I've been looking at a new pair of riding pants for the colder half of the year. Right now I've got a pair of Tourmaster Flex which I like for features, not looks and they're falling apart. Currently my cold-part-of-the-year jacket is a Firstgear TPG Teton jacket. I'll wear just the shell in the late fall/early spring and it has vents. It's waterproof (non-gortex). What I'd like to find is a pair of riding pants which are: -> non-gortex waterproof -> have openable vents -> at least a 2/3 length access zipper (this is apparently a no-go with waterproof) -> $300 range Also: -> adventure style -> a lighter color than black For easy access zipper, I like Olympia Xmoto tho I have a fit issue with these pants (I have a pair of Recon mesh 36 that fit but the knees sit a bit low). I tried the 34 on but they're too small to get over my jeans. I also like the Rev'it Sand2 tho they just have waterproof lining. Rev'it has a waterpoof shell (the Enterprise pants) but they have no vents. At first I had looked at the Klim Traverse and the Firstgear Kathmandu pants. These are both great waterproof pants (at a great price) that lack easy access zippers. My Tourmaster flex are a great multi-season pant. They are mesh pants that have zip off panels to cover the mesh. I wore them the last two winters and they worked great. I wish Tourmaster did an adventure-syle version of these. I am thinking my best bet is to just get the Olympia Xmoto in 36 and see if the knee is really that bad. They're the best price too (closeout at $240) tho I really like the Rev'it too... I'm thinking reasonable price waterproof is just chasing a dream so maybe it's not that important.
I've owned quite a bit of Olympia gear over the years. Airglide Jacket/Pants (2 sets), AST jacket (2), Ranger Pants, and now have the X-Moto jacket/pants. I've always liked the way Olympia gear has fit me and I love the way their liners can be worn alone and don't have to zip into the outfits. I actually kind of dislike the way they have gone to 2 liners (thermal and waterproof) in later models, but that's splitting hairs. The AST/Ranger was my goto outfit for cool/cold weather riding for a couple years, but eventually it was no longer waterproof, even with the liners if you were in an all day rain. I was really getting tired of carrying a rain suit when I supposedly was wearing waterproof gear. I bought the X-moto jacket/pants last year and really like it for its versatility and ease of putting on, but the outside shell not being waterproof at all really becomes a hassle if you hit rain. I of course knew it wasn't waterproof going into it, but I just loved the zip out vent panels and how well it fit me, so I bought it anyways. However, even the tiniest bit of rain gets you soaked pretty quickly if you aren't wearing the liners, but even if you are wearing the liners, the outside material still gets soaked, so it just robs you of any insulating properties and you get cold quick. This really can be a big issue in the colder months. I really only consider my X-Moto a spring/summer/fall gear when I know it will be dry. That is why I went with Klim. As of late last year I also now own Klim gear (Latitude Jacket & Traverse Pants). I was fed up with getting wet & cold with gear that was "supposedly waterproof" and was willing to give this a shot. I'm now a firm believer in Gore-tex stuff because it really does keep you dry in all day weather and in the Klim gear particularly in a wide range of temps. I spent 2 solid days in a cold rain in the late fall not long after I bought it and I was sold from that point forward. It kept me totally dry and warm. In fact, I had my "waterproof" Olympia Liners with me just for extra warmth and I gave those up to a fellow rider wearing leathers so he could stay somewhat dry. I still stayed completely dry and comfortable during that time. So for just about any trip since I bought it, I now wear my Klim gear. I wore it on a 2 week trip to CO this year and was in temps from 35-85 and stayed comfy the entire time. If there was one bone to pick with the Klim pants as your brought up, it is that they don't have easy access zippers to get in them. Then again, they aren't really meant to wear as overpants and why they don't have easy access zippers. That also could really sacrifice their water proofness, so I'm okay with the way they are since they work so well. So about the only time I don't grab the Klim gear is for commuting or maybe just riding around town or short day rides, but if I'm going to be riding all day and any chance of rain, that's what I'm turning to. BTW, I also own an Aerostich 1pc Roadcrafter. (I'm a total gear hoarder ) I bought it last year too used because I just wanted to try it. I love the fact it is so easy to get in and out of and would be my first choice for commuting duties in the cooler months. No way I'm wearing it in the hot GA Summers. I also tend to wear it on colder days when I'm heading to bike night as I can easily just get out of it. I have actually yet to test mine in the rain, but Aerostitch of course has a great history of being great waterproof gear, just not very fashionable. It hasn't seen a ton of use since owning it, but I like it. My all time absolute favorite cold weather winter outfit though is my First Gear Voyager II that I bought probably 10 years ago. It's a big bulky Jacket/Pants combo, but it keeps me so warm. If its any warmer than 60 degrees, you melt in it, but if temps are down near freezing or lower, that is the gear I'm wearing. Not sure why you are trying to find non-goretex waterproof because my findings have been, it just doesn't last. Gortex gear seems to be the only way to guarantee it will still waterproof after several seasons. I guess I didn't help you with any new ideas, but wanted to share my thoughts with some specific gear you mentioned.
This makes me lean even more towards Klim. At one point I was thinking of replacing my jacket with a Klim down the road; go for the real Gortex gear. I'd love the just pick up a pair of pants for commuting, but money's an issue so I'm really looking for one pair of pants for riding/commuting for the winter.
I saw on this fórum that Motorcycle closeouts has FirstGear TPG Escape Pants on sale for $159, regularly $359? Comes with removable liner.
That just means all the water that runs off the pants goes right into your boots? Is there a reason you would prefer in-the-boot pants? Other than leathers being tucked into boots or dirt bike pants being tucked into dirt bike boots, I really prefer over the boot pants for every day type riding.
I got a pair of Sliders Kevlar Quest 3.0 pants a couple of years ago for around $160 that meet many of your criteria. I think the outer shell is Cordura or something, water resistant but not too breathable, it can get a bit humid inside if it's warm out. With the quilted liner zipped in, they're stifiling in any temp above 60, more of a December through February pant. They do have zippered vents. They're thick and stiff (and kind of heavy) so if you like to move around on the bike a lot that could be an issue.
Duct tape! Or, I just bought these (but haven't tried them yet... I find in-the-boot pants much more comfortable. Plus, the bottom of the pant won't catch my footpeg when trying to put my foot down (it's a short person's problem). The bottom of gore-tex my riding pants (Klim Badlands) are always soaked; not so with in-the-boot pants.
Tourmaster Caliber are warm without the liner. Probably warmer with the liner, but I have never used it. I have worn them unlined to single digits Fahrenheit. The zippers are crap and will die early but the rest of the pants are decent for the price. Just go in knowing the side zippers will go before 10K miles.
If your budget will allow ...Klim Overland will save you $$ in the long run by not having to buy multiple alternatives that may or may not get the job done.
I thought I was the only one who experienced this zipper issue? Great pants and extremely warm with the liner - but like Nnordsman said the zippers are crap and will fail.
A reason could be that with over the boot pants you risk catching the foot peg with the pant hem as your putting your foot down at a stop. I'm sure many people have dropped their bike this way.
Then you're wearing pants that are too baggy at the bottom. Guessing you do not have a strap on the bottom? How bout using a simply velcro strap around the ankle?
i'm looking at these versus the olympia ranger. any opinions on one versus the other? i have rev'it mesh pants for the summer.
I've had a pair of the HT Air for a couple of years and they're great, but now that I got a bike that's a little better suited to cold-weather riding, I wanted something a bit warmer/waterproof for the cooler months. The HT Airs were OK down into the 30s with the liners in, but I just picked up a pair of the 2011 model HTs on closeout from MotorcycleGear.com for $150. They're a bit bulky with the thermal liners, but are plenty warm without them even. I think I can probably ride down into the 30s without the liners and just a pair of jeans underneath. They do have thigh vents, but the leg zippers don't seem to be as long as the ones on my HT Airs, so not quite as easy on/off. There's a newer model out that has some minor changes, but I haven't seen them in person yet.
My vote would be for the Olympia Rangers over the First Gear HT Overpants. One reason is the liner is much nicer on the Olympia pants and you can use it for other pants if you want. My HT overpant leg zippers both gave up the ghost the same weekend on a ride and I ended up riding home with the legs ductape and bungeed closed.
