Cruising around on the bike is one of the best feelings around. With the wind blowing past your hair as you easily pass standstill traffic gives you a massive sense of freedom and excitement. Nipping around town, commuting to work, or only taking the bike out on nice weekends, one thing you always do is gear up first. Struggling with clunky thick armored trousers and leathers are now a thing of the past with the relatively new motorcycle leggings. Comfortable, strong fabric that can be worn under regular trousers or on their own means no more wrestling into your big bulky gear but how safe are they? This article will go through the materials used and extras available for your motorcycle gear to let you know how safe motorcycle leggings are.
Material
Motorcycle leggings have a sleek look that is a far cry away from bulky leather and denim systems. These leggings are ideal if you are riding slow around town, or spend your time sitting on a café racer or a bobber. They are constructed with Kevlar which is woven into the fabric. The Kevlar is spread across all of the leggings, but it is particularly focused on areas where you are likely to have an impact if you fall. Areas such as hips and knees have more of this woven padding than your calf or your thigh. This gives you a streamlined look that isn’t far off what you wear on a daily basis.
Leggings Verses Jean
Kevlar jeans are a recent development in the motorcycle protection world, they aren’t as well established as the tried and tested leather, but they are a close second. Again, these are ideal if you are riding a slower bike and have no intention of putting your knee down. Jeans are bulkier than leggings, but they do wear better. This is simply down to the fact that they are made out of denim. In the event of an accident, the denim will last longer than the leggings will. This reduces the chances of abrasions and cuts. Most new leggings are abrasion-proof, especially the newer versions, but they aren’t as durable as denim.
Leggings Verses Leather
There is a reason that leather is the go-to for motorcycle protection. It is one of the most versatile and durable fabrics out there, plus it is also 100% waterproof. If you are on the back of or riding a fast bike, you want the best protection you can get and leather will give this to you. Leggings certainty have their place, but if you are wanting to ride fast on unyielding roads, then leggings shouldn’t be your first choice, leather should. Read more on https://www.ridezza.com/product-category/leggings/
When To Wear Leggings
Leggings are ideal if you want to look good when you get off your bike. They are less padded than leather and a lot of the leggings now come in fashion cuts. This means that you can jump off your bike and go shopping like you normally would. Before you gear up, it would be best to check the weather. Leggings are best suited to warm, dry weather. Wet weather doesn’t make them less effective, but it reduces the comfort of your ride. There isn’t much worse than having to peel yourself out of soaking wet motorcycle gear and Kevlar leggings also take a long time to dry.
Are They Safe?
Motorcycle leggings now come with durable Kevlar lining that reduces the chances of road rash and deep abrasions in the event of an accident. They can’t protect from broken bones, but they can vastly reduce the chances of missing skin. When it comes to comparing them against the tried and tested leather outfits, they don’t match the same safety standard. However, you can increase how safe your motorcycle leggings are. Not all of them come with hip pads as standard, so if you want to make them safer, then purchase the additional hip pads. This makes sure that you are getting the maximum safety, whilst making sure you look good all at the same time.
Final Thoughts
Motorcycle leggings are becoming more and more popular as they look like normal leggings that you wear on a daily basis. Before you settle on a pair, think about the type of riding that you do. If you are thinking of fast, open road riding where you can get your knee down, then you want to dress for the slide, rather than the ride, so in this case, leather would be more appropriate. If you are on a slower bike and bobbing around town, then leggings are the way forward.
