FOR YEARS, Navarro Guerro, 25, searched long and hard for his dream cycling kit. You might think finding it would be easy given the rise of the “gorpcore” aesthetic, which saw black Arc’teryx rain shells and Klattermusen hiking pants become as covetable (and fashionable) as sneaker collaborations. Not for Guerro, a product engineer in Salt Lake City who said he finds much of this technical apparel garish, too often covered in shouty logos. He’s purchased a few different pairs of mountain-biking pants, he said, but doesn’t “like the feel or racer look of tech fabrics.”

So when Guerro spotted some fellow riders tackling challenging descents in what looked like plain, dark-wash jeans, he was intrigued. Turns out the pants, made from reinforced denim, came from Ripton, an Aspen, Colo., brand founded in 2019. Guerro bought a pair and their durability and aesthetic versatility have impressed him.