cycle friendly pants?

[madships]

(I am using pants in the american parlance, so trousers, not pants pants)
pretty much all of my chinos/jeans are suffering from a premature demise due to getting holes in the crotch. And there appears to be a strong correlation between the death of the pants and me popping to the shops on my bike in said pants- normally it hastens their demise but a couple of days I sat back in out of standing up for a slight rise only to be greeted with a large ripping sound and a saddle nose attempting to check my prostate*. Is it just me that has this issue? maybe, but does anyone have any recommendations for saddle friendly chinos/ jeans? I am not going to change saddles, and I am not going to stop popping to the shops, so either I find a solution or I just resign myself to heading to Gap every couple of months.



*ok, so I may be using a 'little' poetic licence, but you get the idea...

[Too Tall]

Signature Justin recommended Outlier shorts a while back and I bite. They have proved to be insanely durable for exactly what you propose AND they have no obnoxious seams in the wrong places. After *about two years of abuse they look new.
OUTLIER Three Way Shorts
OUTLIER Webshop: Pants

[madships]

they look good, will see if they have a uk/europe reseller to avoid prohibitive shipping/ taxes. thanks!

[Too Tall]

they look good, will see if they have a uk/europe reseller to avoid prohibitive shipping/ taxes. thanks!

Ooooo did not see you were in Europe.

[Jeffrey Borisch]

They won't be the best for comfort over distance but some commuter types swear by pants from the army surplus.

[madships]

unfortunately, due to work they have to be smart casual- so looking for decent chino style. Jeans at the mo is out of the window as well, but hopefully moving to another site in 6 months or so where I may actually get away with the 'devils cloth'

[72gmc]

Depending on your taste in colors, you could try swrve cycling pants: swrve trousers

I'm wearing the lightweight wwr pants as I type, because they're as good for walking the dog in crap weather as they are for riding in crap weather. Mine have a year of nonstop commuting in them and are still going strong.

[madships]

oooh, they could be a goer. I have found an Italian company called Pistard that looks promising, but unless I am doing something stupid I cant see how to order on-line. Have sent them a message, so hopefully they will reply.

[RspinnaKing]

madships,

They may not be the epitome of fashion but I've found Dickies Original 874 work pants to be excellent for cycling. The poly-cotton blend is durable and abrasion resistant not too heavy, somewhat water repellent and dries quickly. They also have a fairly high waist that will cover your butt when you reach for the bars. The straight-leg cut isn't my preference but they are easy to alter. The best part of all this is that they cost less than a bottle of fancy wine.

dickies-original-874-work-pant_4.jpg

I get about six months of riding out of a pair before the crotch starts to get threadbare. At that time or when the weather demands, I cut them off into shorts and use the scraps to reinforce the crotch. I've had cycle-specific jeans from Rapha and others that don't work as well as the Dickies. If they suit your style you'd be hard pressed to find a better solution for the money.

[David Tollefson]

Depending on your taste in colors, you could try swrve cycling pants: swrve trousers

I'm wearing the lightweight wwr pants as I type, because they're as good for walking the dog in crap weather as they are for riding in crap weather. Mine have a year of nonstop commuting in them and are still going strong.

US distributor?

[soupless]

I think you get them directly from swrve.

My Levis commuter pants look good and the little bit of stretch helps with mounting/dismounting and not yanking that area. Would buy again.

[72gmc]

US distributor?

Hi David--I posted the UK link for the OP but here in the States it's swrvecycling.com. I've ordered from them a couple of times, exchanged for a different size, and the service made me happy. If you come up to the city there's a shop called Hub and Bespoke in Fremont that has swrve and another more exclusive line of wool pants in stock to try on.

[madships]

thanks for all the suggestions, going to have a look at the swrve stuff, and for the price I may as well get the dickies and see how they go. I haven't heard back from Pistard yet, and to be honest I am not holding my breath. if they do get back to me I will let you know

[charliedid]

howies - organic, recycled and low impact clothing for sports we love and our daily lives

Hmm- Seems they only do Jeans now. Still great stuff.

[sonnybiker]

dickies are great. there is a slim straight version that look more formal.

[zetroc]

+1, I ride in dickies for most commutes and they're great. Generally last at least 6 months, and the price is such that I don't mind replacing them that often.

[derailer]

Since we're talking pants, I might as well add my thoughts about Outlier's.

I have the Outlier New OGs, 60/30 Chinos, and Ultralight pants. As standalone pants, they are all exceptional. Outlier makes supremely comfortable and good-looking pants. So much so that I won't wear anything but Outlier pants unless I need to dress up with a suit or wool trousers.

On the bike, Outlier pants are very comfortable because they are quite stretchy and the seams are well-placed. However, the Ultralights are not suitable for cycling because the material is so light and thin that after a few short rides around town mine started pilling and thinning on the seat area. I haven't ridden with the 60/30 chinos, so I can't comment on those. The New OGs are great on the bike unless you plan on sweating -- the fabric simply doesn't breathe very well in my limited experience. I went on a cross-town jaunt in my New OGs a few weeks ago when it was about 72 degrees out. I was doing a decent clip on my road bike and after about 5 miles felt as if my legs were in a steam bath. The very fabric that makes the pants so delightful off the bike renders them quite unpleasant while exerting oneself on the bike. Are they better or worse than any other pant? I don't know -- I usually don't ride in pants. That said, I would not hesitate to ride with the New OGs when it's a little cooler outside.

All in all, I think Outlier makes outstanding clothing (the merino hoody is to die for) and I will continue to purchase their stuff as my budget permits. But I think it's no accident that the company's advertising materials relate more to parkour than cycling.

[drewgh2o]

Check Kuhl Desperado leg covers. Über thin stretch fabric is sublime. Wifey buys them for my birfday and makes me smile many times.

[Fixed]

Prana is my friend I even get a 30 % discount
Cheers

[coolberto hipsterdor]

Levi's commuter jeans are nice, I believe Rapha also makes commuter jeans although my friend that had them wore them out quickly for how much they cost, Levi's 510 and 511 are alright, the skinny leg helps. I have a pair with a specialized toupe wear mark clearly visible and the pants themselves are holding up fine after that much riding. The skinny dickies are pretty good too. Bibs under skinny jeans is ideal in my experience versus any kind of pants with built in padding, otherwise I'd go with no padding nothing in between.