pants

[cernunos]

BTW, does anyone know where you can buy good cotton socks anymore? Everything is Lycra, Polyester, yadda yoda blabba. And try out a set of chaps...you might like 'em. Love the mighty 500, Brazil, and this forum.

C........

[cummuterguy]

cummuterguy, do you like your jacket?

i have the teknic spider and it bunches up around my waist/over my hips when i ride =/

No problems with bunching on my lightning jacket, but I guess that is more of a body type vs. fitment thing.  I did think it was a bit tight in the chest when I first got it, but it's just fine now.

[Jasco]

Hey, I need some pants. What do you guys think of Fieldsheer highland pants? Does anyone have experience with these?

http://www.gstwins.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15457&highlight=

Was wearing the highland pant and zero conditions jacket from fielsheer when I wrecked.  See link above.  Held up well and I am still wearing them.  Just some minor scuffs on the pants at the knees.  They have good padding and armor, but are still comfy on the bike and ok to walk around in.  They are not going ot be good for summer though.  I can wear them until it gets about 70- 75 outside and then they are too hot.  Great in the cold though.
And they can be found reasonably priced too.

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/item.aspx?style=11909&department=113&Division=1

Matt

[Jeff P]

crash,
 I'm happy with the pants so far.  They're definitely comfortable, though it takes a bit to get used to overpants in general I think.  They sit kinda high on the waist and are pretty long - but they're made to fit "right" when you're sitting on the bike, not for walking around in.  FWIW order the same size as your regular pants, the sizes are already adjusted so they'll fit over your other clothes.  It's nice to wear 'em over my khakis to work, then just zip 'em off when I get there.
 The quality of the pants is quite good.  The material seems sturdy enough for a fall, everything is double stitched, no areas with any poor fit or loose stitching.  The exterior layer is partially a dense mesh, part solid fabric.  The solid parts look properly located to provide extra protection on the areas where you'd be sliding in a crash.  The inner layer is a loose mesh, and there's a waterproof, windproof, breathable liner that zips out.  
 The only thing lacking is the armor.  There's some padding in the knees, and the coverage is good, but it's not CE or anything.  In fact I'm not even sure if it's dual-density stuff like in my JR jacket.  Like anything short of race leathers it's a compromise.  This shortcoming could be solved by some of that funny Bohn armor, or some extra knee pads or something.  Maybe First Gear makes some add-on armor?  :dunno:
 I definitely like that these seem to be 3+ season capable.  Just wear some shorts under 'em in the summer, or put the liner in and wear pants for when it's cooler.  

jeff

[sys49152]

sorry.. read this just a bit late.  I've also got the FirstGear HT Overpants

crash,
I'm happy with the pants so far...

Ditto on all the comments.  Just a few more points :

The only thing lacking is the armor.

Yes!  So I ordered some dual density CE armor from New Enough, along with the pants.  It fits and works perfectly.

http://www.newenough.com/firstgear_ht_overpants_page.htm
Take a look at the optional core comp CE armor link at the bottom.

The only big concern I have is how lose the pants fit (yes, I ordered the right size).  I guess this is the nature of overpants, but still, I'm a little worried that in a hard fall the pants may slip down.  If I could do it over again, I'd get the Tour Master Decker pants :

http://www.newenough.com/tour_master_decker_pant_page.htm

They're leather and have the hip/knee armor, and they look like they'd be less likely to slip.  I think they're around the same price as the HT Overpants.  Of course you'd probably be a bit warmer in the summer.

[gobstopper]

The JR Phoenix mesh is made from some fancy ballistic nylon, so technically it's 'plasticky', but it's fairly smooth against the skin, so wearing it with shorts won't rub you raw.  Might not be great in a crash against bare skin...

When it gets cooler here (read: Thanksgiving to Valentine's Day), I wear my Phoenix pants over jeans with my non vented jacket (JR Meteor 4.0, IIRC).

When it's warm (rest of year) I wear my Phoenix pants over some very thin nylon fishing pants and my Phoenix jacket over a Tshirt.

[Stephen072774]

I use Draggin' Jeans. For the most part they are just denim, so they are pretty cool (not good in the winter) and comfortable off the bike. The kevlar in the butt and knees will presumably stop road rash, and there is CE armor in the knees. The only thing I worry about is that there isn't much hip protection. They seem like a pretty good compromise.

Yep a good compromise.  Having gone down I can say I will never compromise again.  My Icon pants were much like the draggin jeans both being reinforced denim.  They get a big thumbs down in my crash test.  From this point forward, I'm going with a 2 piece zip-together suit.

[secondgen7]

Has anyone tried the Icon Field Armor (newenough link)?  Thoughts?

I've been going back and forth on what to get for leg protection for some time now and just can't decide which is best (or, rather, which is the best compromise).  Comfort and ease of use are high as I have to plan for daily commutes in the Atlanta heat but don't want to find myself wishing for better protection in the event of a tumble.

Thanks to all for their advice, experiences, etc .. it's definitely helpful and appreciated.

[jiggersplat]

for those of you interested in slightly more casual pants, here's the ones i've run across.  keep in mind, i have no experience with any of these.  some of these are likely only marginally better than regular jeans.  personally, i intend to get either the bmw pants or the draggin' jeans zip-off cargo pants.

bmw
   summer pants $180, cordura 500, zip off legs, knee pads
icon
   barrier  $90, denim, no armor, insulated
   recon $80, denim, no armor
   superduty $90, cotton, aramid knees, no armor
joe rocket
   atomic jeans $80, cotton, hip & knee armor
   stage 1 pants $90, cordura, reinforced, hip & knee armor
   steel jeans $70, denim & reinforced nylon, no armor
draggin jeans
   cargo pants, $100, drill, kevlar lined, optional armor
   zip off cargo pants, $125 drill, kevlar lined, optional armor
giali
   cargo pants cotton w/ kevlar lining, zip off


also checkout http://www.motoport.com  they make some rather plain looking gear but their products seem like they will protect exceptionally well.  they have a number of mesh kevlar products that look partictularly interesting, but pricey.  it's your hide though, after all.

[callmelenny]

Has anyone tried the Icon Field Armor (newenough link)?  Thoughts?

I've been going back and forth on what to get for leg protection for some time now and just can't decide which is best (or, rather, which is the best compromise).  Comfort and ease of use are high as I have to plan for daily commutes in the Atlanta heat but don't want to find myself wishing for better protection in the event of a tumble.

Thanks to all for their advice, experiences, etc .. it's definitely helpful and appreciated.

I think the most common abrasions and impact injuries are on knees and hips, those icons won't help the hips at all. These look interesting http://www.webbikeworld.com/bohn-body-armor/ but have not heard any crash reports.

[crash]

yeah, if i end up getting the FG HT Overpants, i'll be ordering the knee and hip armor.  yay $40 overhead =/

[oldskool]

i've got the icon field armor leg armor and they are alright.
like was said before, they provide no hip protection but the leg protection is pretty good.
i understand that they should be tight to avoid slipage in case of impact, but these things are unbelievably tight on the legs, my legs at least. i think the "universal fit " doesn't really fit this product, but with a little mcguyverability you can make them more comfortable and less tight.
they would be excellent in combination with something that provided hip protection.
oldskool

[poormanracing]

i got the icon field armor leg and short

both feel alright...i got skinny calves so that part of the armor leg kinda loose but the leg strap is secure...if you wear em long enough while riding the knee cap kinda gets irritated with the hole in the knee padding

i understand that they should be tight to avoid slipage in case of impact

...i was concerned about it slipping out you know on the event of a crash...well i did weird test on it (imagine JACKASS stuff )..it held up ok

..the armor shorts looks like it'll keep your behind rash free too...but i feel some sort of padding would be really great to preventd butt being bruised

i should gone with the Firstgear HT overpants     coz it looks very protective and well made but i wanna wear different lookin pants everytime i ride...

[secondgen7]

i got the icon field armor leg and short

both feel alright...i got skinny calves so that part of the armor leg kinda loose but the leg strap is secure...if you wear em long enough while riding the knee cap kinda gets irritated with the hole in the knee padding

i understand that they should be tight to avoid slipage in case of impact

...i was concerned about it slipping out you know on the event of a crash...well i did weird test on it (imagine JACKASS stuff )..it held up ok

..the armor shorts looks like it'll keep your behind rash free too...but i feel some sort of padding would be really great to preventd butt being bruised

i should gone with the Firstgear HT overpants     coz it looks very protective and well made but i wanna wear different lookin pants everytime i ride...

I agree on the wearing something different .. that's one reason I like the idea of the leg armor .. can wear it under my reg. work clothes.  I'd definitely combine it with something for the hips/butt though.

That Bohn armor looks very interesting .. I hadn't seen it before.