Motocross Pants - Evaluating Safety, Fit and Style
Choosing the right motocross pants doesnt appear to be a difficult choice. All you need to do is find some pants within your price range, and then pick the nicest looking pair, right? But its harder than it appears. MX pants vary in terms of shape, design and colors. Abrasion resistance, as well as durability, are all critical parts of picking the perfect pants. Well cover all of the criteria to evaluate so you can choose the best pair of pants for you and you alone.
MX Pants Safety
Pants safety boils down to three criteria: what they are made of, what sort of incorporated protection they offer, and how well they adapt to added protection.
Though pants are offered in an array of fabrics, each has exclusive advantages and limitations. Leather provides reliable abrasion protection, but tends to be very warm. Perforated leather offers better ventilation, but less durability. Cordura gives both good ventilation and abrasion resistance, but it is somewhat stiff and might not fit perfectly. Kevlar offers excellent protection, which is evident in the high price tag
Extra protection, in the form of knee or hip pads, is accessible in many models. When you see these described as "panels", it means that reinforced material is incorporated to provide extra durability. This extra protection still might not meet your needs, however. If you wear extra knee protection, look for pants that are made to hold them.
Safety is clearly the most important factor in deciding on dirt bike pants so you should spend more time on this one.
Fit
Youll need pants that provide an adaptable, flexible and comfortable fit.
A cozy fit is important because you dont want extra material flapping around and dragging you down. Spandex is a fine option for this, although Spandura offers the hold of Spandex with several of the shielding properties of Cordura.
Flexibility is also important for unrestricted movement. Look for elastic panels that can expand along with joints as they move.
If different environmental conditions mean you might need to add or remove protective panels, look for an adjustable fit, which will also allow extra room for equipment like a midsection belt or boots.
Durability of Dirt Bike Pants
Since you could spend a good sum of dough on some pants, youll need them to endure. Search for pants that offer double stitches on seams. This allows the pants to suffer some amount of damage without ripping. Make note of the type of material used in the seat and the knees -- these two sections receive the most wear so are most vulnerable to damage.
Airflow
Air circulation often does not go hand-in-hand with safety. The more rugged the material, the better protection it provides at the tradeoff of being more warm. Pants will often have strategically placed air flow vents that allow for cooling without sacrificing protection. Some pants feature mesh panels. Spandex and Cordura also offer this type of breathability.
Motocross Pants Style
Of course youll need to look good in your pants too, right? Check to see how the pants co-ordinate with your bikes design. Will they look alright alongside each other? Are you trying to match different equipment, such as a jersey or boots? How will the pants look when youre off the bike? If you look nice, you wont be in a rush to change out of them when you finish. While pants that convert to shorts might not be a good option for size and protection, they will allow you to wear your pants off the bike, even in varying weather circumstances.
Other Factors
The above features are likely the main factors in selecting MX pants, although there are many others. Youll need lightweight pants so you will not feel weighed down by your gear. An additional significant consideration are pockets. Youll clearly need extra pockets if you want to carry your critical stuff during a ride.
Youth Motocross Pants
A quick word about dirt bike pants for the children: The same considerations as above apply for youth pants as well as for adults. Pay close attention to sizing, of course, because kids do grow quickly! And you may wish to emphasize safety to a greater extent instead of styling. That should be a possibility nowadays, because many pants are now produced in childrens sizes as well as adults.
More InfoThis article provides some more info on MX equipment in general. Fox Racing and Answer Motocross are among the leading MX equipment manufacturers.
All in all, picking out a pair of MX pants may present a difficult choice. Do not fear, however. Consider some of the criteria weve discussed when making a decision and youre sure to arrive at a good choice.