Madison offers several waterproof bottoms starting at the basic Protec and topping out with the DTE (Defy the Elements) a heavy-hitting waterproof trouser.

Madison uses a 2.5layer fabric (basically an outer Nylon skin over a membrane with a printed inner surface) for the bulk of this pant but at the seat, where most of the water can get through, it gets a thicker three-layer fabric. This reinforces this area but it adds weight, making it one of the heaviest trousers on tested, and we found the DTE can hang down a bit at the back, especially when it’s covered in mud.

There’s Silicone gripper on the waist to stop slipping bit it’s not particularly deep here and we’d actually like this, and most other trousers for that matter, to extend slightly upwards to stop any underlayers being exposed.

The waist band also features two Velcro straps and press-stud fly but the Velcro isn’t particularly long so we couldn’t get it tight enough. Fully tape seams are featured throughout and, if you do overheat there are some big side vents, secured with waterproof zips. We used them constantly during this test to vent condensation because the DTE does run quite warm when you’re pedalling hard.

Down below there are a couple of adjuster straps on the ankles to fine tune the fit but the shape isn’t as tapered as the Gore and Endura trousers. The knees are articulated and roomy, so you can easily where pads underneath and this area is also reinforced with the three-layer material.

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