Klim K Fifty 1 Jeans

I'll submit a ride review once I give these some saddle time, but I was so impressed out of the box, I had to get my thoughts out ASAP.

First, this review is on my initial impressions on the fit. I own a bunch of riding pants. I've got Draggin' Jeans, BMW Summer Pants, BMW City Pants, Olympia Air, Olympia Ranger, Rokker Revolution, a couple REV-IT that never really fit right, and more. I hate to think what I've spent on riding pants over the years. All because they just never seem to work.

My particulars:

Normal Jeans - 38x30
Klim Jeans - 38x32

One word fit impression - PERFECT!

The point is - I've had a terrible time finding a riding pant that was comfortable and offered protection. The closest for comfort was the Draggin' Jeans as they can be made to order (or could when I had mine made). But they offered no place for armor. The Olympia designs have been staples in my wardrobe lately for both comfort and protection, but I always want out of them when off the bike. Even with the mesh, I have always referred to it as "taking off the Saran Wrap".

The Rokker Revolution would be fantastic if I was a skinny guy. For me at 38" waist and a 30" inseam, with quads and calves that were built by decades of cycling, the tighter "Euro Fit" designs are just too snug. Especially when I need to add a thermal layer or heated layer.

The problem I ran into with the Rev-IT was how tight the legs were. Sure, it keeps the armor in position, but when you hate using them, what good is it? When you avoid wearing gear, that's the sign it really isn't comfortable.

However, I put on these Klim pants and it was like putting on a heavy pair of jeans. I tend to wear Carhart, Duluth Trading, or Levis 550 jeans in a 38x30 and the Klim fit (even with the padding) very similarly. Yes, these are 2" longer, but I find those extra 2" are perfect when in boots in a riding position. In fact, both my Olympia pants were hemmed to 32" and I had my Draggin' built at 32". The hip armor is far less noticeable than in the Rokker jeans and the knee armor lands PERFECTLY. Can't even tell the tailbone pad is there.

The fit is similar to the old BMW Summer Pant cut (not the current cut which is much tighter) and when I went down on a patch of oil in those old BMW pants, the armor did not move enough to allow any damage to me. I suspect these Klim will work similarly.

Over my Warm n Safe heated pants, there was plenty of room like in my Draggin',Jeans. In a seated position the cuffs fall nicely over my boot, but does not hang low enough to get walked on while standing.

There are a lot of layers here. But they all seem to work together and once on, don't feel as bulky as they do when you are holding them. On the outside, there is what looks like denim. They say it has a Cordura element, but it neither looks or feels like it. Even walking in these, you don't get the 'swish' sound that synthetic jeans typically do. Inside is a layer of Kevlar. It covers nearly the entire back of the legs from the waist down to the knees and the front of the legs from just above the knees to the lower shin. Fantastic coverage. The Kevlar is attached to the liner, not the denim, so there is movement and airflow. The inner liner is very comfortable against my skin and seems to breath very well. In the Draggn' Jeans, the patches of Kevlar create areas of high insulation which get really warm. I do not feel that at all in the Klim version. 3DO armor is held by a pocket in the liner at the hips and knees. The knee pockets and pads have velcro that runs for a good length and width of the pocket so that you can precisely position the pads exactly where you want them. This is the best method I've seen for pad placement. At the tailbone is a different style pad in it's own pocket. Can't feel it at all, but a nice addition in protection. The lining itself is a mesh and seems to allow a lot of air movement. For all the layers, I don't feel any added warmth. This is really amazing.

I don't expect these to feel great in the extreme heat of the summer just as a heavyweight jean wouldn't, but that is what mesh gear is for. But for all other times I think these will work just fine. By layering I can remain warm, and on their own they should be fine for most summer conditions.

Not worried about rain - I keep a pull-on rain suit and just wear it over anything. I find that this keeps my gear dry and clean. I had high hopes for the Rokker waterproof jeans, but while they kept me dry, they also ended up coated in road grime and took a substantial amount of work to scrub clean after a long ride on a day of drizzle. With a rain suit, I can just rinse in the shower, dry it in an hour and repack. If I lived in an area that rained more, I might look to an all-in-one suit, but something like this does the job far better for my riding.

While I tend to not carry things in my pockets when riding, I'll always transfer my wallet and other items when off the bike. The rear pockets are pretty normal and have a flatter bottom than many jeans which actually kept my wallet from tipping sideways. The main front pockets are a little shallow, but otherwise roomy and holds a pocket knife clipped on just fine. Probably a little shallow for a J-frame holster, but one of the little .380's like a Sig 238 might fit. The 'key' pocket is huge. Anthony says in his video that it is for a cell phone and my iPhone fits in there quite nicely. However, I'd avoid putting anything small in there (like a key) as I can't get my whole hand in and would never be able to pick up something at the bottom.

I love the fact that my IWB holster fits nicely behind the hip armor at about 4 o'clock. Most riding jeans with hip armor just don't have any room left. No need to violate department policy to remain armed while off-duty. Can't say I've always been able to do that.

I have now ripped off the tags and look forward to a few weeks of riding. Will post my impressions on the bike when I've tried these in the cold, warmth, and any other conditions that might occur.

So unfortunately it looks like I'm one of the ones that actually tested these puppies out. I found a corner that looked perfect to push it a little bit, and apparently I pushed it a little too far. About 80% of the way through the turn I rolled off the bead of the tire & went sliding down the road with my bike doing around 40MPH.

For a good 20 or 30 feet I slid on my hip & left knee (as I rolled) and went into the grass. (I also had the Icon Cloverleaf Knee Sliders on). I hopped right up without a scratch. The edge of the stitching on the left hip was slightly scraped up, and the knee was just barely worn through in a small spot to the kevlar (as the knee slider came off). You almost can't tell that the pants are damaged.

They fit great, armor placement is good for comfort & protective in a slide. I'm 5'8" 180lbs, 32 waist & 30 inseam, I bought the 32's and they fit great (just slightly long). Very impressed with them, would definitely buy again. (Now off to buy new plastics....)

These are great jeans that have great protection. Had a low side (hit the centerline in the wet) in them at about 30mph and there were no sore spots anywhere on me from the waist down. There was one tiny hole smaller than your finger and some very light rash that just looks like some of the character of the pants. I'm still using them and you can't tell. I feel almost as confident in these as leathers. I just wish I hadn't had my phone and wallet in my jacket pocket so I wouldn't have cracked my ribs so bad!

These jeans consist of a 15% nylon, 85% cotton exterior bonded to a kevlar lining covered by a polyester mesh. Pockets in the mesh cover D30 knee pads held in place with velcro, while the D30 hip pads and Poron tailbone pad sit unattached in form-fitting mesh pockets. The pants close with a zipper and top button.

I find the Klims to have the same fit as Levis 501s, although that reputation belongs to another brand. I have worn 501s since the mid-70s, and these jeans remind me of them in all good ways. The zipper on the Klims makes more sense than an all-button closure: years of experience have taught me how much more reliable zippers are, much though I prefer buttons on my non-riding jeans. Klim's numerical sizes are not waist size, so its important to use their sizing chart. The waist size on the chart depicts the actual measurement of the waist, and does not account for the extra room taken by the pads. Choose a numerical size for which your waist is at the bottom of the range, or get the next size up. The inseam on my 34s is charted at 32", but measures at 33". The jeans can be hemmed (or rolled, of course), and there's a fair amount of adjustment in the kneepads, so they appear likely to fit a wide range.

About those kneepads: a number of other reviewers mention the way the pads hang below the knee when they get off the bike. I find that if each pad is adjusted so that its curved upper edge just cups the top of the knee when one is standing that they are in perfect position on the bike, even with one's knees bent at 90 degrees, and almost unnoticeable when walking. I think that is probably the designers' intention. You do need to point your toes when putting these jeans on in order to avoid catching them on the pads, but I caught them only once, the first time I put them on, so it isn't a particular problem. One odd item: I had to move the pads all the way to one side of their pockets in order to have them centered on my knees. Otherwise, they were rotated towards the inside. I don't know if my knees are farther outboard of my hips than the average or if Klim should move the pockets a little farther towards the outside of the legs.

These riding jeans have a soft hand, fit like worn jeans, and actually look like regular jeans. They are extremely comfortable. In the right length for wearing off the bike they do rise above a mid-height boot with knees bent, so you may want to try them longer, having them bunched at the bottom when walking or standing, use a taller boot to provide the extra coverage, or accept having a little extra air blowing over your shins. The kevlar lining makes the jeans nearly windproof and also less breathable, but the polyester mesh does an excellent job of providing a channel for air and vapor to pass over your legs. The jeans remain comfortable even at slow speed in warm weather. The cotton/nylon blend will hold water, so they will get wet and clammy in the rain.

In terms of protection, they provide the same padding as my Klim Overland pants in a much easier-to-wear and less obtrusive package. I can't see how they can be as resistant to abrasion, but they provide far more protection than ordinary jeans in that regard, and they look great, D30- and Poron-enhanced booty volume notwithstanding.

I think these jeans make outstanding riding pants, comfortable, attractive, and with a high degree of protection for the category. Their price is competitive with everything comparable. With all due respect to the fantastic team at Revzilla, I think they may have dropped the ball in not including these in their review list of the best riding jeans.

I normally wear a 33W x 34L jean, so I ordered the 32 Tall. I'm 6'2", 175lb. Jean length was perfect, but the waist was too big and everything was too loose. This is definitely a relaxed or loose fit. I talked to Klim and they said they will not shrink in the wash. Unfortunately I'll have to return these. Actual measurements for a 32 Tall:
Waist: 34.5"
Length: 35"
Leg opening (width): 9"
Thigh (width just below crotch): 13"
Knee (width): 9"

I got these pants for days when it was too hot to wear my all-weather gear. These have good airflow and are pretty comfortable in general. Other reviewers have noted that the knee armor does ride just below the knee when walking which makes them not great for long walks around town, but OK for short walks down the block after parking. They do have good armor, and assuming the kevlar holds up, should be decent in a low speed off.

Sizing
I got the 36 which is what I wear in normal jeans. These run a little big and have plenty of bottom and leg room. In fact, they fit a lot like my other Klim pants which is why I gave them a try. If you are like me and are athletic with big glutes and quads, these are probably your best bet at getting armored jeans that fit. Just wear a belt.
I'm 6' ft , 210 lbs and the length was spot on as well.

Style
I was wearing these to leave the office one day and several co-workers were surprised to find that they were armored jeans. They look like a nice pair of jeans and the 3DO armor is flexible enough to not be very noticeable.

Features
The small pocket for cell phones is too small for even today's average sized phones. Because of the way the hip armor fits, your phone stays in the normal pocket with a relatively good amount of security. The armor is easy to remove for washing, but a bit fiddly to put back in since there are a couple of inches in adjustment space for the knees. To make sure the armor is in the right place, I think it's a good trade off.

Verdict
I'm very happy I got these. They are comfortable on the bike and can even do well hanging out with friends for an hour or two.

Jeans are strong, look good (like regular jeans). Could see them being a little warm in the summer but good otherwise. Velcro in the armor pockets let you adjust the position of the armor. I am 6'4" about 255-260, and consistently wear a 40 inch waist jean. I ordered the 40 inch waist Klim and it was too big. I was on the fence about returning because of wearing a base layer in the winter, but I certainly should have ordered a 38. Go one size lower than normal jeans, they run a size big.

These are seriously great jeans, and even at their price, I'd definitely recommend them. I bought these looking for a pair of "up-armored" pants that wouldn't make me look like a Stormtrooper while I was off the bike. These are about the best I've seen in that category - all the seams are internal, rather than through the outside layer of denim. They're very comfortable, very soft for how heavy-duty the materials are. I won't go into all the technology built in, Klim makes awesome stuff and their website will tell you about all of it. My only (minor) gripe is the fit, and it's really about what I've come to expect. I'm 6'5" and typically wear a 36" inseam. I ordered the long size pants, and standing or walking around, they're plenty long enough. The problem arises when I sit on the bike. The hem of the jeans pulls up a little higher than I'd like, but I wear high boots so it's not a big deal. The knee armor, though, even adjusted to it's lowest possible point (the knee armor is attached to the inside of the pants inside its own pocket and with velcro) is mostly resting on top of my thighs, only just barely reaching down over my knees with the shin portion of the armor. If you wear a 34" inseam comfortably, then probably the long size would be perfect. If you're like me and most 34s pull up a little short, so will these. I ended up pulling the knee armor out. The waist fit is dead on, the hip armor sits in just the right spot (feels a little weird at first, but you get used to it), and the tailbone protector is a nice touch. They block the wind nicely on cold days, and so far, they haven't seemed overly hot on hot days. I live in the South, so when it finally reaches 95 degrees and 80% humidity, I'm sure they'll be hot - but so would anything else. You won't be disappointed with these.

5'9 160lbs average build, wear size 32/32 or 33/32 and bought size 30 which are slightly baggy how I prefer. Love the look!!! Love the fit!!!

I want to love these pants but, 3 things worry me.

1) The knee armor rides on the inside of the knee (after adjusting as far as they could go to the outer knee) so they will only protect your knees from the gas tank on your bike.

2) The abrasion protection is only rated at 1-3 seconds @ 60mph

3) The mesh lining which also holds the D3O armor is going to break down and rip from putting the pants on and off. This will leave you with no pockets for the armor.

Overall I love these jeans...or the idea of them anyway. Might have to return them due to the knee armor not protecting the knees...or at least the part that will be hitting the ground.

I recommend these over regular jeans but in a wreck I don't think they will really protect you that much at all.

Awesome pants, great protection throughout. First pair of pants I've had with good hip protection. It has enough armor without making your hips look too wide. This is nowhere near as bad as other hip armor (like another pair of armored pants I ordered which wouldn't even let me put my jacket on since my hips were too wide).

I wear these pants all day when I commute on my bike since they blend in really well and are really comfortable, however with the knee protection, hip protection, and general thickness of the material its hard to sufficiently drop your pants anywhere near your ankles when you need to go. Realistically they drop to my knees and that's about it. This isn't really a huge problem since they are riding pants and offer so much real protection while blending in, but just something to consider.