just got them from the mailman and tried them on and my first impression is: i likes. they seemed a bit snug about my hip bone but after some shimmying they settled just fine without any tightness. just for reference i have a 31" waist and i got a small. just from standing around in the bathroom checkin myself out they look nice, though i don't think i'd want to wear these to a business meeting.
one thing people wanted to know was about the padding... it's there and it's sewn in. it doesn't feel very substantial to me either. it's hard to describe, and unfortunately i don't have a camera on me right this minute. i'll borrow one when i get home and update this thread, as well as how they ride since i'll be wearing them home. so if there's anything anyone wants to know about them let me know and i'll post back when i have pictures tonight.

as promised here are some pictures.

nice embroidered Rapha logo


front view on the floor


front view on me


the pad


i rode home in them today and they were really comfy. it was pretty windy in seattle today, and you really felt it on Alki, but not through these shants! they fit well and move with you so there's no rubbing anywhere. i didn't think the pad was going to be enough, and it may be a little on the thin side; but it felt great to me. before i either rode in jeans or some hiking pants i have that are really thin. i'm really happy with them. they feel really light and not very substantial, but i've never really had any schoeller fabric gear so that may be why.

very nice they look well made and of course stylish. Quick question they have adjustable legs on them right? How does it work, is it just an adjustment to how tight the leg opening is? Cheers

it's a little strap that can button to three buttons on the cuff; you just fold it over.

wow.. you'd think for the money they would be camel-toeless.. i guess not

Can you do a little spin for us?

they seem a little short to me. when i get shants, i want them to be as close to the drivetrain as possible with out hitting. from the pictures, it seems like they should be an inch or two longer. maybe i should order shants unhemmed and hem them myself.

i have one pair of shorts that have padding in them, and i'm not really a fan of the padding, maybe it's just the brand (nashbar). or maybe its the fact that i have a brooks saddle.

they look really good from a style point of view, but i'd like to handle them and try them on before buying.

awesome

It looks to me like this guy bought a size too small for him as well. I think they would be longer if they fit better.

ha! i really tried to get a shot that wasn't, but it just wouldn't do

i took a gamble because the site listed small as 30-32" waist measurements. i wear a 31-32 depending on brand and cut so i figured medium would be too baggy. just in my mind knickers should be a couple inches below the knees (and that's how these fit on me) not like pants rolled up a couple inches. i guess that just boils down to preference.

just got mine in as well. Also tend to run 31-32 on the pants sizes, but I tend towards 32 so I grabbed the M. Shants wise they seem to break about the same point as srsly's do in the picture, maybe a touch lower. The 3/4 leg is a pretty apt description.

Had them a couple days, liking them already and starting to love em. Wore my jeans yesterday and I couldn't wait to get back into the shants. The stretch is subtle and real nice. The padding is strange though, sort of nice when riding, but there still is this extra minor weight were it does not belong and the seams of the pad itch a touch. that seems to be fading as I break them in though.

the funniest part of the padding is when I toss my cell phone in the back pocket. They are internal pockets, and the bottom of the pocket extends below the top of the padding. Can't quite explain the feeling but something is odd with way it all feels. I expect I'll get used to it, but the stiff external pockets of jeans hold the phone way better.

The waist on these things is much higher than my other pants, no risk of plumbers crack with these things on. Sort of sucks cause the top of the pants is the best looking part and most of my shirts hang too low, which looks a bit odd. The waistband is some odd rubbery and ridged thing, looks really uncomfortable but feels fine. Guessing it prevents the waist from moving when you bend over to the drops, but I haven't actually noticed anything like that.

Ultimately though I spent too much money on these things cause I harbor fantasies of designing perfect "own only one" pair of pants for myself and I really wanted to check out the schoeller fabric. From online digging these are by far the nicest things made with it, and cost around the same amount. Other than the nice stretch I haven't really done anything to test this fabric out, weather has been too nice. I'll report back once I push them bit.

a more functional description than anything i've put up, nice one. do you feel there's too much extra material bunching up on the M? i hate my clothes flapping so i tend to get bike clothes as snug as i can without being too tight; so that's why i went for S since i tend towards 31 for most jeans. also in the pics i posted it may look like they're short because i had them buttoned up to the top of my calf; they do hang down a bit lower if they aren't buttoned.

EDIT: I've been wondering if maybe i did get them a pinch small. i may still send em back and get M after a few days if they still make me think they're small.

There shouldn't be seams in the crotch on cycling apparel.

Back in the day, these were called knickers. Or clam diggers. Highwaters to the extreme.

They look like capri pants bought at Lane Bryant. But that's just me, the old guy who wears spandex.

Pick up some surplus Army fatigues and hem them up. Shants on the cheap.

Guys get moose knuckles. But yeah, they look a little small. Not that there's anything wrong with that. The ladies like to see what they're getting upfront.

I wouldn't mind them a touch tighter, but its not like things are flapping. The waist was almost tight when I got them though, and now it feels much bigger. Don't think I'll do any exchanging, but it would have been nice to be able to try on a small.

one question, where are they made? i try to stay away from sweatshop countries if possible, their website didnt say, but i know some of the stuff is from england.

How much were they shipped? Or did you go through the US distributer? Nice, but very pricey it seems...

i can't find a tag that says. the other rapha thread might know.


they were $140USD shipped. that's with a 20% discount i got for making my cousin sign up for their news letter. a bit spendy, yeah, but i had a bonus burning a hole in my pocket. and now i have one pair of bike shants to wear year round. sounded like a good deal to me.

+1

I have to second this comment. Cheap, comfortable, well-fitting, and durable as f*ck. For the price you can't do any better.

Still, I have a soft spot for some of these high-end shants. I have a pair of the Under The Weather pants and they're fantastic. I find myself lusting after the Chrome pants and now these as well. I'll be interested to see how you guys like them after a few months of use. Be sure to post some updated feedback then.

I know that there is a pad in these but are you suppose to wear them like regular cycling shorts? They seem to baggy to wear without underwear?

Is this with the cuff adjustment all the way open, or can it be adjusted like a normal open cuff without the outside tapering in?

no, this is with the cuff pinned down one button. i hate flapping while i'm riding so i buttoned one down. with it that way the cuff sits right on top of my calf. still plenty of room for knee movement.

you need underpants. the pad isn't anything to write home about. it's enough, but not particularly cushy.