Leather Chaps

[blowndodge]

Do you ride with them?

I'm thinking about getting a pair and I'm not sure whats out there thats good and/or styles that are comfortable.

some show zipper sides that look like they would rub the bike seat.

Just want some feedback from those that have them and what to look for and look out for

thanks,

[radco]

Yea I wear leather Chaps with my THONG !!!! I stnad up TRAFFIC STOPs and I do not have TAIL GATERS ::) My Chaps have the side zipper,, The zipper is on the outside of the leg AWAY from the seat so no problem!!! I ride w/chaps 90% of the time,, May save my skinny butt :).... The lined ones will be next ,as they layer a bit more insulation,, NEVER had Chaps till 04. I will ALLWAYs have them now,, In COLD weather THEY HELP BIG TIME in keeping alot of the CHILL off the legs,,I think they extend the riding season for us up North ... So to me they are WORTH and if you like they come in PINK as well!!!!!.. There is a set of Ride pants that LOOk like Blue Jeans,, I think kevlar or something,, YOU get the skid protection with a Jean look,, about 100$ + My 2 cents....Rich

[cactusjack]

I have a pair, the zipper is on the outside of the leg, no danger to seats/tanks/etc. I've put mine away until fall, it's too hot to wear them where I'm at. Mine are fairly thick leather and they are lined with a satin-like material, which makes them easier to move in, as your jeans don't stick to the leather, and it prevents the leather dye from leaching into your pants.

[blowndodge]

CJ do you wear chaps in the summer? i know you live close to hell so the summers are brutal. In so cal the weather get to 100 in the summer frequently. I'm just thinking about protection to clothing and my skin. I wonder if I would broil with chaps on in the summer.

[dantama]

With black leather anything you'll broil in the summer. I wear my leather jacket till about 80 degrees. Even at that temp, being stopped at red lights gets too hot.

I have a pair of Kevlar reinforced jeans for summer, and a mesh armored jacket.

[rickyboy]

Hey Dan,
Did you buy your Kevlar jeans and mesh jacket from
bohn-armored ? Which mesh jacket do you have?

http://www.bohn-armored-pants.com/catalog/?prod=BGLA-01

I've been looking at a couple of different jackets available there. I can get away with leather here in Vancouver in the summer but after my "run - in " with a deer a few yrs. back I won't ride without a leather jacket. I don't care how frick'in hot it gets. I'm planning a ride down to the Grand Canyon, Route 66 area this summer so I'll be getting some "summer armor" to wear under a shirt or light jacket.

[ringadingh]

I dont wear chaps, but I do have a pair of leather jeans that I wear on cooler days and early morning rides. I never really cared for the look of chaps. I would feel like a displaced rodeo clown in them.

[oldbiker]

Would'nt ride when it's cool without them.

[cactusjack]

CJ do you wear chaps in the summer? i know you live close to hell so the summers are brutal. In so cal the weather get to 100 in the summer frequently. I'm just thinking about protection to clothing and my skin. I wonder if I would broil with chaps on in the summer.

Honestly, I've never tried them in the summer, but do the math - Heavy black leather chaps in (I'll be conservative here) 110 degrees. My gas tank gets so hot I can't touch it with my bare hands on my ride home at 4:00pm. Those chaps would be miserably hot. I'm willing to take one for the team and wear them on a nice hot day, all in the name of research, though.

I realize most people probably wear them year-round for protection. I wear them in the winter for warmth.

[oledawg]

::)I wear them when its cold,they do the trick,and they are easy to take off & store in Saddlebag. There is also a great difference in quality out there. Good quality chaps are gonna cost over $100. Speaking for myself, I really don't like wearing them,but they are the lesser of all but Textile Over pants for walking around. And I chose the chaps because of the easy on & off factor. When it hits 75% I'm only wearing Jeans, I just need that comfort factor.Jackets are a different thing, I will suffer through some heat for protection,as I've been hit with debris tooooo many times. And it hurts. If you get Chaps spend the extra $ for good quality lined ones and you'll never regret it. ;)

[mikesth]

::)I wear them when its cold,they do the trick, When it hits 75% I'm only wearing Jeans,

+1 - don't like them, but wear them when its cold

They don't get too hot if you're movin. I wear them most the time even in hot temps

Get these I got them for my wife. They look better in real life than they do in the pic + they're cheap, probably won't find a cheaper price 100% leather.

Nice heavy duty zipper that zips on the outside, thick leather heavy snaps at the bottom.

[misunderstood]

I too wear them until it gets too warm and then it's just jeans.

[fish]

31 bucks!!! can't go wrong

A while back we were talking about textile chaps. I bought a pair and they fit good, hopefully sunday I get to give them a good ride.

[VulcanE]

The wife and I have the insulated chaps, and we wear them when it gets to about 55 degrees and cooler (the wife stops riding with me when it gets down to 45 degrees). We wear them for warmth, don't wear them when it gets hot. Below say 40 degrees, I start wearing my Firstgear 1 pc. thermol suit. That thing is really nice. Down into the mid 20's all you need underneath is just a shirt and pants.