Motoring journalist Andy Russell reviews Rev’It motorbike jeans ...
I’d been thinking of upgrading my protective motorbike jeans for some time but things came to a head after 340 miles in 31C heat.
They are hot, heavy and make me look and waddle like our animated hero in Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers. Since I shed a few pounds, their sheer weight means there’s a danger of them slipping down without both belt and braces.
The design of motorbike jeans has come a long way since I bought my original pair, made of heavy denim, that felt like canvas, with a thick armoured lining layer inside.
I wanted a single layer pair and, having been impressed with other Rev’It clothing, looked at its range.
It has a good range of products, whether it be colours, styles or designs, with something to suit everyone.
I wanted a pair of jeans that were more fitted this time so I could happily wear them as casual clothing when I got off the motorbike… so cut and comfort were the priority.
I narrowed it down to tapered Detroit and skinny Piston pairs.
Both fitted well thanks to some stretch in the 12.5oz Cordura denim, giving good freedom of movement without them being baggy. They also have triple needle stitching and safety seams.
I was concerned the short leg is 32 inches, standard 34 inches and long 36 inches. I thought short would be too long as I normally wear 31 inch but it’s fine and the jeans will ride up a bit when on the bike.
Should you need to roll them up, an internal reflective strip is revealed which is nice attention to detail.
I went for the £160 skinny Piston style (skinny is not a word associated with me) because I prefer the even narrower legs. It will be easier to tuck them into tall boots and they will not flap about when wearing short boots.
I also like the pliable and breathable standard knee protectors which you do not notice when walking. They fit into internal pockets and are easy to remove when the jeans are washed. My old pair used Velcro strips to secure the knee pads and it was hit and miss getting them into position again.
The Rev’It jeans also have pockets for optional Seesmart CE-level 1 insert hip protectors.
See more of our protective motorbike jeans at orwell.co.uk/shop/clothing/trousers/armoured-denim-jeans