Review your riding jeans/cargo pants

I'm looking for some new riding jeans/pants. Something for those short runs around home when you'll be off the bike more than on it and full riding gear is just a bit to much.

I have the Cortech DSX jeans. Not bad for the money but the leather in the knees and rear is hot. Other than looking fairly normal off the bike, I don't see much advantage to them over textile or leather. They are somewhat more protective than plain jeans but not nearly as comfortable.

What are you using for this purpose and how well do you like them?

Draggin Jeans are the bomb; look/wear like regular blue jeans, but have kevlar in seat and knees, never been down n them, but the reviews by people who have are overwhelmingly good. The only downside is no armor.

Sartso Jeans, nothing bad to say about them. They're fairly hot to spend time in during summer, but if you wear them to the mall or cafe, its not bad.

x2! However, I've tested mine and they worked just fine in a slide on concrete. Glad I didn't need the armor!

I started out with Draggin' jeans years back. Liked them, but the knee pads are crazy uncomfortable. lately I haven't been impressed with the sizing and cut of them either.

After going through a series of jeans (including the DSX) and cargo pants, some better than others, I now wear AGV cargo pants. Fit is excellent, includes large Kevlar areas and is available in (real) tall sizes, a must for me. Only downside is: no knee protection other than the Kevlar. I use them for short rides (<20 miles).

The holy grail of jeans/cargos for me would be:
- fit of the AGV
- stretch panels near the bend of the knee like the Icons have
- pockets for knee protection included (I'll buy my own armor)
- Kevlar
- tall sizes (>34")

If you're not concerned about knee pads, you may want to check out the Diamond Gusset jeans.

BTW, there's a thread in Equipment somewhere where an inmate lists all riding jeans available on the market.

If you are interested, do a quick search on Carhart double front work-pants for riding. Knee pads are easily inserted and they really are comfortable. I use them all the time. As a side note, they can be had in lighter colors which helps a lot if you ride in hot, sunny climates.

Motoport Street Jeans are comfortable, but the armor makes them look a little strange compared to regular pants. You could remove it it you wanted better abrasion protection than the other jean type products and were willing to give up the impact protection. http://motoport.worldsecuresystems.com/_product_106915/Kevlar_Street_Jean

That being said I rarely wear mine, it is faster for a short trip to throw on the overpants than to change out of my regular pants to the Street Jeans.

I have a pair of those Duluth Trading Co. firehose work pants. Very heavy duty canvas, but no reinforcement in terms of padding to speak of. However, the heavy duty canvas should help some in the abrasion category. The nice thing about them is the gusseted crotch, so you've got some extra room for your junk while your on the bike. The legs are wide enough to slide over boots too, so you don't have to look like a space pirate. I strap on a pair of Knox knee pads and they're almost as good motorcycle pants.

I also just recently picked up a pair of Cortech cargo pants. They've got Kevlar in the knees and ass (and are on sale over at MotorcycleGear.com). They're very comfy and the lower legs zip off to make shorts, if you're so inclined. No crotch gusset, so your twig and berries can get a bit cramped on longer rides, but the fit is pretty baggy, so that helps.

I've got the Draggin' jeans, Australian version off Ebay. Like them a lot. Velcrod in knee armour from a jacket I had lying around (elbow/knee works the same). The armor is comfy and sticks pretty well to the kevlar, the only issue is to be a bit careful when putting the pants on.

Pretty much wear these on all my rides except to/from work where I use overpants.

I have a pair of Draggin Jeans (relaxed fit) going on 4 1/2 years, they are very comfortable, long lasting, and have enough room to wear knee pads & high boots under the pants. Thankfully I have never been down on them but I would buy them again.

I also have the draggin jeans. A little bigger than I expected but since my weight goes up and down I kept them. Pretty comfortable. Haven't crashed in them. Hope I don't.

wear separate armor underneath instead. With built-in armor they may not hang the way jeans should and also might not protect well--if it doesn't seem secure. So you can have both crappy jeans & crappy gear.

Not all kevlar is alike. I found a source that claimed that in the reinforcement on some kevlar lined jeans, few of the actual threads were kevlar.

A lot of reinforced jeans reinforce butt & knees, but not the side-seam between knee & hips. That's a key sliding area, and should be reinforced too.

I bought Red Route jeans with reinforcement in the proper places and no knee armor. Apparently their kevlar is good as well.

I agree with wearing seperate armor underneath as my jeans are too baggy to have any kind of armor attached to them to do any good.

Hood Jeans

Fit like real jeans. Kevlar in the right places. Room for armor.

Draggin were baggy-ass for me.

I like my Icon Barrier jeans in the winter and my BMW summer pants in the summer. But I have no allusions that either will actually hold up in a serious get off. Sure, they might sustain certain get offs, but just don't assume they will save your bacon.

Just got a pair a few weeks ago because I kept wearing out my pants (mainly Mountain Khakis) in the knees (no jokes, I work in them... but not that way ). I've been pretty happy with them both for general use and on the bike. Subjectively, I find the fit and style to be better than other riding jeans. They aren't gusseted but they still move without binding. The cuffs are big enough to go over my road boots, but will not go over my Crossfires. Crashwise I don't see them being much better or worse than other riding jeans; nothing will take the place of true riding pants. They start out big to accommodate shrinkage, wash them before you wear them. Came down to either Carhartts or Deluth Trading Company, I was able to try on the Carhartts so went with those.

Went with these (stiff hand):
http://www.carhartt.com/webapp/wcs/...51&productId=32060&langId=-1&categoryId=10935

Almost the same thing (softer hand), more colors:
http://www.carhartt.com/webapp/wcs/...51&productId=32068&langId=-1&categoryId=10935

Tough denim (or similar) pants are nowhere near proper riding gear or properly reinforced jeans for abrasion protection. And the double front isn't gonna help much if you slide on your ass.

This isn't from an unbiased source, but read it if you haven't:
http://www.motoport.com/save-your-hide

A few times stronger than regular jeans isn't getting close to motorcycle gear or to properly reinforced motorcycle jeans.

Aussie Draggin Jeans:

Pros -

• Kevlar seems to be in the right places, including on the outer thigh between the knee and arse
• Fit is relaxed enough not to impede knee movement or squash your man bits
• Overall very comfy
• Look enough like normal jeans to be inconspicuous
• Kevlar feels like slightly rough terry towelling

Cons -

• Extremely long (although, saves them riding up your leg when riding)
• Waist sizes are too small, so you get some that fit and they're REALLY long (I'm usually 32"; I'm 34" in Draggins)
• Look like your Dad's jeans (YMMV though, my quite attractive and fashionable 30yo female boss said that she liked them, before I told here they were kevlar. My GF calls them 'Dad jeans' though).
• Expensive for what's essentially Target jeans with a couple of kevlar panels

Only had them for a few weeks. Can't comment on wear or slideability.

I'm a newbie rider. I promised myself when I started (and my mother made me promise her lol) that I wear ATTGATT.

I wear Draggins, a pair of Docs, leather gloves and a cheap mesh motorbike jacket around town. Minimal protection in some peoples' books, but I'm also a stickler for urban* speed limits which don't exceed 70km/h (44mph) in my town. In a sense, that's overkill considering I hit 65km/h on my bicycle wearing a t-shirt and shorts.

I wouldn't advocate Draggins as 'proper' motorbike gear, but I think they have their place. At those low speeds, it's pretty likely that thick 'normal' fabrics will save your skin too.

*Urban = a place where I could possibly harm a pedestrian or a cyclist. As opposed to the highway where I'm only going to harm myself or other motorists.

To begin, I specifically mentioned I was wearing out the knees in my pants from work, thus the double front. Doesn't have to do with sliding on my ass.

I felt like my point was pretty clear, but I will clarify and expand as there seems to be some confusion (kind of got half of it). I feel work pants (Carhartt, Deluth) and motorcycle jeans are more or less similar in this application. They are a band-aid, an adaptation of something outside its ideal use. They offer a way to attempt to bridge the gap between regular pants and "real" riding pants for when you are willing to accept greater risk of abrasion (possibly trauma depending on boots/ pads underneath) for comfort and practicality. You can argue that some kevlar on the knees and seat makes a night and day difference. I would counter that the motorcycle jeans I've used sacrifice more in comfort and practicality than they gain in protection. IMO if you want that much protection, wear a real set of pants.

For reference, lets quote the OP: "I have the Cortech DSX jeans. Not bad for the money but the leather in the knees and rear is hot. Other than looking fairly normal off the bike, I don't see much advantage to them over textile or leather. They are somewhat more protective than plain jeans but not nearly as comfortable." (Side note: WebBikeWorld has a comparison of DSX Jean vs. Carhartt and a Deluth review.)

Their utility falls far short of what you will find in a proper motorcycle specific pant, be it textile or leather. For riding, I have racing leathers, textile motorcycle pants, and Carhartts. I use all of them for different uses. For my short commutes, trauma is the more serious risk than abrasion (based on speed); if it is real hot and/or I'm going to walk around a lot I'm using the Carhartts [with or without knee pads]. I know the pants are not ideal in a crash and I will likely have some road rash, but the trade off abrasion protection is worth the increase in overall utility and comfort to me.

The apparel question boils down to this: Risk vs consequence vs utility = acceptable personal risk (which will obviously vary from person to person). I think risk is moderately static, could get hit pretty much anywhere, canyon carving trips/ track days set aside. Consequence will vary, factors include speed, setting (freeway [secondary impacts additional cars] vs parking lot), protection. Utility describing personal comfort, usefulness off the bike. The final factor is the one you have the most control over and should be the most variable. Where risk is moderately static, as consequences increase, off bike utility and comfort decrease in importance.

To the OP: Take the time to think about what gear you already have, your priorities for what you're buying, then try stuff on. If you find some riding jeans you like, great, if something else works, good. I'm presenting my thought process and what works for me, which you can factor or not factor into your decision. I'm not by any means saying I'm right :)