A tapered fit creates a contemporary silhouette whilst offering similar levels of practicality as a roomier straight leg fit. A crotch gusset has been added to give extra flexibility which, coupled with a precisely selected amount of fabric stretch, helps to prevent the hem of the pant from riding up when sat on the bike. It’s not a bad system, but like any lab test it shouldn’t be considered a guarantee that something that’s passed AAA will remain intact should you slide down the road at 70mph. Here’s why: Trousers: Knee CE armour, prepared for hip armour (44) Trousers: Knee CE armour, prepared for hip armour (44 products)

Now, we know how all that sounds — hence the polarization. Saying you shouldn't care about style screams right in the face of all that marketing jargon and your fellow riders at coffee stops constantly kibitzing about what they wear or you wear, how well it performs or doesn't and, of course, if it looks cool. See? Polarization. Of course, you and your posse care about looks. Duh! It's just that while you're on the bike, you should quit that thinking entirely and focus on riding. Many brands supply their jeans quite long, so this might not suit riders with a shorter leg, while others offer varying lengths and some will adjust the length of your jeans to suit you, free of charge. Personally, I don’t like turn-ups on a bike as I seem to keep getting the footpegs caught in them.

Like ski pants, the Component H20 gets a gator that fits over the boot top to prevent water from soaking your feet when fording streams or churning through deeper puddles. If you ski, you've used a system just like this, and our tester found it to be easy, with hook-and-loop fasteners that allow easy closure and a zippered cuff on top of that. Gore-Tex Gore-Tex Gore-Tex is a waterproof and breathable fabric that resists water droplets from passing through while at the same time allowing moisture from the inside to evaporate. (132) Motorcycle riding jeans are now incredibly popular – as bikers move away from sportsbikes and focus instead on adventure, street, custom, naked and cruiser machines, denim is often the trouser of choice.

Some part-lined jeans will be pretty much plain denim, with some aramid lining at the knees, hips and bum, for instance. Oxford's Original Approved Chino pants are a slim-fit, casual-looking pant with workwear roots, receiving a significant fabric upgrade through a monolayer Armourlite® construction. This specific variant of Armourlite® stretch twill has been interwoven with cotton to create a soft hand feel that performs to rigorous CE AA testing standards.We know the following statement will polarize most motorcycle riders: Nobody but you is critiquing your riding costume. Well, we'll hedge a bit there. If you're riding in a leather vest with no shirt underneath and no helmet, everyone is critiquing your fashion and common sense. Mostly, though, what you wear to ride should be about three-fourths focused on safety. The other quarter? Comfort. Because the safest clothing in the world is worthless if it's so uncomfortable that you choose not to wear it.

Single layer jeans (left) can be lighter and more form-fitting than lined jeans (right). Granted, I’m not the most stylish model. The knee armour is more prominent in this pair of single-layer jeans, but thinner armour is available such as D3O’s Ghost. Because boot diameter is very variable, REV'IT! cut these with wider leg openings, but also provide dual-position snap closures to eliminate any gaping between pant and boot. Hold the REV'IT! Eclipse at eye level, and you can literally see right through them. On a hot day, you might be tempted to ride in shorts… don't. Wear these instead. They offer a CE A rating and come with REV'IT! 's Seesmart CE Level 1 knee and hip armor, and you can adjust the knee armor up or down. After that, try some on. Lined jeans will be warmer than single-layer jeans, but there can be big differences; Draggin’s most abrasion-resistant jeans use a flannel-style aramid lining, which is bulkier and hotter than a standard knit. If you ride in very hot climates, that’s worth knowing. If you’re interested in the potential weight differences, as an example and with armour fitted a pair of AAA-rated Roadskin Taranis single-layer jeans weigh 1,360g, while a pair of AAA-rated Hood K7/AAA fully-lined jeans weigh 1,880g. RST X Kevlar Tech Pro | These part-lined jeans are styled to look a lot more like bike kit than the other, more casual-looking kit in our recommendations, but the accordion panels help to keep the Level 2 armour in exactly the right place. The RSTs have also been tested by Motocap , where they received impressive results.Merlin Maynard | Merlin’s Maynard jeans are extremely lightweight and breathable. We love the included D3O Ghost armour and thoughtful design touches. These are part-lined jeans, with extra protection at the key impact areas, including the bum, but they feel just like normal fashion jeans to wear. It's built with a cowhide layer on the inner knee designed to provide tank grip when squeezing your knees to the bike while standing and riding technical off-road terrain. And, yep, during testing, it worked great. Too many "ADV" pants are made of a slippery material that prevents the grip you need to control the bike by driving your knees toward a turn or to counterbalance it. While you won't want to tour in full leathers, this is REV'IT! applying the right material for the correct application. Fit is true to size... I am 32 waist in normal jeans and 32 was good fit so no need to size up to take account of the armour.

There’s little reason for a good-quality pair of single-layer or lined motorcycle jeans – with knee and hip armour – to not be rated as AAA, so make that your first filter. You might hear some excuses for products not having the top rating, but the only way to know for sure is through testing, so be wary of bluster.Any garment that’s rated as Level B under EN17092 has no armour fitted. It also only needs to be tested to the equivalent of Level A for abrasion, burst and tear resistance. Some products will be the same as the AAA-rated gear from a brand but with the amour removed, because the buyer might have their own, or might not want to wear it. The most abrasion resistant jeans currently tested by MotoCAP are the Draggin Holeshots , with a very impressive 10/10. They’re actually certified to the truly toughest EN13595 Level 2, which means they ARE more abrasion resistant than some leathers. But like everything in life, the choice isn’t always that easy.