5. Motorbike pants that fit

I wrote in my last blog (4. Riding Gear) that I have had difficulty finding a pair of bike pants that fit. Thankfully, I have now solved the problem and have just bought a pair of BMW Rallye 2 Pro pants, which nicely match my jacket :).

The pants or my physique were not the problem, it was (and it seems ridiculous now) my assumption that it is just like buying a pair of regular pants. Thanks to the sales assistant, I am now a lot wiser.

Pant length
I was going about it all wrong, firstly the bulk of the time I am going to be in a sitting position so therefore the pants need to be much longer to accommodate bent legs. Secondly, I tried them on with my boots (motorcross style BMW Rallye GS2) this time, what a good idea! The boots and pants are designed to work together, the pants being worn on the inside the boots. This has the great advantage of being able to tuck the bottom of the knee pads, which extend to mid shin, into the top of the boots. The knee pads are then held in place under the large velco tab of the boots. The secured knee pads which are fairly large and go around the sides of the knees are now nicely positioned to protect the knees whether sitting down, or standing up.

Loose Fit
It is also necessary for the pants to be a bit baggy from the thigh up to be comfortable. Firstly, enough room in the crotch area prevents squashing! Secondly the air vents on the top of the pants work much better when the material is a bit gathered and has folds in it. If the material was tighter and flush to the leg then much less air would pass into the vents and keep you cool.

So there you go - a pair of bike pants that fit. Also as the Rallye 2 Pro's come with thermal/waterproof gortex inners and armour, no need for me to buy seperate waterproofs or knee protectors.