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You are here: Home / Average Joe Cyclist Product Reviews / Average Joe Cyclist Product Review: Race Face Taperlock Cycling Jeans

Average Joe Cyclist Product Review: Race Face Taperlock Cycling Jeans

May 10, 2011 by Average Joe Cyclist

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 Race Face Taperlock Cycling Jeans

Cycling without Lycra?

Recently I had a kind of intellectual breakthrough about cycling: It occurred to me that it might be possible to cycle without lycra.

This was an idea so utterly unorthodox and daring that it almost scared me, but I decided to man up and give it a shot. After all, history shows it has been done before …

Cycling Jeans

My first attempt involved an all-day downtown business meeting. I thought how cool it would be to NOT have to carry business clothes all the way downtown in my panniers. So I cycled 15 km to my meeting in dress pants, dress shirt and smartly polished dress shoes. My only concession to the fact that I was on a bike was to wrap a band around my right shin (to keep my pants from getting trapped in my chain).

To my amazement, it worked perfectly! I might have been slightly slower and statelier, but I got there, and I enjoyed the ride. And I loved being able to just take off my helmet (and the shin strap) and stroll into my meeting. And get out of there like greased lighting at the end of the day …

However, it did occur to me that my dress pants would not stand up to that kind of use on a daily basis. They were just cotton Arnold Palmers, and obviously not designed to do anything more adventurous than sit in a car or on a chair. So I started looking around for options. I found some pretty expensive online options, but decided not to risk spending a fortune on mail order pants that might not fit.

Affordable Cycling Jeans at MEC

But I did find a really interesting option at Mountain Equipment Co-op. Cycling jeans for around $70, made by Race Face (Race Face Taperlock jeans). They actually looked pretty cool – apart from a somewhat dorky pattern on one of the back pockets – so I got a pair and tried them out.

 Cycling Jeans

Cycling Jeans that Stretch with You!

I love these cycling jeans. They look good, according to my wife, who NEVER lies about these things – on the contrary, she tends to be brutally honest. As in “You’re not really going out in those droopy-butt pants, are you?”

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Better yet, these  cycling jeans feel good. The minute I put them on I want to start doing squats, because I feel like I can do anything in them. I manage to resist that stupid urge, but I totally enjoy cycling in them. It’s almost as comfy as cycling in lycra.

And the chief benefit is that when you get wherever you’re going, you’re not wearing lycra – you’re just in jeans, like a regular person.

Cycling Jeans that are as Tough as Bruce

My workplace lets us wear jeans on Fridays, so of course I’ll be wearing my cycling jeans to work every Friday from now on. And I think I’ll be doing it for a long time – because unlike the Arnold Palmer pants, these cycling jeans feel as tough as Bruce Willis in Die Hard.

Details, Details, Details

These Race Face Taperlock cycling jeans have this nifty system where you can button up the bottom of the right leg, to avoid close encounters of the falling-down kind with your bicycle chain. But I’m not crazy about how that system works for me, so I reverted to my trusty florescent shin strap. And of course I wasn’t crazy about the patterned rear pocket either.

On the other hand, one of the butt pockets is zippered, so you could keep your keys safely in them (and your wallet if it was small enough). And you can wear a regular belt with these cycling jeans as well. In short, they’re just like regular jeans, only better.

Ever Wondered what a Gusset is?

I never have … until I started researching cycling pants that are NOT lycra. Race Face Taper Lock cycling jeans come with a gusset. It turns out that a gusset is a triangular piece of fabric inserted into a seam to add width, so as to reduce stress from tight-fitting clothing. So basically at the crotch of the cycling jeans there is a triangle of material, instead of seams. So what, you say?

Well, the brilliant point is that there is plenty of space for your bits, and no uncomfortable seams digging into them. Best invention since bicycles, I’d say …

Unisex?

Also, although I only found Race Face Taperlock cycling jeans for men, my wife liked them so much she brought a pair too – and found that they work just as well for women.

Bottom line on Race Face Taper Lock Cycling Jeans

These jeans are a great alternative to lycra, and something I will be wearing for a long, long time to come. Perfect for the cyclist who wants to just be able to hop on a bike and go, without planning it like a military operation.

UPDATE: It’s come to my attention that these cycling jeans are now incredibly hard to find. Check out Bike to Work Pants to find some alternatives.

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Filed Under: Average Joe Cyclist Product Reviews Tagged With: Bike Commuting, Bike gear, Bike pants, Cycling jeans, Cycling tights

Comments

  1. dcee604 says

    May 11, 2011 at 5:58 am

    Good review! And thanks for the heads-up that they’re on sale, just ordered a pair!

  2. paddyanne says

    May 11, 2011 at 4:30 pm

    Thanks AJ, going to take a look tomorrow night! I have a pair of jeans that have a bit of stretchy (lycra??) in them and they are great to ride in. 🙂

    • Avatar photoAverage Joe Cyclist says

      May 11, 2011 at 9:43 pm

      Good shopping Paddyanne! The odd thing about these jeans is that they look like all-jean material, yet feel stretchy. I have no idea how they do that. Mind you, I have no idea how computers work either, but that doesn’t stop them from working … 🙂

  3. Clark says

    June 26, 2011 at 8:23 am

    Of course one can cycle without lycra.
    There’s the whole cycle chic fashion movement going on about it but one can wear anything really.
    http://vancouvercyclechic.blogspot.com/

    • Avatar photoAverage Joe Cyclist says

      July 10, 2011 at 9:40 pm

      Yup, that’s what I’ve finally discovered. It’s very liberating. Although come to think of it, I spent years cycling without lycra (without even knowing what lycra was) when I was a kid … shorts and a t-shirt were just fine back then, and they will be again.

Trackbacks

  1. Average Joe Cyclist Product Review: Race Face Taperlock Cycling Jeans | Cycling News and Events says:
    May 11, 2011 at 11:27 am

    […] this link: Average Joe Cyclist Product Review: Race Face Taperlock Cycling Jeans Posted in General Tags: almost-as-comfy, arnold, arnold-palmers, bicycle, cycling, cyclist […]

  2. Sisters with Heart: Identical Twins to Cycle Clear across Canada! | Average Joe's Cycling Blog says:
    May 27, 2011 at 6:32 pm

    […] I have always been a great fan of red dresses. And it sure does put my excitement about learning to cycle in pants that are not lycra into sobering […]

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Welcome to Average Joe Cyclist!

Welcome to our blog! I’m Joe Goodwill, an average cyclist, and I write a blog for people like me. People who love cycling but will probably never win any races, and who don’t necessarily look good in Lycra! I also write the Electric Bikes Blog and Average Joe's RV Living Blog. To find our most popular posts, check out our Start Here page.

Hi! I'm Maggie Neilson (aka Mrs. Average Joe Cyclist). Joe and I have done a lot of cycling, and we share what we have learned on this blog . We also write reviews of cycling products and trails! Get to know us better HERE.

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