In the final of our four-part reveal of the results of the 2025 South African Mountain Biking Survey, presented by Garmin, we examine gear choices. There was a total of 2504 respondents. Here’s a look at the preferences South African mountain bikers have for helmets, shoes, eyewear, clothing and other gear selections, with comparisons to previous years where relevant.
Note: To best view these tables, turn phone to landscape position or view on a laptop/desktop device.
What brand of helmet do you currently ride with?
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specialized | 20.08% | 17.55% | 19.11% | 18.84% | 19.44% | 17.98% |
| SCOTT | 11.05% | 14.13% | 13.89% | 12.00% | 11.89% | 10.81% |
| Leatt | 9.06% | 5.04% | 5.50% | 6.19% | 4.58% | 2.65% |
| Giro | 8.56% | 9.81% | 10.08% | 11.53% | 11.36% | 12.18% |
| Bell | 6.23% | 5.34% | 6.77% | 9.03% | 10.80% | 13.30% |
| Fox | 5.29% | 5.82% | 4.95% | 4.38% | 4.22% | 4.39% |
| Bontrager/TREK | 4.45% | 5.11% | 6.18% | 4.55% | 4.45% | 3.57% |
| Rudy Project | 4.15% | 5.04% | 4.23% | 5.85% | 7.67% | 8.78% |
| POC | 3.73% | 3.12% | 2.92% | 2.67% | 2.79% | 1.70% |
| MET | 3.60% | 3.04% | 2.28% | 1.74% | 1.46% | 2.39% |
| Abus | 3.47% | 2.29% | 2.07% | 1.95% | 1.26% | – |
| First Ascent | 3.13% | 2.41% | 2.21% | 2.77% | 3.22% | 3.47% |
| Oakley | 2.75% | 2.29% | 2.50% | 1.03% | 0.66% | – |
| Kask | 2.71% | 2.78% | 2.75% | 2.56% | 2.39% | 2.33% |
| Lazer | 1.82% | 1.65% | 2.16% | 1.68% | 2.16% | 1.93% |
| UVEX | 1.48% | 1.95% | 2.66% | 3.15% | 3.09% | 3.77% |
| Titan Racing | 1.40% | 0.98% | 0.76% | 1.03% | 0.60% | – |
| Giant | 1.10% | 1.20% | 0.97% | 0.96% | 0.80% | – |
| Smith | 0.59% | 0.71% | 0.93% | – | – | – |
| Catlike | 0.55% | 0.60% | 0.72% | 1.20% | 1.56% | 2.39% |
| IXS | 0.34% | 0.68% | 0.72% | 0.85% | 0.70% | – |
| 100% | 0.25% | 0.90% | 0.50% | – | – | – |
| Other | 4.19% | 7.55% | 14.27% | 6.05% | 4.90% | 8.36% |
Specialized went from its lowest market share percentage in 2024 to its highest in 2025. Leatt saw a significant improvement moving ahead of Giro, Bell, Bontrager and FOX in a single year.
What brand of eyewear do you currently ride with?
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakley | 41.98% | 42.77% | 45.47% | 42.95% | 39.97% | 37.05% |
| Rudy Project | 9.43% | 10.33% | 11.47% | 11.49% | 14.02% | 15.13% |
| Prescription | 8.90% | 5.49% | 1.91% | – | – | – |
| D’Arcs | 7.34% | 7.37% | 7.78% | 8.52% | 8.34% | 8.65% |
| Ocean | 3.73% | 3.68% | 3.47% | 4.00% | 4.65% | 5.90% |
| 100% | 3.65% | 4.47% | 4.43% | 3.66% | 3.85% | 2.88% |
| Adidas | 3.38% | 3.19% | 3.56% | 3.80% | 4.98% | 6.03% |
| Rockbros | 2.86% | 3.68% | 4.52% | 3.73% | 1.54% | – |
| Scicon | 2.82% | 1.47% | 0.73% | – | – | – |
| Bondi Blu | 1.65% | 1.65% | 2.34% | 1.88% | 2.39% | 2.69% |
| UVEX | 1.60% | 1.24% | 3.39% | 3.11% | 3.19% | 4.91% |
| 30 South | 1.12% | 1.62% | 1.95% | 2.50% | 3.10% | – |
| SCVCN | 1.12% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Pit Viper | 0.60% | 0.94% | 0.43% | – | – | – |
| Alba Optics | 0.60% | 0.41% | 0.47% | – | – | – |
| Leatt | 0.34% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Melon Optics | 0.30% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Bourbon | 0.21% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Kapvoe | 0.21% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Salice | 0.21% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Sungod | 0.21% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Other | 8.64% | 11.27% | 7.47% | 14.36% | 12.97% | 16.76% |
Oakley remains the dominant brand in this category, but it dropped market share for the second year in succession. Prescription eyewear, which we added in 2023 for the first time, increased somewhat again. And a few new brands made our featured list. We included all brands that had 5 or more mentions.
Do you ride/race with an undergarment?
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Only when it’s cold | 51.33% | 52.12% | 53.18% | 54.14% | 57.84% | 55.75% |
| Yes, in all weather | 13.60% | 13.42% | 15.97% | 14.57% | 11.93% | 10.74% |
| No | 35.07% | 34.46% | 30.85% | 31.23% | 30.23% | 33.51% |
What brand of jersey do you race/ride with currently?
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ciovita | 40.87% | 42.62% | 42.41% | 35.98% | 29.87% | 22.29% |
| First Ascent | 9.23% | 9.81% | 9.40% | 10.70% | 11.59% | 14.39% |
| Anatomic | 7.41% | 5.94% | 6.18% | 8.04% | 10.56% | 15.08% |
| Enjoy | 4.40% | 3.83% | 3.17% | 3.86% | 3.69% | 5.67% |
| Fox | 3.64% | 4.17% | 4.02% | 4.34% | 3.59% | 4.48% |
| Leatt | 3.64% | 3.12% | 2.75% | 2.74% | 2.09% | 0.71% |
| Van H | 3.17% | 1.77% | 1.65% | 2.02% | 1.23% | 0.47% |
| Specialized | 2.92% | 3.34% | 3.13% | 3.08%s | 3.46% | 4.89% |
| Cape Storm | 1.65% | 1.54% | 1.77% | 1.81% | 2.69% | 4.24% |
| Lassen | 1.60% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Assos | 1.48% | 1.47% | 1.86% | 1.92% | 1.96% | 2.56% |
| Race Pace | 1.22% | 1.28% | 1.35% | 1.27% | 1.10% | 0.41% |
| OTR | 1.22% | 1.28% | 0.72% | 1.20% | 0.63% | 0.58% |
| Rapha | 1.10% | 1.28% | 0.50% | – | – | – |
| Maxed | 1.01% | 1.13% | 1.39% | 0.96% | 1.36% | 1.57% |
| Castelli | 0.93% | 1.16% | 1.65% | 1.40% | 1.76% | 1.77% |
| Monton | 0.76% | 0.79% | 0.76% | – | – | – |
| Panda | 0.72% | 1.01% | 1.44% | 1.87% | 1.83% | 1.88% |
| Velotex | 0.67% | 0.86% | 0.76% | 1.23% | 1.63% | 2.05% |
| VYE | 0.59% | 1.65% | 1.27% | 0.85% | 0.86% | 0.58% |
| F-Tech/Scicon | 0.46% | 0.41% | 0.97% | 1.56% | 2.03% | 3.59% |
| RH77 | 0.46% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gutsy | 0.46% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Salt | 0.42% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Kalas | 0.29% | 0.53% | 0.63% | 0.79% | – | – |
| SCOTT | 0.25% | 0.90% | 0.80% | 0.75% | 1.10% | 0.75% |
| Kanga | 0.21% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Other | 9.10% | 10.11% | 9.61% | 12.49% | 11.76% | 5.98% |
Ciovita dropped slightly but is still by far the most dominant brand in riding jerseys. There’s quite a mix of South African and international brands, but it’s encouraging to see that local brands occupy eight of the top 10 spots. We listed all brands that had five or more mentions, so there are a few new names on our featured list. This is a highly competitive segment as more than 100 jersey brands were mentioned in the responses.
Which style of shorts do you prefer?
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bib-shorts | 64.72% | 64.86% | 62.25% | 62.79% | 60.90% | 59.71% |
| Regular cycling shorts | 16.52% | 14.55% | 17.97% | 14.88% | 15.51% | 16.84% |
| Baggy shorts with own padded liner | 8.56% | 9.96% | 10.08% | 11.35% | 11.66% | 12.32% |
| Baggy shorts over Lycra cycling shorts | 10.21% | 10.52% | 9.70% | 10.98% | 11.93% | 11.14% |
What brand of shorts OR bib-shorts do you ride with currently?
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ciovita | 36.29% | 35.14% | 35.30% | 27.39% | 20.20% | 13.97% |
| Assos | 13.42% | 14.17% | 11.86% | 14.16% | 15.25% | 14.53% |
| First Ascent | 9.95% | 10.60% | 11.19% | 12.76% | 14.88% | 16.31% |
| Specialized | 4.70% | 3.42% | 4.15% | 3.90% | 4.55% | 5.51% |
| Leatt | 3.85% | 2.48% | 2.08% | 1.64% | 1.59% | 0.69% |
| Indola | 3.55% | 3.01% | 3.18% | 4.27% | 5.08% | 5.41% |
| Anatomic | 2.83% | 2.48% | 1.95% | 2.98% | 4.09% | 6.87% |
| Castelli | 2.28% | 2.22% | 3.14% | 3.18% | 3.32% | 2.74% |
| Cape Storm | 2.07% | 1.88% | 1.61% | 1.95% | 2.72% | 4.79% |
| Enjoy | 1.94% | 1.80% | 1.48% | 1.61% | 1.59% | 1.94% |
| Gutsy | 1.65% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Maxed | 1.31% | 1.35% | 2.58% | 1.78% | 1.30% | 1.85% |
| Van H | 1.10% | 1.16% | 1.06% | 1.09% | 0.88% | – |
| Fox | 0.93% | 4.02% | 3.18% | 4.14% | 3.79% | 4.16% |
| Lassen | 0.88% | |||||
| OTR | 0.80% | 0.41% | 0.64% | 0.51% | 0.37% | – |
| Monton | 0.80% | – | – | – | – | |
| Panda | 0.63% | 0.83% | 1.10% | 1.16% | 1.40% | 0.79% |
| Endura | 0.59% | 1.24% | 1.06% | 0.89% | 1.16% | 1.65% |
| Pearl Izumi | 0.59% | 0.68% | 0.85% | 0.85% | 1.13% | 1.32% |
| RH77 | 0.50% | – | – | – | – | – |
| F-Tech | 0.46% | 0.60% | 0.72% | 0.96% | 1.06% | 1.98% |
| Rapha | 0.42% | – | – | – | – | – |
| VYE | 0.38% | 1.09% | 0.85% | 0.58% | 0.60% | 0.42% |
| Kalas | 0.33% | 0.56% | 0.42% | 0.58% | – | – |
| Decathlon | 0.25% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Tactic | 0.25% | – | – | – | – | – |
| TREK | 0.25% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Giordana | 0.21% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Santini | 0.21% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Other | 6.43% | 10.86% | 9.07% | 10.2% | 9.07% | 6.11% |
Ciovita extended its lead in terms of the top brand’s market share, with Assos and First Ascent losing a few percent each. More than 100 brands were mentioned and we included all brands that had five or more mentions. Interesting to see Gutsy, a relatively new local brand that focuses primarily on children and women’s shorts, moving into 11th spot.
What brand of socks do you ride with currently?
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Versus | 44.07% | 41.75% | 33.31% | 33.96% | 32.39% | 30.89% |
| Sox Footwear | 20.33% | 21.04% | 22.03% | 19.15% | 13.36% | 7.76% |
| Falke | 12.36% | 12.40% | 14.79% | 20.21% | 26.28% | 32.59% |
| Ciovita | 6.05% | 5.79% | 5.38% | 1.33% | – | – |
| I Love Boobies | 3.22% | 3.27% | 4.28% | 2.77% | 2.52% | 1.77% |
| Specialized | 2.30% | 1.77% | 2.33% | 2.26% | 2.96% | 2.98% |
| Cycle Lab | 1.69% | 1.47% | 1.69% | 1.95% | 1.46% | 1.80% |
| Grumpy Monkey | 1.52% | 2.33% | 3.43% | 3.90% | 5.51% | 4.52% |
| Fox | 1.13% | 1.01% | 1.19% | 0.92% | 0.96% | 1.34% |
| First Ascent | 1.13% | 0.75% | 0.97% | 1.37% | 0.90% | 0.98% |
| Shimano | 0.52% | 0.53% | 0.81% | 0.92% | 0.93% | 1.47% |
| Gilnokie | 0.30% | – | – | – | – | – |
| DeFeet | 0.26% | 0.42% | 0.44% | 0.53% | 0.49% | – |
| Assos | 0.21% | – | – | – | – | – |
| RH77 | 0.21% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Stance | 0.21% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Other | 5.92% | 7.89% | 8.72% | 8.16% | 8.04% | 7.83% |
Versus continues to grow a commanding lead in market share, while Sox Footwear and Falke hold onto their second and third spots respectively. We featured all brands with five or more mentions.
What brand of shoe do you wear currently?
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specialized | 26.15% | 22.36% | 22.38% | 24.08% | 24.98% | 23.25% |
| Shimano | 15.35% | 12.97% | 12.02% | 12.48% | 13.32% | 13.06% |
| SCOTT | 11.30% | 12.66% | 12.27% | 11.63% | 10.00% | 8.74% |
| Leatt | 7.29% | 5.71% | 4.44% | 3.37% | 1.93% | 0.73% |
| First Ascent | 6.39% | 4.96% | 5.19% | 4.45% | 3.79% | 4.72% |
| Bontrager/TREK | 5.76% | 6.20% | 6.70% | 5.78% | 4.95% | 4.99% |
| Giro | 5.76% | 5.52% | 6.62% | 6.40% | 7.57% | 8.47% |
| SIDI | 3.55% | 3.57% | 4.27% | 4.51% | 5.55% | 5.12% |
| Lake | 3.37% | 2.93% | 2.17% | 1.50% | 1.40% | 1.45% |
| Ryder | 2.29% | 2.71% | 2.13% | 2.15% | 2.33% | 2.81% |
| Fizik | 2.20% | 2.44% | 2.09% | 2.80% | 2.43% | 2.34% |
| Louis Garneau | 1.66% | 2.22% | 2.38% | 3.45% | 4.29% | 6.06% |
| Maxed | 1.26% | 1.24% | 1.13% | 0.96% | 1.16% | 1.37% |
| GTL | 1.12% | 1.01% | 0.62% | – | – | – |
| 5Ten | 1.08% | 1.47% | 1.38% | 1.68% | 2.03% | 2.54% |
| Olympic | 1.03% | 1.20% | 1.46% | 2.09% | 2.23% | 3.88% |
| Gaerne | 0.90% | 1.05% | 0.71% | 1.27% | 1.00% | 0.43% |
| FLR | 0.90% | 0.38% | 1.13% | 0.65% | 0.73% | 0.63% |
| Ride Concept | 0.67% | 0.60% | 1.13% | 1.16% | 0.96% | 0.46% |
| Adidas | 0.63% | 1.20% | 0.88% | 0.58% | 1.00% | 1.70% |
| Northwave | 0.63% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Cape Storm | 0.49% | 0.53% | 1.04% | 0.92% | 1.59% | 2.07% |
| DMT | 0.49% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Crank Brothers | 0.45% | – | – | – | – | – |
| FOX | 0.27% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Other | 5.85% | 7.07% | 7.75% | 5.95% | 5.22% | 2.54% |
More than a quarter of South African mountain bikers wear Specialized shoes. Quite a feat in a competitive category. Shimano had a better year and Leatt continued to move up the rankings. We featured all brands that have five or more mentions, which sees a few new brands on our list.
Do you ride with gloves?
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85.55% | 80.42% | 82.97% | 85.26% | 87.24% | 88.18% |
| 12.45% | 10.94% | 9.07% | 9.47% | 8.67% | 7.96% |
| 5.00% | 8.64% | 7.97% | 5.27% | 4.09% | 3.87% |
What brand of gloves do you wear currently?
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specialized | 18.70% | 17.47% | 18.18% | 17.99% | 18.04% | 18.07% |
| Fox | 13.91% | 15.33% | 14.28% | 13.99% | 13.19% | 13.82% |
| First Ascent | 9.66% | 8.83% | 8.35% | 7.42% | 6.91% | 8.51% |
| Giro | 8.91% | 9.36% | 11.06% | 11.01% | 12.89% | 14.06% |
| Leatt | 8.12% | 8.00% | 6.23% | 6.29% | 5.22% | 3.09% |
| Ciovita | 5.16% | 5.26% | 3.35% | 3.25% | 0.66% | – |
| Louis Garneau | 4.33% | 5.41% | 5.97% | 6.67% | 6.84% | 8.20% |
| SCOTT | 3.37% | 4.74% | 4.45% | 4.82% | 4.39% | 5.89% |
| 100% | 3.33% | 3.80% | 3.98% | 3.32% | 2.16% | 1.02% |
| Ryder | 3.20% | 3.80% | 3.90% | 3.35% | 3.09% | 3.67% |
| Bontrager/TREK | 2.04% | 2.22% | 2.58% | 2.22% | 2.39% | 2.65% |
| Maxed | 1.83% | 1.69% | 1.74% | 1.20% | 1.50% | 0.47% |
| Giant | 1.41% | 1.47% | 1.69% | 2.60% | 3.19% | 4.73% |
| Cyclo-Gel | 1.24% | 1.84% | 1.65% | 2.19% | 1.93% | 0.44% |
| Cape Storm | 1.24% | 1.09% | 1.27% | 1.20% | 1.26% | 3.09% |
| Lizzard | 1.16% | 1.16% | 1.78% | 2.05% | 2.56% | 2.43% |
| Biogen | 0.62% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Oakley | 0.41% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Wattz | 0.37% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Assos | 0.33% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Castelli | 0.33% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Titan Racing | 0.24% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rock Rider | 0.24% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Monton | 0.20% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Northwave | 0.20% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Pearl Izumi | 0.20% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Troy Lee Designs | 0.20% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Other | 4.33% | 8.53% | 9.53% | 10.43% | 9.67% | 5.48% |
Specialized held firm in the top spot while Fox, First Ascent and Giro all dropped slightly. We featured all the brands that had five or more mentions, which led to a whole bunch of brands making it onto our list.
What is your hydration preferences when riding/racing?
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camelbak | 41.76% | 44.59% | 49.13% | 47.86 |
| USWE | 35.92% | 33.71% | 28.25% | 19.31% |
| First Ascent | 5.31% | 5.35% | 5.22% | 6.64% |
| K-Way | 3.24% | 4.15% | 3.34% | 1.52% |
| Maxed | 2.33% | 2.88% | 2.57% | 2.59% |
| Osprey | 1.29% | 1.62% | 2.23% | 2.29% |
| EVOC | 1.23% | 0.96% | 1.46% | 0.76% |
| Decathlon | 1.16% | 1.74% | 2.16% | 0.99% |
| Leatt | 1.10% | 1.56% | 1.18% | 1.45% |
| Thule | 1.10% | 1.02% | 1.39% | 2.74% |
| Cape Storm | 0.90% | 0.96% | 1.88% | 1.37% |
| Salomon | 0.51% | 1.44% | 1.18% | 0.83% |
| Aoinje | 0.32% | – | – | – |
| Deuter | 0.32% | – | – | – |
| Lizzard | 0.32% | – | – | – |
| Marvel | 0.32% | – | – | – |
| Other | 7.10% | 0.02% | 6.54% | 11.60% |
USWE continues to shorten Camelbak’s lead as the two most dominant brands in the segment. We added the names of brands that got five or more mentions so there are a few more on our list this year.
Do you ride with body protection gear?
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes, always | 2.71% | 3.04% | 2.54% |
| No | 88.86% | 86.70% | 87.42% |
| Only for high-risk rides/events | 0.21% | 9.73% | 10.04% |
If you ride with protection gear, which brand do you use?
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leatt | 56.57% | 62.96% | 50.54% |
| Specialized | 5.50% | 8.55% | 4.67% |
| FOX | 4.28% | – | – |
| G-Form | 3.97% | 7.12% | 26.37% |
| Oakley | 3.97% | 4.27% | 0.82% |
| SCOTT | 3.05% | 5.41% | 1.37% |
| 7IPD | 2.44% | 1.42% | 1.09% |
| Alpine Stars | 2.14% | 0.57% | 0.82% |
| Race Face | 1.83% | 1.42% | 0.27% |
| Ion | 1.83% | 1.99% | 2.19% |
| POC | 1.83% | 2.56% | 3.29% |
| IXS | 1.22% | 1.71% | 0.82% |
| Troy Lee Designs | 0.30% | 1.14% | 0.82% |
| Addo | 0.30% | 0.28% | 0.27% |
| Other | 10.70% | – | – |
Bear in mind that only 327 responded to this question. In that niche, Leatt remains by far the most popular protection gear brand in South Africa.
Did you miss the first three parts of the reveals to the 2025 South African Mountain Biking Survey, presented by Garmin? Well, here are the links:
Part 1: 2024 SA MOUNTAIN BIKING SURVEY: THE RESULTS! https://www.treadmtb.co.za/2025-sa-mountain-biking-survey-the-results/
Part 2: THESE ARE SOUTH AFRICA’S MOST POPULAR MTB, GRAVEL AND EBIKE BRANDS
https://www.treadmtb.co.za/these-are-south-africas-most-popular-mtb-gravel-ebike-brands-3/
Part 3: TECH BRANDS THAT SA MOUNTAIN BIKERS FAVOUR https://www.treadmtb.co.za/the-tech-brands-that-south-african-mountain-bikers-favour-2/
