Sponsors |
|
|
|
|
Dirt Bike Pants - Protecting Your Behind so You Can Worry About Finishing Races
Steve Odine
http://www.spotmotorcycle.com
Choosing a pair of motocross pants might seem like an easy decision. Locate a few pairs that fall within your price range and choose the most attractive ones. Except it's not quite that simple. Dirt bike pants are available in many different cuts, designs and sizes. And there are other factors to consider, such as ruggedness, ability to withstand high temperatures, abrasion resistance and others. We'll explain the factors you should consider when choosing a pair of pants to help you arrive at a good choice.
MX Pants Safety
The safety of motocross pants comes down to three criteria: what they are made of, what sort of built-in protection they have, and how well they adapt to added protection.You'll find pants in a variety of diverse fabrics, each with its own pros and cons. Leather offers good abrasion resistance, but can be very hot. Perforated leather offers an enhancement in circulation, but it comes at the expense of durability.
Cordura is permeable and provides excellent abrasion resistance, but is somewhat stiff so may not provide a snug fit. Kevlar offers greater protection, but is often more costly.Extra protection, in the form of knee or hip protectors, is available in a variety of pants. When these are called "panels", it means that reinforced fabric is incorporated to provide extra strength. This additional protection still might not meet your needs, however. If you plan to use additional knee padding, look for pants that are designed to fit them.
Safety is obviously the most important factor in selecting motocross pants so do spend more time on this one.
Fit
You'll need pants that provide an adjustable, flexible and comfortable fit.A cozy fit is key because you don't want extra material flapping about and slowing you down. Spandex is a fine choice for this, although Spandura offers the grip of Spandex with several of the shielding properties of Cordura.Flexibility is also essential for freedom of movement. Keep an eye out for stretch panels that can expand along with joints as they move.If different environmental conditions mean you might need to swap in safety panels, consider an expandable fit -- that will also provide extra room for equipment like a midsection belt and boots.
Durability of Dirt Bike Pants
Since you could spend a fair chunk of change on pants, you'll need them to last. Search for pants that provide reinforced stitches on seams. This permits the pants to sustain some measure of damage without ripping. Make note of the type of fabric used in the rear and the knees -- these two areas receive the most strain so are more vulnerable to damage.
Airflow
Air circulation normally does not go together with safety. The more durable the material, the better protection it provides at the expense of being overly hot. Pants will frequently have strategically placed air circulation panels that help with cooling without giving up protection. Some pants feature mesh panels. Spandex and Cordura also offer this kind of breathability.
Motocross Pants Style
Of course you'll need to look great in your pants too, right? Notice how the pants co-ordinate with your bike's colors. Will they look alright alongside each other? Are you trying to match other equipment, such as a uniform or boots? How will the pants look when you're away from the bike? If you look nice, you won't be in a hurry to change out of them when you finish. While pants that convert to shorts might not be a good choice for fit and safety, they will enable you to wear your pants off the bike, even in varying weather conditions.
Other Factors
The above features are likely the main factors in choosing MX pants, although there are many others. You'll want to get lightweight pants so you won't feel weighed down by your gear. An additional important consideration are pockets. You'll obviously need extra pockets if you need to carry your critical stuff during an outing.
Youth Motocross Pants
A quick comment about motocross pants for the kids: The same considerations as above apply for youth pants as well as for adults. Pay close attention to sizing, of course, because kids do get bigger fast! And you may want to emphasize safety even more in place of styling. That should be easy nowadays, because many pants are now produced in children's sizes as well as larger versions.
More Info
This site gives some more information on dirt bike equipment in general. Fox Racing and Answer Motocross are among the leading dirt bike equipment manufacturers.
All in all, choosing a pair of MX pants can be a daunting decision. Do not fear, however. Consider some of the factors we've mentioned when deciding and you're sure to arrive at a good choice.
About the Author
Steve Odine is a motocross king. Steve's been racing competitively and just for fun forever, going faster than most but not quite as fast as others. He spends his spare time writing about dirt bike equipment and apparel. Check out his recommendations on biker accessories so you can ride hard and look cool too.
Article submitted Sunday, March 23, 2008
This article has been viewed 15 times.
Most Popular |
|
|
|