Drayko Renegade Riding Jeans
4.5
5
17
17
The gold standard for riding jeans
Ordered a pair in size 44 (6', "non-athletic", 250 lbs) and they fit excellent. I could probably get away with a size 42, the jeans themselves are "stretchy".
Before I get too far ahead of myself, any riding jeans (jeans lined with something....denim alone is useless!) are inherently a compromise. They're better than nothing, but I doubt these would protect at highway speeds. Also, the lined areas are the hips, seat, and knees -- the "impact areas", but if you tumble or roll, you could be in trouble. There is also no armor.
However, the Dyneema is thick, the stitching is tough, and I have no doubt that these jeans would hold together in a crash and seriously reduce any abrasion from an accident. The CE rating and video demos of the material not failing until 4.4 seconds of wear also gives me confidence.
The jeans are not "MC Hammer" baggy, but they aren't your sister's skinny skinny jeans either, I'd say they are comfortably spacious. There is room to fit knee armor underneath (I wear Icon's Field Armor) without it being obvious. They are also MUCH cooler than overpants, which helps a lot in the desert! And the styling is great. The picture doesn't do it justice, these things are the most stylish pair of jeans I own (in fairness, compared with Wal-Mart...)
Overall, I highly recommend these if the buyer understands their limitations. I wouldn't go canyon carving with these, but if you want to ride around town safely and not look like a lost cosmonaut, these are for you.
NOTE: They are not the cheapest pair of jeans. However, I gave them a 5/5 Bang for the Buck because protection that works is still cheaper than budget gear that can have seams burst, leave you unprotected, and put you in the hospital. CE is always cheaper than the ER.
May 13, 2013
good jeans
Strangely the jeans feels more comfortable than my usual jeans. Hopefully I wont be testing the 4.4 seconds but it feels durable and strong. The jeans has more protection at the upper part (butt part).
May 13, 2013
Comfy, surprisingly good airflow
I was surprised at how comfortable and soft these are. In addition, they flow air much better than I was expecting--very important in Texas. I bought them for the protection (which hopefully I'll never put to the test), but they are easily comfortable enough to wear as everyday jeans.
Fit: similar to a normal, "loose" style pair of jeans. I wear a 32 waist/34 inseam, and a 32 of these fits as expected. I can easily fit my kneepads under them.
May 2, 2013
you'll love them like your favorite pair of 501 Levi's
Holy Stretch Batman.
I typically wear a size 32w so I ordered a 30w based on previous reviews. When I opened the package my first thoughts were "there is no way in h*** that thing is fitting around my waist". Well after a little sucking in the first 2 times putting them on, the jean has stretched into a normal 32w. Overall the seams holding the Kevlar in place is barely visible (they did a nice job matching the thread to the jean color) and no one in the office seems to notice I have "motorcycle" pants on. After hemming to my normal length (30" inseam) and wearing for a few days I can safely say these feel about as comfortable as my old Levi 501 jeans and when placed on top of one another match up pretty well on the cut.
Great job Drayko. No more anxiety of having to sacrifice looks for basic protection around the city.
April 30, 2013
Best riding jean
This pair of jeans seems like the best pair of riding jeans that could be made. The color is a dark denim, so it looks nice. The cut is a regular/loose fit but I would not call it baggy. I wish the legs were a little more narrow at the bottom for less flapping at speeds, but they are probably like that to fit over any size boots. The protection seems like it's in all the right areas, full butt and knees with a nice additional coverage on the side of the hips/thigh which was key for me. You can feel some air flow in the crotch area of the jeans which is nice too. The waist seems true to size and is comfortable, with good butt crack coverage. The kevlar panel stitching blends in very nice with the denim so it's not very noticeable. Overall, I couldn't imagine a better pair of riding jeans. Not many "features" and not the highest protection, but no riding jean will provide that.
April 29, 2013
Will buy more
This is my third pair of the Drayko jeans. I like the fit being 6'1" the length is nice when I ride and look right when I am walking around. It is only after I tell the people I am with that they are biker jeans. Yes I have pulled them down to show the protection in them. LOL I will buy several more pairs as I ride every day and have to go to events when the Black Renegade Drayko can be dressed up and when at work I use the Blue Renegade. I also have a pair of the Drayko Drift. I will tell every these are the best jeans.
April 15, 2013
Great pants!
I was looking for a pair of riding denims that don't look like riding jeans. After some research, I landed on the Drayko Renegades. Spent the last 3 days riding about 500 miles and the pants were great. Super comfortable! The temperature was between 70-80 and was completely comfortable. Might be a little warm in the summer but only time will tell.
There is stitching on the butt and knees like other riding jeans but its not too obvious.
All in all, I am very happy with these jeans and would recommend them to anyone who dresses more for the crash than the ride.
April 7, 2013
WAY too big
Nice pants, functionally. The drawback is that the pants are enormous. I wear a 34 or 36 in most jean manufacturers so I got a 36 from Drakyo. Other than the fact that the waist was closer to a 40, the legs extruded about another foot and a half below my ankle. Unless you're Dikembe Mutombo, be read to have to get these altered if you want them to fit.
April 5, 2013