ve ever worn
- Great fit and cut
- Very lightweight and packable
- 4-way stretch moves nicely on the bike
- Look great on and off the bike
- Hardwearing, especially considering their low weight
Could Do Better:
- The lack of waist adjustment may not suit everyone and adding a belt to your order adds cost
