| Author | Message | ||
     Lost_in_ohio |
I have a number of riding pants for spending the day on bike or just getting to work. I would like to buy some riding jeans for occasions like homecoming, I can were something lighter than full gear and still have a little protection. Icon, joe rocket and dragging jeans all have some. Does anyone have any experience with them or some recommendations? I like the icons but their marketing double talk worrys me. I have had good luck with joe rocket, Has anyone gone down in these armoured jeans, I saw wolfs opps in regular jeans and that convinced me to never ride in jeans again. | ||
| Danger_dave |
Yeah I've had a few low speed offs in Draggins. Worked well. Wrecked them though. The sharp edge of the hero blob on the footpeg tore them where there was no Kevlar and I got a handsome scratch. No road rash. But traveling low Speed only. Happy to wear them for city work in the summer. I also have Teknic Warriors. Cheaper - different cut. Like them too. (Message edited by danger_dave on July 16, 2007) | ||
| Hughlysses |
I've got some of the Draggin' Jeans but I've never had to see how well they work. I've got the optional knee armor but it's a PITA. The Kevlar at the knees and seat looks like it'd help in a get-off, but it makes the pants pretty hot. They're nice for commuting but I prefer my mesh pants (Joe Rocket) and usually wear them if I'm doing anything above straight commuting. | ||
| Ragnagwar |
I had the "Draggin Jeans" and sold them again because I thought they were to hot. Then again I'm one of those people who is much more comfortable in the cold than the heat. I replaced them with "Alpinestars" Air Flow mesh pants. | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
I have a pair of JR mesh and the heavier for fall/winter. I was looking for something a little more main stream for meeting the wife and kids afterwork or non motorcycle events. | ||
| Old_man |
I have the "Draggin Jeans". Luckily they've never been tested. I find them very comfortable. | ||
| Doerman |
I have Icons. I like the fit and cut (does not cramp the crotch area). The flex material above the knees and in the crotch works well. I've not had the occasion to have them durability tested. They have no cushioning effect in an impact situation but would give you just a slight advantage over regular jeans in terms of abrasion. I would not put them in the category of "protective clothing" Asbjorn | ||
| Al_lighton |
Joanne crashed (25MPH low side, knocked her out on impact and she slid face down toa a stop) in her Draggin jeans and they did well. Normally, blue jeans tear almost instantly upon impact. But the Kevlar took the tensile load and the jeans just scuffed up a bit. I have no doubt that they saved her from a nasty road rash. But they aren't leathers. If I'm going to do serious sport riding, they aren't the pants I wear. But I wear mine on casual rides all the time. Al | ||
| Tm74 |
I'm not sure if you're dead set on jeans but there may be another option for you. Both Olympia(Recon pants) and BMW(Summer 2 Pants) make cargo type riding pants that zip off into shorts. They are both textiles. With the pant legs zipped of they look like a normal pair of cargo shorts. They can't be beat if you use them as intended. The benefits are they zip off into shorts, the entire pant is abrasion resistant(not just certain spots), they have CE approved knee armor, and pockets for optional hip armor(the Olympias come with foam hip armor that can be upgraded, the BMWs only have the pockets, no armor included). In short, I think they are more protective than most, if not all, of the available jeans but luckily I haven't had to test them out. The Olympias cost $120 and the BMWs run around $200. I have a pair of the Olympias. They are the Recon pants. If you don't zip off the legs once you get to your destination the jeans will be more "normal" looking so keep that in mind. They both look like cargo pants but they are still textile. I also have a pair of Tour Master DSX jeans. They are leather lined on the inside in the arse and knees. They also have CE approved knee armor. No option for hip armor. I found the fit to be bad on me. I probably should have went with a different size though. They seem to run at least 1 size large, if not more. They also shrink. The knee armor is also heavy. I replaced it with lighter weight CE approved armor. Overall I wouldn't suggest them. The only comment I could really make about jeans in general is try to find some that won't shrink at all, if that's possible(I have no idea). If you cannot try them on and know right away if they fit or not I would pass on them. This is the problem I have with my DSX jeans. I basically had to wash them to find out how much they would shrink. Didn't think about it at the time. Seems obvious now. | ||
| Blakers |
Harley Davidson sells a jean very similar to the Draggin Jeans. Paid $69 US for mine at Tilley HD. Nice fit, don't bunch up at the waist when on the bike. Kevlar is there but if you didn't know it, they appear just like a regular pair of jeans. | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
TM thx I will have to look into them. That maybe what I am actually looking for. | ||
| Etennuly |
I have a pair of Alpinestar double mesh pants with knee pads that zip off real easy with out removing my shoes. It is much cooler to wear these over a pair of shorts than it is to wear jeans alone because they insulate the seat heat. I also have the Buell riding pants that do not zip off easily. Thankfully that is what I was wearing when gravitational forces overtook my test ride on the TT. I got 0 road rash, no cuts, no abrasions. I felt the full and effective use of the knee pads. I recently purchased the new Buell zip out panel summer jacket. It is the best summer jacket that I have seen. It cools you within minutes of moving on the bike as it circulates air around your body. It too held up very well in the test session, some minor scuffs and a rubber shoulder pad torn away, but again no cuts or abrasions on me. I'm looking into better boots during my healing season!  | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
Vern your gear held up well and did its job...except the boots. I have that removable panel jacket except mine says joe rocket on it and it is red. Just out of curiosity any guess as too how fast you were going when you hit the pavement? | ||
| Etennuly |
The turn was reverse banked(sloping away). I was getting all of first gear and a little of second just before entering the turn which required hard braking to maintain. Maybe fifty on the short straight down to under twenty five in the corner with even harder braking before the crash. I may have been down to twenty when I got off and leaning into that banking I likely only dropped a foot and a half to the surface. Then I pulled my hands in to tuck and roll. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Here's something else worth considering: Motoport (small outfit that makes Cordura and Kevlar fabric riding gear) makes Cordura or Kevlar jeans. The Kevlar jeans are actually made out of stretch Kevlar material; they aren't just reinforced. OTOH, they are NOT cheap. http://www.motoport.com/Pants/index.asp I have no first-hand experience with the Motoport stuff, but lots of guys on advrider swear by their suits. They're pretty much a competitor to Aerostich who is well-known for producing bullet proof riding gear. | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
You got that right...they are not cheap. they look real nice and appear to offer the best protection I have seen in a jean. Actually I really like what I see on that sight. thanks | ||
| Dutchboy |
For kevlar-lined jeans I have both Draggin Jeans and a pair of Diamond Gusset. The Diamond Gusset jeans don't seem as thick/hot as the Draggin jeans and they have some nifty features like a cell-phone pocket with a velcro closure, velcro adjusters at the bottom of the pant legs and a ring you can hang your keys off. A note about the Olympia Recon pants. I've got the jacket that goes with them and decided not to get the pants. Why? Because the zippers for the arms unzip by themselves simply from the pull of my shoulders when shifting around on the bike. I zip-tied the sleeve zippers to keep them from un-zipping easily but I'm sure the zip ties would let go immediately if they touched down on pavement in a get off. A shame, since the look and features of the Recon are really nice. OTOH I have a pair of mesh Olympia over pants I've had for over a year now that are holding up great and I really like | ||
| Livnlo |
i have the joe rocket steel riding jeans, and i to have not had to test them. they have optional knee armor and kev lined -ss and knees. they look and wear just like regular jeans. very comfortable, and look to give better then average protection in a get off. although i hope none of us have to test them. if your looking for a casual commuter type i would look into them | ||
| Tombo |
I prefer Vanson Jeans. They are a very heavy cotton with Cordura mesh inside. The mesh is used over a big portion of the jeans. For me, the fit is more comfortable than my Draggins. | ||
| Mattwhite |
I did a crash test with draggin jeans. I was going pretty slow when I hit the pavement. There was no visible damage on the backside where I was sliding. It's a heavy denim, which handles a good deal of abrasion even without the kevlar. I did get a little hole that burned right through the kevlar to my knee, but that was from pressing on the exhaust header on the way down, not the pavement. The way I went down didn't require impact protection from the pants. The jacket I was wearing had full armor, which probably prevented some arm and back bruising. Adding knee armor would probably be a good idea. The kevlar does get abrasive on the seat for long rides, but I think it's worth preventing the potential road rash. |
