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brd
0
Well, I got a pair of FirstGear MeshTex pants in yesterday. I'm able to wear shorts at work, but I commute on the bike every day, so I wanted to find some mesh pants to go over them. My JR ballistic pants work okay until the weather gets above 80, then they're just too hot.
My first thought was to get some of the JR Phoenix pants. I have a Phoenix jacket, which flows air very well. But the Phoenix pants, unlike the Ballistic, are not available in a Tall size. I tried a pair of them on, and the legs just were not long enough.
My next thought was the FirstGear pants. They are available in a Tall size, and I have a FG Kilimanjaro jacket that fits me very well. So I ordered a pair, sight unseen. They came in yesterday and I wore them home from work (over a pair of boxers).
First observation, the legs only unzip up to the back of the calf. I'd hoped to be able to pull them on over shoes/boots, but no chance of that. Well, for commuting duty, I guess that won't matter, since I change my boots for sneakers when I get to work.
The fit, however was excellent. Long enough to go under or over my boots and they didn't pull out on the ride home. The padding was not hard amor, but there's a good amount in the knees and a little in the hips.
I left work at 8:30pm, so it was getting dark out, but the temperature was 95F and the roads were still really hot. I rode the 25 miles home, and my impression is that they are not very cool.
The first problem is that there is no mesh below the knees, except on the inside of the leg. Well, this doesn't get much airflow up against the fairing. The upper leg has some mesh, but it is horizontal, and not scooping in much air. I could tell I was getting some airflow though, but not as much as I'd hoped. A lot of it may have to do with the fairing on the VFR. If I moved my legs out into the wind a little, I felt more air coming in, and if I stood up off the seat a little, I felt a great deal of air.
However, in a normal riding position, they felt hotter than jeans, simply because jeans are cotton and absorb moisture, whereas these got kinda stuck to you.
But that was just my initial impression. I'll ride with them a few more days and see if I change my mind. Plus, I'm not sure if it's possible to be cool in these kinda conditions, maybe I can only hope to be less hot.
My first thought was to get some of the JR Phoenix pants. I have a Phoenix jacket, which flows air very well. But the Phoenix pants, unlike the Ballistic, are not available in a Tall size. I tried a pair of them on, and the legs just were not long enough.
My next thought was the FirstGear pants. They are available in a Tall size, and I have a FG Kilimanjaro jacket that fits me very well. So I ordered a pair, sight unseen. They came in yesterday and I wore them home from work (over a pair of boxers).
First observation, the legs only unzip up to the back of the calf. I'd hoped to be able to pull them on over shoes/boots, but no chance of that. Well, for commuting duty, I guess that won't matter, since I change my boots for sneakers when I get to work.
The fit, however was excellent. Long enough to go under or over my boots and they didn't pull out on the ride home. The padding was not hard amor, but there's a good amount in the knees and a little in the hips.
I left work at 8:30pm, so it was getting dark out, but the temperature was 95F and the roads were still really hot. I rode the 25 miles home, and my impression is that they are not very cool.
The first problem is that there is no mesh below the knees, except on the inside of the leg. Well, this doesn't get much airflow up against the fairing. The upper leg has some mesh, but it is horizontal, and not scooping in much air. I could tell I was getting some airflow though, but not as much as I'd hoped. A lot of it may have to do with the fairing on the VFR. If I moved my legs out into the wind a little, I felt more air coming in, and if I stood up off the seat a little, I felt a great deal of air.
However, in a normal riding position, they felt hotter than jeans, simply because jeans are cotton and absorb moisture, whereas these got kinda stuck to you.
But that was just my initial impression. I'll ride with them a few more days and see if I change my mind. Plus, I'm not sure if it's possible to be cool in these kinda conditions, maybe I can only hope to be less hot.
