3 season trousers that don't boil your nadgers in summer?...

Morety

Morety

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...does such a thing exist?

I've a wardrobe full of motorcycle trousers that either don't fit any longer or which just aren't comfortable for summer riding. It seems to be difficult to find a nice snug, but comfortable trouser that offers decent levels of protection but is comfortable most of the year. I have a relatively short 31 inch inseam, 36" waist and find that a lot of the European stuff varies enormously in fit. I do have my trusty Halvarssons winter trousers which are excellent but they're just too warm for 4 or 5 months of the year. I have kevlar lined riding jeans which I find heavy and uncomfortable, with poor breathability, and several pairs of decent textiles with removable liners which from riding through torrential rain all suffer with getting waterlogged on the outside then freezing the legs off you as the wet evaporates despite being fairly waterproof with liners in. Trouble is, in summer, they are too baggy with liners removed, and knee armour just has a mind of its own and rests anywhere except over the knees as intended. So, can anyone recommend a decent but affordable (up to a few hundred) pair of riding trousers which might do 3 seasons, be cool enough in summer, yet not compromise on protection? I have several pairs of leather trousers which are great, just too warm for summer months. £600-£1000 Rukka or Klim trousers are not going to have a look in as they're way above affordable.
 
Know you’ve discounted Klim based on price, but the Marrakesh is an absolute game changer. Like I did, just bite the bullet and buy over 3 months on Klarna. You won’t regret. Make sure you buy new 2023 model though


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I use my BMW StreetGuard trousers all year round. Been to Spain and France in May. When it warms up I take the liner out and unzip the vents. Never felt too hot or sweaty. I never really think about them, they just seem to work well in most conditions. Also with the bib and brace style they support your middle as a kidney belt does which I'm sure helps with comfort also.
OP is similar size as me which is 26 in BMW size (short leg). Armour does not move around in this trousers.
 
Thanks both. I haven't tried either of those but have the RST Pro series trousers (too baggy at the knees for me with liners removed) which if it wasn't for the ill fitting knee protectors I'd probably make do with as they do everything else so well, including having very good ventilation openings. My Halvarssons weren't cheap, around £500 new and are fantastic most of the year round but just too hot in summer months. The sensible thing might be to sell most of my textiles except my Halvarssons Prime jacket, and put the proceeds towards some Klim or Rukka or BMW trousers, but I haven't given up looking for a more economical solution just yet.
 
There is no such thing as the perfect 3 season (Spring, Summer and Autumn) motorcycle gear. It is always a compromise.
I use my BMW Sandiego Jacket, BMW Rider Trousers without liner in warm dry weather (OK up to 30C in France a few weeks ago) and BMW Pillon Boots - Liner for trousers when wet or cool and BMW Rain jacket.
 
TIJ650 said:
Know you’ve discounted Klim based on price, but the Marrakesh is an absolute game changer. Like I did, just bite the bullet and buy over 3 months on Klarna. You won’t regret. Make sure you buy new 2023 model though


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Marrakech is indeed good gear but 3-season? I don't think so - it's far too well vented for spring or autumn IMHO
 
richardbd said:
Marrakech is indeed good gear but 3-season? I don't think so - it's far too well vented for spring or autumn IMHO
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You’re probably right, but there’s loads warm trousers out there (and in most of our closets), the issue for me is there’s not much you can do when too hot and can become unpleasant quickly. The Marrakesh IMHO is the best when it’s hot


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I don't agree that there's no such thing as a good 3 season option. My Halvardssons Prime has been used all year round for 3 years now and is all the jacket you'd want in winter, rain or shine for most of the year. It's never gained the chache of Rukka or Klim but I'm totally happy with it. Totally water proof and very warm with the Outlast liner in place. Come the hotter summer months it's not bad at all and tolerable to low to mid 20's but touring in hotter weather needs a mesh jacket or something like my RST Adv pro series jacket which is really well vented, so those boxes are ticked for me. It's the trousers I struggle with. Getting some with decent protection that doesn't float about means necessarily snug fitting and they have to be comfortable as I spend many hours in the saddle. I don't care about waterproofing as much as I can always throw on my lightweight over trousers in rain, but was curious to learn if anyone had experience of genuine year round quality trousers. I'll look into the street guard trousers and perhaps look at current Halvarssons stuff too.
 
Morety said:
I don't agree that there's no such thing as a good 3 season option. My Halvardssons Prime has been used all year round for 3 years now and is all the jacket you'd want in winter, rain or shine for most of the year. It's never gained the chache of Rukka or Klim but I'm totally happy with it. Totally water proof and very warm with the Outlast liner in place. Come the hotter summer months it's not bad at all and tolerable to low to mid 20's but touring in hotter weather needs a mesh jacket or something like my RST Adv pro series jacket which is really well vented, so those boxes are ticked for me. It's the trousers I struggle with. Getting some with decent protection that doesn't float about means necessarily snug fitting and they have to be comfortable as I spend many hours in the saddle. I don't care about waterproofing as much as I can always throw on my lightweight over trousers in rain, but was curious to learn if anyone had experience of genuine year round quality trousers. I'll look into the street guard trousers and perhaps look at current Halvarssons stuff too.
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One other option is the German brand John Doe. I’ve got a pair of their cargo Stroker and very comfortable/ warm. Not overly oppressive in heat either


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There have been many good BMW outfits.
I quite like my old-model Comfortshell outfit and have worn it down to -2 with a heated waistcoat.
At this time of year I might throw on my Airshell trousers which have a DwR so appear to cope with a light shower, or can get covered up under a real outer layer.
 
For me, my Rokker Revolution waterproof jeans are the perfect 3 season trousers.

1) They are 100% waterproof - and I have tested this rigourously.
2) They look like and are as comfortable as a favourite pair of jeans
3) If it's really hot, they do get a bit sweaty. If it's really rainy they can feel a bit damp, but aren't. A pair of thin merino leggings fixes both of these.
4) If it's really cold, just wear a thicker set of leggings underneath.

I wear these 90% of the time. When it's really, really hot, I wear a pair of Rokker "Legend" jeans, which flow more air, but aren't waterproof. If it's going to be super cold or wet, I wear my Rukka Nivala pants. But this is probably only January through March.

And yes - a Cool Cover for your seat is excellent for when it's hot and sweaty. You can really feel the cool air flowing under your nads and arse.
 
It depends on your seasons, doesn't it - if it keeps dry and warm at -5C you will boil at 30C. When it's 30C and humid only a mesh jacket and very well vented trousers will do.
 
adm1 said:
For me, my Rokker Revolution waterproof jeans are the perfect 3 season trousers.

1) They are 100% waterproof - and I have tested this rigorously.

yes they are waterproof , i tested that on Saturday , but the zip is a ykk metal one , IT LETS WATER PAST. done with 20 mins of testing on the A303.
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So...the consensus is...there isn't an ideal in trousers. I'll probably just stick with what I have unless I can find better textile alternatives for summer use only.
 
….but was curious to learn if anyone had experience of genuine year round quality trousers.
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By my reckoning, that’s four seasons, not three.
 
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Its the ol biker problem
Each ride your either too hot or too cold..... on a rare occasion it might be around 15 degrees and your riding on 40mph roads and feel comfy.
Its a problem we all have.
I wear my Merlin mesh jacket and pants in summer and still wear my old Frank Thomas gear in winter, there doesn't seem to be gear for all occasions.
 
For me, my Rokker Revolution waterproof jeans are the perfect 3 season trousers.

1) They are 100% waterproof - and I have tested this rigorously.

yes they are waterproof , i tested that on Saturday , but the zip is a ykk metal one , IT LETS WATER PAST. done with 20 mins of testing on the A303.
Click to expand...
It seems that what you have are not Rokker Revolutions then. Mine (both pairs) have YKK zips, but they are the black plastic "aqua stop" or whatever they are called zips. And the trousers are taped and sealed internally around the zip. So they are fully waterproof.....

Maybe you have a pair of Rokkers, but not the Revolutions? It makes no sense to put a regular zip in waterproof trousers.
 
Wapping said:
By my reckoning, that’s four seasons, not three.
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The consensus though seems to be that there is no such thing as 4 season "year round" trousers, unless you have a suggestion, hence the drift towards a more summer oriented design with decent protection. I did caveat that in the OP hence focussed on perhaps 3 season (???) trousers which were still ok in warmer climates. As I already have decent winter trousers I was less concerned with colder weather recommendations but thought it worth asking if there was a "year round" alternative to focussing on using my current ones and just adding a summer months trouser which offers good protection without getting too sweaty and uncomfortable.

One of the benefits for a forum like this is you can call on friendly sharing of individual experiences and suggestions and I'm not too proud to take the advice coming out of that despite having my own thoughts, which are limited to what I've stuck with over the years, as we can only comment on what we've bought and used ourselves. I'll probably be spending a lot more time in the saddle now, so choice will be influenced by performance and comfort in all seasons hence the question. As a lot of you guys regularly do the big miles too I was fishing for your experiences and am grateful to those who've chipped in with feedback on what they use or recommend. My apologies if it's drifted but it's worth leaving the options and suggestions open.

So far, the Klim Marrakesh, whilst above the budget I had in mind, seems a good suggestion so worth looking into. They seem to tick the summer use box.
 
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