Triumphrat

VaMtnMan · 07-08-2007

I learned the hard way about riding with denim jeans. Tore a hole in my knee and needed several stitches and a brace for about two weeks. Anyway, I have a pair of Triumph perforated leather pants, size 36 that I would sell for $135 plus actual shipping. I am going to put them Classifieds if no one here wants them. PM me for pictures & additional info if you are interested.

RT · 07-29-2007

This stuff is pretty good.

http://www.johnsonleather.com/armor_main.htm

wear the shorts under riding pants. Much better protection than standard riding pant armor. Keep pretty cool even in florida hot weather

rustbucket · 08-02-2007

I ordered up a set of the Cortech jeans mentioned earlier in this thread - I thought I'd post a comparison to the Draggin Jeans I already have.

Out of the box, I was impressed with the cut and quality of the Cortech's. The denim is heavy and substantial, and they look sharp. The stitching is good, and all seams are double stitched. The stitching on the Draggin Jeans is more substantial, with many seams triple-stitched.
*Initial impression for fashion: Cortech. Initial impression for protection: Draggin

The knee pads impressed me less. They're much smaller than the Knox armor that ships with draggin jeans. The pads are made of some kind of rubber, as opposed to the more complex (and, I think, effective) honeycomb/foam design of the Knox armor. Both claim to be CE certified, but the Draggin armor is much nicer.

UPDATE: I used the knee armor a few times this week on the Cortech's - IMHO they definitely don't have enough coverage for good protection. However they are a lot less bulky than the Draggin' armor, and are definitely better than nothing.
*Knee Armor: advantage Draggin by far.

The armor on the Draggin Jeans velcros do the exposed kevlar fabric, so you can put them in the best position for you. The armor on the Cortech's slides into a pocket behind the leather knee panels, offering no adjustability. On the other hand, the armor on the Draggin Jeans directly touches your skin, and gets sweaty on hot days, where the Cortechs offer a layer of separation.
The biggest difference between the Cortech's and the Draggin Jeans is that the Cortech uses perforated leather panels in the knees and seat, where the Draggin jeans use a Kevlar weave. The Cortech is more nicely finished, with a layer of cloth between the leather panels and your body for comfort. Coverage is better on the Draggin Jeans - the kevlar goes down further in the seat and wraps all the way around the knees. The Cortech panels are only on the front of the knee.
**Overall Protection: advantage Draggin.**

After a couple of hot weather rides, I can say definitively that the leather allows more ventilation than kevlar.

The fit on the Cortechs is much better for me than my Draggin Jeans. I the relaxed fit Draggin Jeans, and as noted earlier in the thread, the rise is far to high for the waist - they seem like they're meant to be worn with the belt around bellybutton level. The Cortech is cut like a relaxed fit jean (straight leg, shorter rise). I much prefer them on the bike. The downside to the lower rise is that the waist pulls down a bit when I'm on the bike, where the Draggin Jeans are cut higher in the back to avoid that.

I have a 38" waist and a 35" (measured) inseam (6'3" 225lbs). I usually wear a 38x32 or 38x34 in regular jeans. The longest size of the Cortech is 34", so I ordered a 38x34. They run a bit large in the waist - I'd say they fit like a 39" waist or so. The 34 inch inseam is a bit short on the bike, but just right off the bike. My Draggin Jeans are 38x36, and I appreciate the extra length on the bike.
**Comfort & Fit: Cortech by far.**

Because of the leather panels, the washing instructions on the Cortechs require that they hang dry. The Draggin Jeans can be put into the dryer on medium heat.
**Ease of not smelling funny: Draggin**

Conclusion:
Both products are high quality. The Draggin Jeans offer more protection, and are available in a wider range of sizes (I got the longest size available from Cortech - a 34), but the comfort and ventilation of the Cortech means they're my new first choice for protective jeans. The next time I'm on the market, I'll probably try the traditional fit Draggin Jeans (which, interestingly, only have kevlar on the front with similar coverage to the Cortech Jeans), but the Cortechs will keep me happy for a long time.

Tommybro · 09-25-2007

Anyone have the FirstGear HT II Textile Overpants? New Enough has them for $161.96. I have a short inseam and would like more protection and something warmer for the fall and winter.

Tom

rustbucket · 09-25-2007

I have a set of them. They're good pants - waterproof, quilted liner is plenty warm. In general I like them. My only complaint is that they're bulky and can be a little uncomfortable tucked in on my Speed Four, but I imagine that would be the case with all cool weather overpants.

tacomaguy · 09-26-2007

Thanks rustbucket for a great review. I have thhe draggin jeans and use them ofr in-town rides where I don't want to mess with full armored gear. They do the job well.

Onne comment is thta they are BAD for long distance travel. I once wore them under my regular overpants, (so I could switch out once reaching my destination) but after a couple hours in the saddle the thick triple seams in the butt left my arse feeling like it was being tortured. Finished most of the ride standing in the pegs to improve circulation.

I'm looking at a pair or the Triumph perf leather jeans for next summer. Any comments on them?

Paul

TrippedOut · 09-26-2007

When I was shopping for riding jeans I actually ended up getting the Alpinestar Street Cargo Pants. They are designed to wear as a regular pant, but I tried on a pair two sizes up to slip over my jeans and they fit perfect. I wear them as an overpant and they are very comfortable. In the summer I throw on a pair of shorts underneath and wear them like that to keep the heat down. They also have a vent above the knee that you can prop open for good circulation, but it doesn't stay open all the time so riding on fall mornings doesn't give you stage 2 hypothermia. I don't wear them in the rain because of the knee vents, but you wouldn't be wearing jeans in the rain either. I also like the large storage pockets on the side. If I don't have my panniers or tank bag on for light rides I can throw my phone and wallet in them without a bother. I hate putting things in my jacket other than my house keys in the wrist pocket. They are a comfortable pant and priced the same as a good pair of riding jeans. I picked mine up for $95 from a shop I know well, but I think list is still only $120. The couple shops I went to I just didn't care for any of the jeans. I thought they looked dorky and out of place on me and I didn't like the knee protection they provided. Some people have complained about them being too baggy for the size stated and needing a belt, but mine fit great and no belt needed. I wear a 36 waist in pants and I bought a pair of 38 waist in them. I wear a pair of sweats, jeans, shorts or whatever under them at all times.

Alpinestar Street Cargo Pants

* Abrasion resistant outshell fabric
* Removable CE certified knee protectors
* Engineered loose fit
* Vent panels above knee area
* MX styling
* Cargo pockets
* Side zipper opening on leg for quick application of optional Reflex knee guards

mglemans86 · 10-01-2007

I picked up Triumph Raptor vented pants about a month ago. They fit good and are comfy. Armor in the knees and padding on the hips. They zip to my Cortec air jacket. Haven't slid down the road yet. They work well in hot weather and are good to about 55 F. Colder than that it's the leathers

SSG Rex · 10-05-2007

I bought some Olympia 2-in-1 overpants yesterday, just in time to encounter major downpour on the way home.
Great pants, warm, waterproof. They regular overpants (reflective strip, full leg zipper, knee pads) with insulated rain pants that attach inside - wear the outer over my ACUs in good weather, both together for nasty weather, or I guess throw the inner rainpants in the saddlebag for putting on over my Triumph Western "jeans" on my days off.

I'm pretty happy with them, I'd been looking for something I can wear over my ACUs (that's Advanced Combat Uniform, or Army digital camos for the civilians) on my way to work. The ACUs have handy velcro pockets designed for knee (and elbow) pads, but I don't think ripstop cotton/poly would last more than a couple meters on the pavement.

NorrinRadd · 10-08-2007

The many riding jeans I have -

JR Atomic cargo jeans (both knee and hip pads)
Draggin' jeans (knee pads)
Teknic Rage jeans (knee pads)
DSX jeans (knee pads)
Icon SD Jeans

+1 for the Cortech DSX jeans, I wear Dainese padded shorts under and feel pretty protected while not looking dorky (ie. draggin' jeans) or sweating to death in the 95 temps (ie. draggin' jeans). The knee pads do move around more than I would like but for trying to look normal and have protection and comfort they are the best. The JR have hip protection but I still have to wear the shorts under because the seat is just doubled material, since they are mesh lined they are cool and comfortable with great storage. The Rage jeans are like a hip hop cut and I had to have them altered so the legs were not so wide and I added knee protection as they had pockets but not pads. The Draggin's are hotter and look like the kids whose parents bought them jeans from k-mart when you were a kid. The Icons look great standing around but that is all you can do, once on the bike the waist is cut low in the back like a chick jean and there is not enough room in the front for male parts. I even tried a size too large and wore a belt but still the male areas were too small unless you are off the bike just hanging out. From my experience Icon stuff (just like their ads) is built for posing more than riding.

There is no substitute for leather but sometimes you have to make some compromises for weather and events, sometimes a race suit is just not possible.