jaypeeq

I've been commuting in many colors and iterations of these for years and I still like them. Sure, they don't last forever, they aren't what they used to be, etc. BUT they're pants you ride a bike in and they're not supposed to last for years. Anyway, I'm sure something of higher quality exists. What other options in a similar slim fit have you folks been wearing?

Gresp15C

I wore Levi's 511's for years. I'm a man of habit when it comes to clothes. The problem is that Levi's have gotten really expensive, and they really aren't all that durable. And I believe that all of the fancy finishes (the stone washed, etc.) weaken the fabric and make it wear out sooner. Don't tempt me to think about conspiracy theories about clothes being designed to wear out. And the last pair I bought fit poorly, though I got them on Amazon, and they could possibly have been fakes.

A health scare caused me to lose some weight, so I was ready to try new clothes. I decided to try two new things.

1. The basic Wrangler jeans at Target. They fit well enough, and the fabric actually seems to be more durable. I can't try the styles that teenagers wear, because I have two teenagers, and that just wouldn't be right.

2. Synthetic hiking pants. They are cooler during the summer, quicker drying, and are also quite durable. And I noticed that that black chain goop washes out of them, whereas cotton pants are stained forever.

So I am kind of changing my personal clothing style to more of a hiker / outdoorsy thing, and I now only own a couple pairs of functional jeans.

Nightdiver

Club Ride makes some nice jeans and the Patagonia Performance Jeans are sweet too.

ph0rk

Any denim with a tiny bit of stretch works fine, at least until it gets over 75f.

RubeRad

lol jeans are the WORST for biking. The very few times circumstances have forced me to bike in jeans were miserable. And I would never wear skinny jeans (even if I were skinny)

nick burns

Swrve

CliffordK

I've worn jeans riding for years, although I do sometimes use cycling shorts or tights now. Still quite a few rides in jeans.

I am beginning to think, however, that I need relaxed fit, rather than slim fit.

Not particularly relaxing too much around the tummy, but the thighs can feel a bit tight on rides.

veets

Eddie Bauer has some good stretch pants that are comfy for cycling, non-wrinkling, and frequently on sale. Look at the Horizon Guide type, but they have others.

rseeker

I get these too, the Target Wrangler jeans, to use for my exercise pants, which for the last two years includes riding but also stretching, walking, hiking, some weights and generally climbing over things in the outdoors. Because I give the pants a workout they only last six months or a year, but that's pretty good for the price I think.

I only started riding again a couple years ago, and the first two summers were lower-mileage rides and jeans were fine, but now I'm getting up to 15 and 20 mile rides and I have the feeling it's gonna be a long hot summer for that, so I picked up some shorts to add to the mix. Gotta say, they're a lot cooler, but I still like having my legs covered for the parts of my outings that involve stashing the bike and tromping through the woods.

jaypeeq

Thanks, excellent alternative to 511s. Crawl back under the bridge now troll.

phughes

I will add that I too have switched to Wranglers for regular jeans, they are much more comfortable than the standard Levis, and much less expensive. I have not yet tried them on the bike. That being said, I have't found jeans made like the Commuters. I really liked them and still have one pair. They are comfortable on the bike.

phughes

Yep, the Commuters are great on the bike. Some didn't like how fitted they are in the leg, but they work for me just fine. Very comfortable on the bike.

fietsbob

Sweat pants... polyester track warmup fleeced lining pants , in black ,
are a favorite.. even for this retired guy..

jaypeeq

That's what I'm talking about.

jaypeeq

This is a forum for commuters which means commuting to work. No offense guys but I couldn't show up to work in sweat pants, wranglers, or hiking pants. More power to you if that's fashionable in your place of business. 511s at least look respectable with a button up shirt on.

phughes

Other than my Commuters, I have a pair of Merrell pants that stretch nicely and look good. You may want to look at what they have to offer.

alan s 

AlmostGreenGuy

I love my 511 Commuters. I always tear out the crotches in my jeans, but the gusseted crotch of the 511 Commuters has worked out very well for me, on and off bike. I have probably 5 or 6 pair of them currently, and have only worn out one pair. And that was just a broken zipper.

I do wish that Levi made them in a looser style though. I have big muscular cycling legs. Whenever I crouch down, flexing my quads, my legs completely fill the pant legs, taking up all the extra room created by the stretch fabric, with no room for the fabric to slide.

I've heard great things about Keirin Cut Jeans

ColoNick

Not jeans, but I really like the Dockers 360 Flex. If they are on sale, you can find them for about $40.

ptempel

Pro tip. Remove the commuter pant and just use your lycra short since you're already wearing it... What's wrong with wearing clothing that's made for the sport? If I HAD to pick a pant rather than the shorts/bibs that I have, then I'd select my hiking pants. They're light, thin, and will dry out faster when they get wet in the rain. However, they do nothing for chamois replacement. So you picks your poison and deserves what you get...

RubeRad

You're right, I didn't get that. It would be interesting to try, but I expect I wouldn't like them for being skinny/fitted. I don't like my clothes all touchin me and s***

RubeRad

Lemme stop you right there. No offense, but I couldn't show up to work in SWEAT and sit and stew in it all day without showering.

I wish I could work in shorts and t-shirt, but the loosest my work dress code would allow is jeans and t-shirt.
I'm fortunate to have a shower at work, so I wear what's comfortable to ride to work (tech tee, loose athletic shorts, boxer briefs) and then clean up.

noglider 

Thanks for the recommendation. I found them on sale at both JC Penney and Zappos. I used the latter and got free shipping. I see it's 94% cotton and 6% Elastane, so it should be pretty good in "weather."

robertorolfo

Here you go, I'm about to change your life: Zara

Things are always on sale, so pretty much everything can be had for $30 or less. Almost all of it is stretchy, and it all looks better than the standard hipster fare currently plaguing the city.

https://www.zara.com/us/en/basic-ski...3010&v2=551501

https://www.zara.com/us/en/skinny-sa...3511&v2=719514

https://www.zara.com/us/en/basic-sli...6023&v2=719514

You're welcome

noglider 

@robertorolfo. Thanks.