Riding Jeans
- Thread starter woods
- Start date
If you have a cycle gear nearby they typically stock several options and will be way less than $350.
I have one pair of riding jeans from Cycle gear that I got for around 69 bucks years ago. You won't find that price today.
I also have some Kevlar Khaki cargo pants from Cycle gear that I got cheap on closeout.
I'm tall and thin and have found that the armor in most riding jeans is in the wrong place for me so I use strap on armor instead.
Diamond Gusset defender jeans come in a huge variety of sizes but don't come with armor or pockets for armor. A few friends have them and find them very comfortable: https://www.gusset.com/defender/ They are around 150-160 bucks.
I have one pair of riding jeans from Cycle gear that I got for around 69 bucks years ago. You won't find that price today.
I also have some Kevlar Khaki cargo pants from Cycle gear that I got cheap on closeout.
I'm tall and thin and have found that the armor in most riding jeans is in the wrong place for me so I use strap on armor instead.
Diamond Gusset defender jeans come in a huge variety of sizes but don't come with armor or pockets for armor. A few friends have them and find them very comfortable: https://www.gusset.com/defender/ They are around 150-160 bucks.
There's a forum called canyon chasers. A lot of those guys a wearing Carhartt double front pants, saying there's a pocket for knee armor but I don't think there's a place for hip armor. Like $50 - $60 pair.
We had a guy on a ride last year wearing some "heavy duty" Carhartt pants. He went down and those carhartt pants wore right through and he and some nasty road rash. He wasn't going very fast when he went down. Since then he has bought some Kevlar reinforced jeans.
Yeah, normal denim lasts about 1/10 of a second on pavement, double layer might last 2/10 of a second. Speaking from experience, my normal jeans just evaporated on a 20 mph get off on pavement. Might as well just ride in shorts.
I think you are gonna pay for what ever level of armor you use. $$ for the good stuff , skin for the lesser.
I guess it depends on what a person is comfortable with. I ride with helmet, gloves, boots, and armored jacket. Almost always wear jeans.
When I was young I rode 10's of 1000's of miles in shorts and tennis shoes. Now I see someone without helmet, I think , "They are crazy".Ya'll see me in jeans and think ,"He's crazy"
I think you own the motorcycle ; ride it , modify it, do what ever you want, it's yours.
That being said, I have a pair of Joe Rocket armored mesh pants in the coming in the mail. I plan on wearing them all the time.
Either ya'll rubbed off on me , or I'm getting scared in my old age.
I guess it depends on what a person is comfortable with. I ride with helmet, gloves, boots, and armored jacket. Almost always wear jeans.
When I was young I rode 10's of 1000's of miles in shorts and tennis shoes. Now I see someone without helmet, I think , "They are crazy".Ya'll see me in jeans and think ,"He's crazy"
I think you own the motorcycle ; ride it , modify it, do what ever you want, it's yours.
That being said, I have a pair of Joe Rocket armored mesh pants in the coming in the mail. I plan on wearing them all the time.
Either ya'll rubbed off on me , or I'm getting scared in my old age.
I was wearing a Joe Rocket mesh jacket and pants years ago when I hit Bambi at around 65. I went sliding and tumbling to a stop on the pavement. That mesh gear worked pretty well. I had some road rash on one elbow because my jacket fit too loose and the sleeve rode up. The jacket didn't have a scratch on it. The pants got tore up but they did their job and protected my legs.I That being said, I have a pair of Joe Rocket armored mesh pants in the coming in the mail. I plan on wearing them all the time.
Either ya'll rubbed off on me , or I'm getting scared in my old age.
I'm a big believer in mesh gear but I admit that around town I often just wear jeans. Mesh pants are actually much cooler than jeans but when I ride around town I am typically going to store and jeans are just more convenient.
The zippers on my overpants are trashed and flap open now. The pants are also nicked up, worn and torn. Must have ~25,000 miles on them. I got my use out of them. I have another set in the mail due for tomorrow. Past couple days been riding in just work pants and jeans; I don't like it. I'm uneasy about it. Like driving without a seatbelt.
I bought a pair of used Hood riding jeans a couple of years ago. They are Kevlar lined and came with D3O armor, which I switched out for Rev'it Seesmart armor (it's not molded to supposedly fit your knees - I found the D3O really uncomfortable). These jeans are good in cooler temps, but are quite hot for peak summer days. So far I've switched to my Aerostich Darien pants (light hiking pants underneath) for the hot days.
I have a set of Coverts I have had for like 4 years now. The sizing is on par with my Lee jeans. The pair I have are a standard length so I need to roll them up when I am not in riding boots.
Any protection is better than none. My 33 yr old son refuses to wear anything but helmet , gloves , and boots. He rides waaaay more aggressive than I do ,(probably a better rider than me, but I'm NOT gonna tell him that !!)
I talk to him about it, he says," I remember how you use to ride Pop." He's right about one thing, there's no use buying gear if you aren't gonna use it.
I talk to him about it, he says," I remember how you use to ride Pop." He's right about one thing, there's no use buying gear if you aren't gonna use it.
I never got to test them ( thankfully) but I wore the KLIM outriders since I'm long legged and thinner, they're the only ones I found so far that don't look like capris on me. However, the 34w fit way too loose, sold those and bought the 32w and they're a way slimmer cut. Too tight on the legs and won't fit over my formas. So they're going up for sale. I'm just not the norm, so nothing really fits right. Guess I'm doomed to ride in jeans for the day to day riding. I'll use my KLIM traverse pants for trips and multi day rides.
You might want to look at the Diamond Gusset Defender jeans. They come in any reasonable waist and inseam combination. They don't have armor but are better normal jeans: https://www.gusset.com/defender/
May have to give a pair of those a shot, plus American made still means something to me.
I have a pair of Klim K (whatever they are called) jeans and love them. They are Kevlar lined and include D30 hip, knee and tailbone armor. They feel like a heavy duty carpenter style jean and can be worn all day. As with anything Klim, they are expensive, which is why I only have one pair.
ya, the 51s or whatever. they're like $400.
nice gear though
I can't hardly make myself spend as much $$ on riding gear as my ole worn out BMW's are worth !!