Riding Pants

[pbbeck]

I've always been a MOTGATT rider... Most Of The Gear All The Time. I never ride without a helmet, riding jacket, gloves, and proper boots. While I'm down with the concept of riding pants, I've never warmed to their use because I find them to be a pain. They are uncomfortable to wear off the bike and I can't wear them at work. A few weeks ago, while waiting for my bike in service, the local BMW dealer was clearing out last years pants, so I caved and bought a pair of BMW City pants for half price. They fit well and they zip into the BMW jackets I already own. I wore them on a four-day tour and found them to be very comfortable and were okay for walking around off the bike for short picture taking stops, but I have a few questions for you guys who wear riding pants religiously:

 

1) If you wear riding pants on your commute to work, what do you do when you get to work? Pants or overpants?

 

2) For riding pants that are not overpants, how often do you wash them?

 

3) What do you keep in the thigh pockets?

[Bullett]

I wear over pants if I'm wearing pants at work. (If I'm wearing a skirt at work, a different procedure applies that you probably don't care about.)

 

I can't answer number 2, but my guess would be pretty frequently.

 

I don't carry anything in the pockets of my riding pants.

[cali_beemer]

I am watching this closely as I had the same questions on my mind. Because of my weight and size I have had a hard time finding pants of either type to fit. I just tried on some revit pants at my local BMW dealer and they are the closest I have come to fitting anything. However, they are regular pants and not overpants.

[RichEdwards]

I wear mesh pants from First Gear during most of the year. They are cooler and offer more protection than jeans, First Gear sells tall sizes that work out great for me. They are not as sturdy as my Aerostich Darien pants but they are MUCH more comfortable. I wash them after 5 or 6 days of riding. I carry foam earplugs and not much more in the pockets.

[tallman]

 

 

1) If you wear riding pants on your commute to work, what do you do when you get to work? Pants or overpants?

I just wear my work pants (Dockers variation) under the riding pants and remove the riding pants palce them and boots in tub under desk.

If it is really hot, when leaving I'll just roll up work pants and place in saddle bag liner bag I use for work. In cold weather there may be more layers involved.

 

 

2) For riding pants that are not overpants, how often do you wash them?

I do wear Draggin Jeans with armor, once in a while.

Wash as needed.

 

3) What do you keep in the thigh pockets?

Nada

 

I like the First Gear tall sizes also.

I have boththe HT air/mesh and HT regular textile for year round use.

Best wishes

[VinnyR11]

When I was working I commuted on my bike and always wore my Stich overpants, even over a suit back in the days when we had to wear suits. No issues even in pouring rain.

 

The only problem is heat. The Stich overpants are pretty hot in mid-summer, and my wife and I are in the process of researching vented overpants. I'd never go for riding pants that weren't overpants, because a lot of our riding is to areas where we hike or explore for long periods of time. Stand alone riding pants aren't the best choice for that, and we don't want to spring for another two sets of pants. If most of your riding is out and back with a coffee or lunch stop in between, I can see going for riding pants that you wear alone.

 

Nothing in pants pockets.

 

 

 

[Danny caddyshack Noonan]

I might MOTGATT in my court getting water to drain after washing. Yeah, I know, but it isn't how you ride....it's how your bike looks!

1) If you wear riding pants on your commute to work, what do you do when you get to work? Pants or overpants?

First Gear TPG overpants from about Oct to May. They are suitable for anything under 75 deg...for me. Everyone is different and it is bike dependent (airflow) May to Oct, HT Air Overpants.

 

3) What do you keep in the thigh pockets?

Cell phone and wallet

[outpost22]

1) I wear overpants (Hein Garricke) with jeans/other pants under them. It takes 2 minutes to zip them off for meetings with clients. They also have a removable water proof liner. In summer, they are basically just mesh with the liners out.

 

2) They get washed when they get dirty.

 

3) The pockets have lip balm, and a few extra bucks and pocket change, for a quick purchase of a bottle of water, etc. and that's it.

 

After my get off last November, you can believe in the necessity for riding pants. Without them, my legs would have been toast. The overpants barely showed any sign of wear after hitting the asphalt. Wonderful fabric and great protection.

 

 

[Caddis]

1) If you wear riding pants on your commute to work, what do you do when you get to work? Pants or overpants?

 

I wear overpants (Olympia Airglide 2) over my work clothes, and just put them with my other gear in a corner of the office.

 

3) What do you keep in the thigh pockets?

 

Keys to the bike (one to use, one spare just in case...).

[Armando]

1) have been wearing my Darien pants for 4 years now. However, they get hot if you are not moving and so I am looking for a pair of mesh pants now. Thinking of Olympia, Firstgear or Tourmaster.

 

2) Not very often. I think I may have washed them 2-3 times as I figured they get "washed" when I ride in the rain

 

3) money clip which is small as I don't have much of it , small credit card holder and my phone attached to my slacks' belt.

 

[betty]

 

1) If you wear riding pants on your commute to work, what do you do when you get to work? Pants or overpants?

 

2) For riding pants that are not overpants, how often do you wash them?

 

3) What do you keep in the thigh pockets?

 

I use BMW summerpants year round. On my RT they are fine down to high 50's temps. After that I put long underwear on. I bring jeans with me in my side bag and change beside the bike. I am used to the wolfwhistles now.

 

I wash them once a week. Air them out every night I use them.

 

I keep cell phone and wallet in the 2 front pockets.

 

I feel naked now if I only ride in jeans.

[hANNAbONE]

mOTOPORT...had 'em for 10 years .. no problems.