Pants

Review: Olympia Pants

Olympia Pro Pants

So far, I am loving these pants. They fit me perfectly and are better than the FirstGear Overpants I had before. Even though I'm a shortie with a 28" inseam, these aren't too long. I'm wearing a size 6 in this picture. I've found them to be as comfortable as my FG's, if not more comfy. I thought with the textile being thicker and more dense that it would be really uncomfortable riding, but I haven't found that to be the case. My favorite features of these pants are:

  • Big pockets in front.
  • Reflective piping along the sides of the lower leg.
  • Hip to toe zippers (easy on and off. woo woo!).
  • Velcro adjustments at the ankle.
  • Removable quilted liner.
  • Velcro flaps over the zippers.
  • I really wish they would've added more reflective piping up the leg, instead of stopping at the knee. I also wish they had cargo pockets in the front like the men's pants do! Why do men get the cool features? Also, I do think that back pockets are useless when riding, and 2 big cargo pockets in the front would've been far more functional. Do you ever reach into the back pocket while riding?

    You can see below that there's an 8" connecting zipper so you can wear these with many other brands of pants (including R'evit). It also comes with the 'top teeth' of the zipper so you can have it sewn into any jacket that doesn't have a matching zipper.


    The hip and knee armor is fully changeable. You only get CE rated knee armor, but not hips. I've swapped out my knee armor for Dainese women's knee armor, since I'm using T-Pro in my leathers, I decided to use the Dainese armor in these instead. They're much more comfortable. The velcro armor pocket at the knees are adjustable up and down 2-3 inches in each direction as well. You can put in CE armor at the hips as well, although the pockets are a funny shape so you'd have to find armor that will fit the pockets.

    When you're trying these on, be sure to sit on your bike (if you can) or another bike, or just assume a seated position. Keep in mind that these pants (like all gear) are designed to be most comfortable and fitted properly in riding position. So you want the armor to be in the right place and not move from over your knee. Your kneecap should be securely up against/in the deep 'pocket' of the armor while in riding position. You don't want the armor to shift should you crash, so that's why it needs to be snugly covering your knees. And, that's why gear is supposed to fit snug. You also want them to be a tad bit long so when you sit you have some room for the pants to rise up a bit at the thighs/waist. I'm not normally a fan of a high waisted pant, but in this case, they really work to keep the pants from riding too low in the back.

    If you aren't used to so much velcro, the on and off will take some getting used to. It's definitely stronger velcro, which is good because we don't want it ripping apart if you're sliding. After a week or so of wearing them you'll get used to taking them on and off, and it should only take a few minutes to get fully dressed once you're used to the routine.

    If you're tall and have trouble finding pants that fit you, these will fit. I've had women who are close to 5'10" try these on without any problems. They have added a couple inches at the bottom of their pants to make sure taller folks are covered.

    Overall, I'd highly recommend these pants (which I already do!) to anyone looking for a pair of waterproof women's textile overpants, especially for commuters.

    Updates and Boots

    I've finally gotten around to fixing a couple of page errors on my reviews and directory pages. I also received a wonderful review from Fiona R. (Thanks!) on her newest purchase, a pair of Sidi Jasmine Te-Por Boots. Read her review here.

    I must also loudly thank Fieldsheer (Thanks Pam and Charles!!!) for sending me a copy of their newest catalog coming out for Fall. I am not that familiar with Fieldsheer products, so I look forward to learning as much as I can. I've read some great comments/reviews from women about Fieldsheer pants and jackets, so I hope to hear from you all as well. Please let me know if you have any of their products and send me a review! Their leather Tracker Pants even go up to a size 18. I particularly like the stretch panel that's on the backside of the calf.

    You can even get optional kneepucks to tear it up on the track! Nothing like the smell of leather in the morning to get your day started.

    If you have these pants, let me know~!
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    On the job front, I am thrilled to say that I have 1 less job, for a total of 3 jobs!! Yeah!! My new client is thrilled as much as I am and I am so excited that I can finally focus a little bit. But, what fun is only 3 jobs? Why not start taking some college classes to while I'm at it? So, I bit the bullet and decided to take a video class taught by my smart, capable husband at the College of San Mateo. The title of this course is DV workflow. In this course, I'll be shooting a video series of Five 2-3 minute episodes every 3 weeks or so. Yikes! I have no experience shooting videos, but hopefully I'll be able to get some private tutoring sessions to catch up. ;)

    So if you're interested in the progress I'll be making in class, please feel free to visit the other blog that I've set up for class here (womenride.blogspot.com). I can't wait to get started, I just hope I can keep up with the assignments. It's been 10 years since I've had homework. What have I gotten myself into??

    Women riding motorcycles and pants

    Here's a lovely article that appeared in the Dallas Morning News on June 24, 2007. In case you can't see it you can download a copy from my server here. It simply reiterates what many of us already know. More and more women are learning to ride every day. Women are the next big market, now that the baby boomers have done their thing. More women are buying bikes and manufacturers are finally noticing! I've also added the link to my articles page as well.

    And I've posted a brief review of my newest acquisition, Dainese Firefly Leather Pants. I've also uploaded some helpful sizing information also on my articles page.