2019-07-01_RiDE

LEGLENG

Somejeansco

in differentleg

lengths— othe

may tailorthes

fit you.Thisca

also potentially

affectwhere t

kneearmours

IT

pends how you like

r jeans — tight or

se. But think about

w they are with

ts. Most people

their jeans over

ts, unless you

re big in the New

mantic scene

There are a few key points to consider when

looking at riding jeans...

What to look for...

STYLE

There are

numerous styles to

suit various riders

and bikes. Retro;

modern; black;

dark; light;

distressed; regular

cut; tight or

tapered; turn-up or

no turn-ups...

CONSTRUCTION

Are they single layer or

is there a separate

middle lining? Is there

also a mesh lining to

help air flow when it’s

warm? Ideally, seams

should be double-

stitched to prevent

bursting on impact or

while sliding

DENIM

The style of the denim itself

will affect the feel, comfort

and potentially, the protection.

The addition of something like

Elastane gives the material

some stretch

COVERAGE

Where does the abrasion

resistance protect? In the case

of single-layer, then everywhere.

A separate layer will typically

protect at least the high-risk

seat, hips and knees. Inner thighs

are less of a risk while the shin is

considered low risk, since boots

offer support here.

PROTECTION

Ordinary jeans offer little in

the way of protection (see

verdict). So riding jeans will

typically have some form of

aramid (synthetic fibres,

originally developed for use

in aeronautical and military

fields, such as body armour

and bullet-proof clothing)

either woven into the denim

or formed into a separate

inner lining

ARMOUR

Look for knee armour

that is adjustable to fit

your leg. Check also the

spec of the armour and

if hip armour is not

supplied, make sure

there are pockets for

aftermarket

JULY 2019 | 65