Kevlar "Jeans"

[390beretta]

I've seen some of these riding jeans advertised and they seem to be very well padded with good stuff in all the right places. Wonder if anyone's had any experience with them and what you think of them? Thanks

[klaviator]

I have had some Draggin jeans for several years. They do offer better protection than regular jeans but......
Without armor underneath I still consider them lacking compared to real riding pants. They are hotter than regular jeans due to the extra kevlar layer and the fact that they are heavy duty jeans. The kevlar makes them less comfortable unless you wear an extra layer, such as long johns underneath. In hot weather they are hotter than regular jeans and much hotter than mesh pants.

Despite all this I do wear mine around town in cool to moderately cold weather. When you get off your bike and walk around they look like regular jeans and have all the pockets and convenience of regular jeans. I have also tried them for more serious rides with armor underneath but for the most part real riding pants just work better for me.

I have only worn the Draggin brand jeans. Other brands may be different.

[WoodButcher]

I too, have a pair of draggin jeans. heavy, but fairly comfortable. No padding, just special kevlar panels in the knees and butt. I actually wear them on really hot days around here. They hold moisture better and I can get them wet and get the evap cooling that I don't get with mesh. I'm talking about 100 degree plus days. Under 100 I wear the mesh.

I have not tested the jeans in a crash though.

[Dan-M]

I have a pair or the Cortech jeans. They are comfortable and as said above somewhat hotter than regular jeans. I use them when I ride to work so I don't have to deal with the on and off of overpants.

[daveinva]

Another Draggin' Jeans owner here. Like them for the reasons mentioned above: comfortable, better than nothing, MUCH easier to wear off the bike, etc.

They *do* come with optional armor for the knees and hips, but they're just velcro-stuck to the inside Kevlar. Kevlar is grabby but it ain't velcro, so even though I use it I'm under no illusions that there's a decent chance the armor will slip right out in a serious get-off. Still, again, better than nothing (although do note that unless you're wearing long johns or similar underneath your pants, the knee armor will be solid rubber against your bare knee, i.e. it'll get hot and sweaty there).

Another plus, however, to the kevlar jeans is that they're nice to wear without armor underneath armored overpants-- a little extra level of protection, and a nice pair of jeans once you're off the bike.

That all said, I wish they'd fashion a better method of incorporating the armor in the jeans, either through internal or external pockets (has anyone seen these before? I'm MUCH too fat for something this Euro-stylish, but I'd like pockets like these on the Draggin' Jeans: http://www.uglybros-store.com/Front/...isplay_group=1).

[TwilightZone]

I have some Cortech jeans. There is a little bit of knee armor and some kevlar inside over some 'selected' areas. I haven't fallen off in them, but I reckon they are probably better than regular jeans at reducing roadrash. Knee armor, don't know, maybe it would help. They are pretty 'big' and clunky, don't know that they would really be wearable in a work environment.

Also have some Draggin jeans, they are more stylish than the Cortec (you could wear them in business casual) but the stitching is fraying where the inner layer is attached. Wear them sometimes when I want to be better dressed than the Cortech.

All in all, they are suitable for causal motorcycle use. Going on a bigger ride I'll wear my Firstgear overpants.

[Grreatdog]

I have a pair of Cortech kevlar cargo pants. They are seriously heavy duty fabric even without the kevlar panels. I have crash tested them on rocks a few times. Once was a hard hit and slide on my knee. So far I haven't done any damage to the pants.

So I would trust them to hold up reasonably well in a pavement crash. Maybe not as well as riding pants but certainly way better than jeans. The biggest danger is that mine don't zip to the jacket so they might get pulled down in a really ugly crash.

As for armor, I don't trust any built in armor in any riding pants to be where I need it in a crash. So I wear strap on knee/shin guards. In other words the lack of built in armor doesn't matter to me. The big plus with my Cortech cargo pants is they zip apart into shorts for off the bike wear.

Closeout priced at $55 isn't a bad price.

http://www.motorcyclegear.com/street...cle_pants.html

[windmill]

Riding jeans are kind of like chaps or a half helmet, the protection they offer may be better than not having it in some circumstances, but shouldn't be considered a replacement for proper riding gear.

[Uncle Pollo]

Originally Posted by windmill

Riding jeans are kind of like chaps or a half helmet, the protection they offer may be better than not having it in some circumstances, but shouldn't be considered a replacement for proper riding gear.

Can't dress like Randy Mamola to work.

[Grreatdog]

The pirate wear thing is a stretch. Obviously you don't want to run a street race in kevlar jeans. But I wear the Cortech jeans in lieu of my kevlar offroad riding pants sometimes. They have held up remakably well to several crashes on rock and gravel.

For dual sport use I consider them to be at least as protective as my MX riding pants. I don't know about the Draggin Jeans brand, but the Cortechs definitely are not in the same category as pirate wear like beanie helmets and chaps. Especially not if you wear pads under them.

[lemieuxmc]

Originally Posted by windmill

Riding jeans are kind of like chaps or a half helmet, the protection they offer may be better than not having it in some circumstances, but shouldn't be considered a replacement for proper riding gear.

Or a Volvo station wagon.

Be sure and put on some extra sunblock... don't go in the water for an hour after you eat... you can't have a BB gun, you'll put someone's eye out with that thing!

[Al Tuna]

I have the Cortech DSX Denim Pants. They do have CE approved Knee armor and perforated leather panels inside.

[jfurf]

Originally Posted by windmill

Riding jeans are kind of like chaps or a half helmet, the protection they offer may be better than not having it in some circumstances, but shouldn't be considered a replacement for proper riding gear.

"Proper riding gear." Do you ride to work in a full two piece hi-viz Tourmaster getup? Do you ride across town to meet friends on a Friday night wearing an Aerostich?

Some of you guys sound like strictly touring riders. That's ok. But these products aren't for you. These jeans are for people who use their bike for transportation on a daily basis and don't want to like like a goofball and walk around in tons of thick layers.

[DADODIRT]

Add Bohn Body Armor underneath.
Still not as good as full gear, but ...

[daveinva]

I don't consider my Draggin' Jeans pirate wear in the least. Yes, I know the denim will shred clean apart atop the kevlar. Ummm, which is why I don't wear regular denim jeans while riding.

Plus, I wear the armor in my jeans (and tall boots to, ummm, boot). For casual riding, that more than qualifies as ATGATT IMO, insofar as *I* feel reasonably protected from the minor to middling accidents.

Am I protected from serious get-offs? Nope. That's an assumed risk. If I plan on doing especially spirited riding or all-weather touring, I'll swap out the jeans for my mesh of my full-up overpants. But the Kevlar jeans are a happy medium for a lazy Sunday ride.

Better than shorts and flip-flops, that's for sure.