Itb vs otb trousers

[We Make Life A Ride]

Hey all,

Curious to hear peeps thoughts on itb vs otb trousers.

Seems to me the current fashion is for otb and especially in the UK I see the obvious benefit being that your boot doesn't become a swimming pool! Also the fact that itb trousers for road use i.e. aa approved etc are harder to come by.

Itb on the other hand is less likely to snag on bike parts and or undergrowth (if travelling off tarmac).

For me personally I prefer the look of itb. I just think it looks more rugged and 'adventurey'. Probably not the right look for a short trip to Asda where jeans and ankle boots or whatever would be a better fit but for longer journeys where your covering a mixture of tarmac and off-road, it makes sense to me.

I guess ultimately it's just a matter of personal opinion with some practical benefits thrown in. So just keen to hear what everyone else thinks really.

 

[KMD]

I sometimes wear leather trousers with a textile jacket, in which case they are inside but if it’s full textiles then outside.

 

[ThreeDawg]

Yeah, I'll be interested to hear from those who have used both too. Since moving to proper motocross boots my old trews are barely wide enough at the bottom of the leg to go over the boots, so I plan to buy a new pair. I also like the look of ITB strides, always worry that one day I'm gonna catch the hem on the serrated pegs and go down.

 

[tPIC]

I moved from otb to itb because against the stiffness of an off-road boot otb trousers tend to suffer a lot of wear being rubbed between boots and bike.

For me, it itb all the time unless it’s peeing down - in which case I’ll don otb waterproofs.

 

[DJ123]

Most of my trousers all go OTB. The only time i am ITB is when wearing riding/Bike jeans.

For wet weather riding OTB is the obvious solution, the same goes for riding in cold weather too. Warm weather either doesn't make too much of a difference, except if your Boots are Black and your trousers are not - you can help prevent some heat soak on the boot by going OTB.

 

[ThreeDawg]

Wet weather isn't a problem for me, always use over trousers. I'm a layerer.

 

[We Make Life A Ride]

Yeah that's the style I've adopted for my last few trips. Jeans in the boot - but really need to buy a proper set of itb trousers (I like the Klim, Revit and Alpine stars ones) with waterproof over trousers as wind blockers or for when it starts to hoof it down.

Something like this.....

 

[We Make Life A Ride]

Also if anyone knows of any AA approved itb trousers other than the Revit Peninsula I'd be keen to know about them.

 

[ThreeDawg]

Adventure Spec Atacama. https://www.adventurespec.com/shop/atacama-race-pant-91?page=2&category=1#attr=194

 

[We Make Life A Ride]

Ah yeah. Cheers. I knew about those too. Lack of colour choice puts me off though.

 

[richardbd]

I sometimes wear leather trousers with a textile jacket, in which case they are inside but if it’s full textiles then outside.

+1

 

[wessie]

I'm a layerer

battery or free range?

 

[Eastmidsbiker]

I wanted some itb trousers a year or so ago so got the Rev-it peninsula trousers. I also purchased some dedicated off-road boots (Alpinestars Tech 7 Drystar's) which due to their size mean not many boots go over them and fasten properly.

The Rev-it trousers are nice, and great for warm weather although I find the waist a little low, and have ended up putting clip on braces on them to hold them in a comfortable position (I dont have a huge gut, but they just seem to sit a bit lower on my waist than I would like without any tension holding them up). They also have the benefit of a reasonable amount of knee room so I can run separate knee protection under the trousers.

I find when riding on lanes, its a good way to ruin the bottoms of OTB trousers as they are constantly bashing against ruts and the like, I have holes and wear in both my goretex suits trousers from this. It does have the benefit of keeping out a bit more water running them OTB though when its wet but I just have some separate waterproofs to put over them.

I've decided I have enough motorcycle kit at the moment, but probably will buy another pair of ITB trousers at some point.

 

[We Make Life A Ride]

I agree. Same issue here. I just don't seem to be able to find a dceenta etc of ITB trousers with an AA rating that also have decent reviews. I was out off by the Peninsulas as I found some poor reviews around quality and same for the Alpinestars Venture XT.

Then started looking at dual purpose trousers and came across the Alpinestars Halo Drystar and apparently they are comfy itb or otb due to lack of Ips and buttons on lower leg but again reviews around fit are particularly poor.

So still very much undecided. My perfect trousers would be:

1. itb (if dual purpose and can be otb too that's a bonus)
2. AA rating
3. Water resistant
4. Comfortable fit

But what I do know is I have a big Scandi trip in a few weeks so need to decide on something pretty soon!

 

[We Make Life A Ride]

For anyone else that's searching I think I have found my solution! I discovered these and they tick off most of my wants really. They probably aren't so water resistant but I generally wear over trousers for extra protection from the elements anyway.

Bonus is they can be worn standalone and I dont think they'd look out of place on a big Adv bike with long boots on. Of under a pair of regular jeans or textiles trousers. I think I'd maybe miss pockets and belt loops but they aren't essential - and reckon the local seamstress could easily fix that in any case!

The online reviews are all very good from what I've seen.

https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/857609

 

[DJ123]

Leatt do some trousers which are vented, but come with a removable waterproof liner. You could probably also get them inside a boot too looking how tight you can wrap up the lower leg openings.

ADV 7.5 FLOWTOUR PANTS - STEALTH

Experience the next level of adventure riding with the Leat FLOWTOUR Pants, complete with Hip and Knee protection as well as removable waterproof liner, Ideal for hotter rides. The Leatt ADV FlowTour 7.5 pants provide optimal ventilation, waterproofing and impact protection. Designed to be worn...

dualsporteurope.co.uk

 

[db-89]

My llindstands do both, itb its great for trails,less chance of catching. Otb better for wet weather,rain won't roll into boots