Commuting gear choice (jeans)

[Sentox]

So, I'm on a limited budget at present, but I want to add some protection for commuting. Wearing my leathers for daytime commuting is just too impractical for me, so I find myself weighing up two choices: buy some kevlar jeans, or keep using regular jeans with something like Knox cross lite knee protectors underneath. Looking for opinions on what's preferable in a commuting scenario: road rash protection or impact protection?

[bogan]

At the end of the day its for you to weight up the impracticality with the risk. But I've had an off with jeans doing bout 50 on a GN250 (so not a heavy bike) tore the knee on the jeans and got a bit of a scar. I still commute with jeans.

[Phreak]

'Rhino' brand jeans on TradeMe for $160 is a pretty good deal, I reckon... Kevlar lined with hip and knee armour... Seriously considering getting some myself! But yeah, I'm in the same boat, riding with normal jeans at the moment... Draggin's are too expensive for me!

[p.dath]

At the end of the day its for you to weight up the impracticality with the risk. But I've had an off with jeans doing bout 50 on a GN250 (so not a heavy bike) tore the knee on the jeans and got a bit of a scar. I still commute with jeans.

+1. You need to consider what kinds of accidents you are worried about. Typically you need to consider impact protection (caused by hitting something - often after a slide) and abrasion resistance (caused by the slide itself).

If it is any help, the two most common accidents are being hit by car, followed by loosing it on a corner.

[blackdog]

a decent pair of cordura pants easily slip over normal jeans, more protection, and for fairly good quality are still cheaper than draggins

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-286289662.htm

[Sentox]

+1. You need to consider what kinds of accidents you are worried about. Typically you need to consider impact protection (caused by hitting something - often after a slide) and abrasion resistance (caused by the slide itself).

If it is any help, the two most common accidents are being hit by car, followed by loosing it on a corner.

I've experienced the second type: off'd at about 70kph into a stony ditch, not the asphalt, so I got away with various scrapes and a puncture in my leg. It seems to me that scraping off one's skin on the road is still preferable to smashing your kneecap...

a decent pair of cordura pants easily slip over normal jeans, more protection, and for fairly good quality are still cheaper than draggins

Hmmm, I hadn't actually thought about cordura. I'd have to detach myself from the "cool" look of jeans, though. Cool is of little benefit when tar is being dug out of your flesh, I guess.

[blackdog]

Hmmm, I hadn't actually thought about cordura. I'd have to detach myself from the "cool" look of jeans, though. Cool is of little benefit when tar is being dug out of your flesh, I guess.

actually a nice set of matching black corduras can look freakn cool

[p.dath]

I've experienced the second type: off'd at about 70kph into a stony ditch, not the asphalt, so I got away with various scrapes and a puncture in my leg. It seems to me that scraping off one's skin on the road is still preferable to smashing your kneecap...

Search these forums for "gravel rash". At 100km/h and ordinary jeans you can be facing a recovery time of up to 6 months. Those who have experienced say it is far worse than braking bones (don't know about knee cap .. ). You can expect to loose 5mm of flesh for every 1s of time you spend sliding on tar seal with no protection. Ordinary jeans take a "nanosecond" to wear through.

But once again, its a matter of choosing what you want protection from. It is impossible to give yourself 100% protection, and different people have different recovery times.

[SPP]

I’ve only been rashed up once on a bicycle and it’s not very nice as P.Dath says. The course chip on our roads tears rather than rubs off the skin.

An over pant with armour is a good one. They may not stop breakage if you crash hard but they’ll stop your knee caps from getting ripped open in a ‘medium’ spill. Those Rhino pants could be worth a look as well.

[firefighter]

two choices: buy some kevlar jeans, or keep using regular jeans with something like Knox cross lite knee protectors underneath.

Why either or? I wear riding jeans which I brought on special for $140 with these http://www.motomail.co.nz/eStore/Style/DJARKNEEG.aspx

Considering the amount of wear it's actually very economical.......The idea of smashing my knees or slowly grinding them off does'nt appeal....and works out at the price of one pair of draggins. Just watch trademe until something comes up, or, for your own sake, buy from overseas. I know it's taboo on here to suggest that but you have to put your own safety before someone elses profit.

[IdunBrokdItAgin]

Why either or? I wear riding jeans which I brought on special for $140 with these http://www.motomail.co.nz/eStore/Style/DJARKNEEG.aspx

Considering the amount of wear it's actually very economical.......The idea of smashing my knees or slowly grinding them off does'nt appeal....and works out at the price of one pair of draggins. Just watch trademe until something comes up, or, for your own sake, buy from overseas. I know it's taboo on here to suggest that but you have to put your own safety before someone elses profit.

Cheers firefighter, didn't know that these were available.

I wear draggins for commuting, now planning on getting a set of these to compliment them.

For the OP: Only criticism I heard on kevlar jeans is that the NZ coarse road surface (chip'n'seal) wears them out quickly on a slide (all the draggin jeans demo vids are done on smooth asphalt). They can also move around but as long as you wear them with a good belt (to stop them moving on the hip) and proper motorbike boots I think they are a good alternative to cordura.

Nothing beats leather though - but not always a practical option.

[Spearfish]

slip on padding moves around once it starts to dig in unless it on real tight, bit like loosing gloves if the wrist strap is left loose.

[davereid]

What size are ya ? I've got about half a dozen pairs of "Neo" cordura pants still in the defunct scooter shop. If your size is in there you can have a pair for koha. You might as well have em, scooter rider never bought 'em.

[Sentox]

What size are ya ? I've got about half a dozen pairs of "Neo" cordura pants still in the defunct scooter shop. If your size is in there you can have a pair for koha. You might as well have em, scooter rider never bought 'em.

I'm such a white boy I had to get google to define koha for me. I like the definition a lot... obviously I'd pay for shipping at the very least.

Most of my pants are about a 32" waist.

Edit: or I could pay attention to your location and realise you're not so far away

[ESXB0Y]

I guess it also depends on what you need to be wearing when you get off your bike at the other end. I live in my Shift kevlar jeans with the Draggin knox knee armour underneath with my riding boots for when I cna be casual, but for when I need to be smart I have cordura overpants with armour so I can wear suit trousers underneath.