The Madison Zenith 4-Season DWR trousers are all-weather trousers designed for year-round use. The four-way stretch fabric is water-repellent, and those areas prone to soaking are properly waterproof. They’re lightweight and incredibly comfortable, but you need to be careful when picking your size.
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The main panel fabric on the Zenith trousers is coated with DWR (that's Durable Water Repellent rather than 'water' in Welsh), to keep the splashes at bay. Additionally, the backside and knees get three-layer waterproof panels for more serious protection. These areas are also seam-taped for even more waterproofing.
You get three pockets – two hand pockets and a hip-side one for a phone – and they're all waterproof too. The zips at the side of the knee are air vents.
The ankle cuffs have useful Velcro adjusters to keep them out of the bike's drivetrain and stop spray finding its way up your legs. Alternatively, they can be left open for some extra airflow. At the waist is an elastic adjuster to fine-tune your fit.
Being a 32” waist, I went for a size large (as suggested by Madison's size guide) but, even with the waist adjuster cinched as far as it’ll go, I still find them slipping down after a descent. Luckily not to the point of embarrassment though.
Another little annoyance is that the Velcro likes to stick to my jersey, though it isn’t noticeable when riding, only when changing afterward.
Niggles aside, these are great trousers – good enough to make properly mucky rides a lot more enjoyable. The waterproof panels are very well-placed, protecting your bum especially well from spray, and also offering abrasion resistance. Handy for when talent dwindles.
The Madison Zenith 4-Season DWR is an excellent trouser, and even better if you find a size that fits you properly. They’re incredibly comfortable, and the mix of waterproof panelling and DWR coating keeps them that way throughout the soggiest of rides.