Riding Jeans or Riding Pants?

 

I'm intrigued by riding jeans but concerned about their crash worthiness for non-city riding. My commuting distance is a combined 20 miles of backroads,mostly freeway and a tiny bit of downtown Portland. My other riding is highways and country roads.

My favorite warm weather option is Dainese New Drake Airs (fit is super!). Should I bother with denim or stick with these as my commuting pants?

Many thanks, Linda

For non-city riding, I wouldn't recommend riding jeans. Generally speaking, riding jeans are a better alternative to your casual, non resistant, gap/old navy type jeans. The only riding jeans I do recommend are ones with denim/Kevlar/technical, abrasion resistant fabrics such as Rokker or Rev'it. And I only recommend the ones with hip and knee protection. I tend to be a stickler for armor in riding jeans, but that's certainly a personal decision.

I think you are already wearing the best option for the commute that you're riding everyday. The Dainese Drake Airs are light, strong and comfortable. I have these too, but they're a size too big so I hate wearing them!

The only reason I would do riding jeans instead is if you really want something that's more casual looking for city riding only.  I was trying to buy the Rev'it Broadway jeans for ladies myself, but after I found the knee pockets to be an inch too low even in riding position, I knew they wouldn't work :(. I was thinking of finding a pair of jeans to wear just around town and on my 10 minute commute (non highway) to work. Personally, I wouldn't wear riding jeans on the freeway.

Sidenote: the Broadway jeans are very slender, and run a size up. I'm a 27" in most casual jeans and I had to go up to a 28" in these because they were so tight. They're also *really* long and all have 32" inseams, which you can hem but that doesn't change the position of the knee armor. I actually prefer the fit of the Madison, but they don't have any hip armor.  I may still give in to these if I can get hip pockets sewn in to add armor there.

Summer Women's Motorcycle Jacket for a Petite Frame

Hi Joanne,

I came across your blog doing research on motorcycle gear. I love how informative and thorough your writing is -- please continue sharing your insight and wisdom!

A friend of mine rides a Harley cruiser and we'll be taking a 2 hr road trip in a couple weeks. I'll be the passenger and I want to be properly geared up. I was thinking about getting the Rev'It Ignition 2 jacket, but am wondering if you had recommendations for other jackets, considering that I don't know how frequently I'll be on a motorcycle (this will be my first ride!) and I will most likely always be the passenger :)

My info is:

1/ 5'7" / 125ish

2/ bust -- 34 / waist -- 28 / hips -- 36

3/ I'll be Colorado in a couple weeks and it looks like that weekend is going to be in the low 90s, eek.

4/ What I'm concerned about is that the chest area will fit ok -- I'm pretty busty (32DD) but have a small back and narrow shoulders so ideally the jacket would need to fit my shoulders well and not be too big. I am also looking for a jacket that's not going to ride up too much when I sit.

Have you tried Ugly Bros denim? There's some versions that have kevlar woven in. I'd love to hear your thoughts on that brand if you're familiar?

I look forward to hearing from you!

best, amy

At your size, I don't think the Ignition 2 is a good option. It's *very* busty. I would actually recommend this jacket because it's longer, 3/4 length and without the waterproof/windproof liner (one liner keeps you warm and dry) and it's ventilated for hot weather. Comes in silver too. I'd go with a size 34. It's better for you than other mesh jackets due to the combination of fit/features that you need.

Rev'it Levante $299: http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/revit-womens-levante-jacket

If it's going to be 90, I recommend 2 things:

1. Wear a baselayer, something to moisture wick and help the gear breathe better: http://gearchic.com/2013/08/22/what-are-baselayers/
2. Wear  a sportsbra to compress the girls a bit if need be. The sports bra will also be more comfortable on a hot, long trip over a traditional bra. A running / workout bra is great. I wear a simple Gap Body one that's light and super comfy. I'm a 32D bordering 34C myself.

Rev'it and other companies make other mesh jackets, but this one hits all the points you need; bust fit, narrowness in shoulders/arms, length, coverage, etc.

The Maven will simply be too Hot. You need mesh and breathability. Keep in mind that the Levante is also a breathable mesh, not an open weave mesh like you see on other jackets. So it'll still breathe really well but not as direct as traditional mesh. Check out my cohost's review of the jacket here: http://gearchic.com/2013/07/10/revit-levante-jacket-review-by-advgoddess/

As far as denim jeans, haven't heard of that brand. My favorite is Rev'it because they offer Hip And Knee protection. It's very rare when someone offers us both! Body armor is as important as abrasion resistance, so hips and knees are a must. These offer both, as well as Coolmax lining which should help in the heat, and the denim is weaved with Cordura so it's not just regular denim with panels for reinforcement. Revit says that their lining is stronger than Kevlar, and more breathable. It's certainly softer, that's for sure. I'm very tempted to get these to commute to work with myself. I don't do riding jeans because none of them so far have offered hip and knee armor and I don't like riding without hip armor. The fit is fabulous and true to waist size. They fit like a nice bootcut jean. My only issue with them is that the legs are really long, I have a 28.5" inseam and the knee armor pockets are almost an inch too low in riding position. :(

Rev'it Broadway: http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/revit-womens-broadway-jeans

Motorcycle gloves for wider hands and shorter fingers

 

This question came in from Glen who needs help with finding gloves. Let's see if I can help. 

I could use your help, even though I'm a guy ;-) 

I'm looking for a summer weight waterproof ADV glove and not finding much luck.The main issue is I have wide hands with short fingers.  I've tried Rukka, A-Star, Revit and Racer. 

The closest thing I have found is Klim in a size medium. I currently wear the Klim Caldera and Inversion pro. The mediums are very tight at first but once the leather breaks in, they are just about perfect. I really can't work with long fingers. 

Anything you can suggest? 

Thanks, Glen

Well Glen, my recommendation would then be for Held, Cortech or Tourmaster. For Held, I've had luck with the Steve Classics:

These are available in short, however, at the time of this post, it seems that certain sizes are out of stock :(. (Sidenote, these are are actually great for women too, because if you have really small hands or long fingers, they're available in a 6/XS) and 7 long). Protection wise, they may not be what you're looking for but they're a nice all around glove. What's also nice is that the wrists are elastic, so that makes it easier to get in and out.

Unfortunately not all of Held's gloves are available in short, just the Steve Classics.

Otherwise if you want more protection, then I have to recommend Cortech or Tourmaster. The fits are fairly wide and and the fingers tend to be shorter as well.

Petite Women's Motorcycle Gear for Winter

Hi Joanne, Been following you for a while and love your site! I'm from Australia (living in Canberra) and wanted your advice on, believe or not, some gear :). The winters in Canberra can be quite chilly (down to 0-4 degrees celsius in winter) and I'm looking for a good winter jacket. I have some Rev'it gear - Ignition 2 for spring/summer/fall) and the Siren (predecessor of the Indigo for fall/winter). Wondering if you have any suggestions? I've been looking at the Rev'it Sand (looks quite bulky), Dainese Elysse (not sure what this is like other than reading on the internet). Are there any favourites of yours for winter?  For Canberra winter mornings can be as low as -3C (26F) degrees to about 7C (44F) degrees. In Sydney, which is 280km away, their mornings are probably 9 degrees and they will consider that cold!

Thanks so much and might I add again that I love your site! :) 

Cheers, Kathleen.

We went back and forth a few emails, so I won't bore you with those details. After getting Kathleen's sizing/measurements, I was able to give her a few ideas. Kathleen rides a Ninja 300 and is on the petite side, (5'3", 119lbs).

In general, I recommend anything with Gore-Gex because it offers the best waterproof/windproof layer, and for breathability.  As far as cold weather gear, it depends on your body type. I only make recommendations based on what fits you! I need to know your height, weight, chest (over the bust), hips, inseam measurements to give you some ideas. Believe it or not, the Revit Sand suit is the lightest year round suit, because the shell is ultralight. It would probably be the least warm for this reason.

I think a Dainese Jacket would work well for you. I would also highly recommend a heated jacket liner such as this one:

Firstgear Womens Heated Liner, size XS http://www.revzilla.com/product/firstgear-womens-heated-jacket-liner

You would substitute the thermal layer in the jacket for the Firstgear liner. I also have a review of the previous version of this jacket (made by WarmnSafe) including installation here.

Given the temperatures you're attempting to ride in, you'll need it! If you're like most women, you're colder on top vs. bottom. I think this outfit would be awesome since it's GoreTex (which provides the best waterproof/windproof liner!):

• Dainese Zima Gore-Tex Jacket: Size 40; Unfortunately Revzilla only shows color Black/Dawn Blue. I have no idea what that color is. I can't find any samples online! You would need a 40 since your chest measurement is 35.5. This combined with your weight of 54kg/119lbs, you'll need the smallest size available. The nice thing about the Zima is it's waterproof on the outside, only the thermal liner is removable. I've tried it on and it's awesome! Here's a link to some pics of me in it.
• Dainese Travelguard Gore-Tex pants: Size 40; Again, Gore-Tex is such a great windwall and fully waterproof. It only has a removable thermal liner. I like the fact that there is hip armor and adjustable knees! I never see adjustable knee armor on Dainese pants.

Of course, these are higher on the budget but given what you need and the size that you are, I think these are the best option. A heavyweight winter baselayer like this or this is perfect too.

UPDATE 6/6/2014:

Kathleen emailed me back to let me know what she found!

Hi Joanne,

Wanted to say thank you, thank you, thank you!

I bought the Zima - actually found in a store in Sydney, tried on the 40 and bought it. I absolutely love it - it fits really well.

Haven't got the heated liner yet, as I've only had the Zima for a few days so wanted to see what the fit was like, etc. Next on the shopping list is the heated liner and some new pants.

Loved your advice so thank you again.