I found these while searching the interwebs for a good pair of summer pants. I was first toying with getting over pants from rev’it, similar to my winter pants, but with large mesh panels. This would mean i would need two layers in the summer which is not really appealing, and they would be white, which would be more obvious then my black winter over pants.
I really refuse to ride without armor and protection. I know that a spill is inevitable and i want to give my body its best chance. I researched jeans from rev’it, but the reviews weren’t great. specifically regarding where the knee pads position against the riders knees.
So, again, i found these Shovel-K jeans, after weeks of random searching. What turned me on about it was that i could remove the knee pads without taking my pants off. This appeals to me because of how many stops i make on an average work day. I imagined riding to a client, parking my bike, quickly removing my knee pads and storing them in the side case. Going up to my client in somewhat normal looking jeans. I would look more normal then i do in the winter with my black over pants. Read on for close up photos and my thoughts…
They are a bit high priced, but compared to other solutions out there, they are actually an average price. The rev’it jeans were priced a bit lower, but pants from Aether a couple hundred more.
I searched for local retailers in north america. they had two, one in texas, and one in brooklyn. I went to jane motorcycles in willamsburg brooklyn to try on a pair. they didn’t have the kevlar jeans, but they had similar mens pants that i could try on. I tried on a pair, and actually liked the look of the dark green pants they had. They fit great, and getting the knee pads in and out was really easy to do. I would have bought that pair then, but the lack of kevlar or some other material to keep the pants from shredding on a fall scared me. I had them order me the jeans, which they do not normally stock. It came in a couple days ago, and i went to pick them up yesterday.
I was nervous about picking them up, as if they didn’t fit well, or i hated them, it would be a pain to return. I got lucky, they fit and feel perfect. I love the way they look (considering what they are). The kevlar lining makes the pant feel a little thicker which might get a little warm in the summer, but i think they are still my best option. better then two layers of pants, or jeans with mis-located knee pads.
I took them for a ride friday and they felt great. they didn’t hold my balls hostage, they didn’t feel too thin. I felt confident wearing them. The knee pads felt good. I’m excited to use them for most of this coming summer.
A few more photos… the yellow liner is the kevlar liner.
