- Joined
- Mar 9, 2008
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- Location
- San Jose, California (GMT -8)
I was looking for something more substantial than my riding jeans because most of my riding is commuting in traffic. Riding jeans give good abrasion resistance, but I wanted more. I wanted something that was more secure at the ankle (jeans are very loose and I'm worried about them riding up in a skid). I also wanted padding and armor, which the jeans also don't provide. After a lot of research, I bought the A* A-10 pants and LOVE them! No bad things to say; they're awesome. I'm very glad I got them over the all-leather track pants.
What I like:
- They're unbelievably comfortable. I could wear them all day
- They have leather for abrasion resistance in the right spots (butt, knees, shins)
- They are well ventilated so they're great for commuting
- They aren't bulky!! My main peev with overpants is that they're extremely bulky on us short riders. The fact that they're not bulky more than makes up for the fact that I can't wear pants underneath.
- The armor (knee and tibia) and padding is exactly what I was looking for.
- Zip to jacket with a 3/4 circumference zipper, not just the little zipper some pants have
- The zipper comes with a compliment, that you can have sewn into any jacket, even if it's not A* brand. Awesome of these guys.
- Very light weight
Some things to consider:
- They are not allowed on my local tracks - they require 100% leather pants, so don't think that you can get these and you're set for the track. Even though they have the armor and zip to your jacket, track coordinators won't let me use them since they're not full leather.
- They come smaller than advertised. I ordered a pair in size 46 (30" waist) and when they came I couldn't even get them over my thigh!! I ended up going with a 50 (34" waist) and they fit perfectly.
- They don't have pockets! You have been warned. I like this feature because in a crash, I don't want whatever's in my pockets being beaten into my leg.
- They do take a couple of weeks to a month to really break in. Until then they feel stiff and bulky. Give it time; they'll be more comfortable than your favorite pair of jammies before long.
What I like:
- They're unbelievably comfortable. I could wear them all day
- They have leather for abrasion resistance in the right spots (butt, knees, shins)
- They are well ventilated so they're great for commuting
- They aren't bulky!! My main peev with overpants is that they're extremely bulky on us short riders. The fact that they're not bulky more than makes up for the fact that I can't wear pants underneath.
- The armor (knee and tibia) and padding is exactly what I was looking for.
- Zip to jacket with a 3/4 circumference zipper, not just the little zipper some pants have
- The zipper comes with a compliment, that you can have sewn into any jacket, even if it's not A* brand. Awesome of these guys.
- Very light weight
Some things to consider:
- They are not allowed on my local tracks - they require 100% leather pants, so don't think that you can get these and you're set for the track. Even though they have the armor and zip to your jacket, track coordinators won't let me use them since they're not full leather.
- They come smaller than advertised. I ordered a pair in size 46 (30" waist) and when they came I couldn't even get them over my thigh!! I ended up going with a 50 (34" waist) and they fit perfectly.
- They don't have pockets! You have been warned. I like this feature because in a crash, I don't want whatever's in my pockets being beaten into my leg.
- They do take a couple of weeks to a month to really break in. Until then they feel stiff and bulky. Give it time; they'll be more comfortable than your favorite pair of jammies before long.
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