When I was younger, I liked to ride around the neighborhood in the late Fall and early Winter to see the scenery change. The problem was that my mom didn’t like my jeans getting stained by oil and torn by my chain, gears,
The easiest way to protect your pants from
In the rest of this post, I’ll go over the different ways riding can hurt your pants, and eight ways you can avoid those problems.
Types of damage
The vast majority of concern lies at the bottom of the right pant leg. That is where your pants get close to your gears. That introduces a whole slew of issues:
- Torn cuffs: It’s easy for your pants to get hit in the gears and for them to rip at the bottom
- Oil stains: This concern is for sure the most visible. Dark oil stains are hard to remove
- Getting caught in the chain: Since we pedal forward, your pant leg can get caught between the teeth of the gear and the chain. If this happens, it is incredibly easy to rip your pants
There is another region of your pants that not a lot of people think will be damaged, but frequently is:
- Holes where you sit: As you pedal, your pants rub against the seat. This will slowly, but surely, wear a hole into them over time
Solutions
Now let’s talk about how you can address those problems.
1. Wear a different kind of pants
This kind of feels like cheating so let’s get it out of the way first
As long as the temperature is good, you can wear workout or cycling shorts and then just change or pull your pants over them if you need to change at your destination. I did this all the time when I was able to commute to work and didn’t find it to be an inconvenience at all. I would just change clothes in the bathroom in the morning and evening.
Sure, you may look a bit tacky when your top half doesn’t match your bottom half, but you’ll save your pants and that means you’ll save money. If you are interested in going the extra mile to get cycling shorts, here‘s a link if you’d like to check them out on Amazon. I’ve also used some different bags over the years. Backpacks, drawstring bags, and small hiking bags. Check out the Recommended Gear page to see what I use now.
An alternative to wearing shorts is to wear tight, slick pants. Jeans, and pants of similar material, wear out quickly in general. If the legs stay close to your ankles and slide past one another easily, your pants won’t get caught and won’t develop holes as quickly.
These sorts of pants and shorts are also very nice because they dry out rather quickly. Moisture is the enemy when wearing pants. It can lead to chaffing and general discomfort while riding, and well afterward. This is especially important if you are going to be riding more than a couple of miles.
If you refuse to buy or wear these kinds of short or pants, some forums have mentioned that Chinos are a decent alternative. They’ve also mentioned that some brands have introduced “commuter pants” that are reinforced in the sitting area to make sure that holes are much less likely to form.
| Pros | Easy to stay cool in warm weather, and warm in cool weather Clothes dry quickly Comfortable while riding Work clothes aren’t smelly if bike commuting Protects work clothes from all kinds of bike riding damage |
| Cons | You have to change clothes or wear multiple layers Multiple sets of clothes means you are carrying more weight It takes more time and effort to prepare You have to clean more clothes |
| Best For | When you can change clothes at your destination |
2. Roll up the right pant leg
This is, by far, the easiest and most popular suggestion on this list. A total classic, rolling up the pant leg doesn’t cost you by adding extra weight or costing money.
Unfortunately, it isn’t foolproof, though. I know that I’ve had my own pants roll down on a ride after a quick section. If you are experienced, it isn’t too difficult to reach down and slowly roll it back up, but forget doing that on an incline.
| Pros | Fast to get ready before and after Free Keeps a breeze on your leg when it’s hot No extra materials or cleaning |
| Cons | Sometimes you need to stop riding and roll the pant leg back up No way to warm up your leg in cold weather Can wrinkle or crease nice pants Doesn’t address damage to your |
| Best For | Warm days when you don’t want to change clothes |
3. Use a strap
Another classic, this method comes in as a close second to
There is no shortage of “things” to wrap around your pant leg to keep it safe. Here are just a few:
- Velcro strap
- Hair tie
- Rubberband(s)
- Reflective strap (on Amazon)
- Shin or Leg guard (on Amazon)
- Slap bracelet
- A slap bracelet with LEDs! (on Amazon)
- Some string
- Sweatband
- The cut-off top of an old sock
This gives you a lot of budgetary and creative freedom when utilizing this method. I’m sure that most everyone has something from that list at home, but you could also express yourself with crazy colored bands. Just be aware that some manufacturers advertise that their products are reflective when they are really just brightly colored. There is a special material that reflects light back at the source. Make sure to check 1-3 star reviews to see what previous buyers think. If I link directly to a product, I’ve already checked to make sure.
Reflective straps are extra helpful because they keep you more visible to motorists at night. Though, if you are riding at night, I highly suggest wearing a full vest as a reflective strap always visible. Thankfully, Amazon has plenty of options when it comes to Reflective Vests And Bands and Bike Lights.
| Pros | Fast to take care of before and after the ride Easy to customize Doesn’t wrinkle pants very much |
| Cons | Could break or come undone while riding Can make your leg hot and sweaty while riding Doesn’t address damage to your |
| Best For | Cool days when you don’t want to change clothes |
4. Tuck your pants into your socks or shoes
This technique is a bit more obscure than the others on this list. It works best with tall shoes like boots and tall socks like a tube sock. If you don’t have either of those, then pants that are just a little too long for you will also do the trick
Stuffing your pant leg into your sock or shoe isn’t exactly the most practical means of protecting your pants. Mine tended to slip out while I was pedaling, but I think my pants just weren’t long enough to stay in my boots.
I tend to not use this technique, but I recently got some long socks. So, I’ll be able to give it a fair shot if I’m riding with jeans soon.
| Pros | Fast to take care of before and after the ride Doesn’t require any extra equipment |
| Cons | Not very consistent Tends to wrinkle nice pants Looks kind of funny Doesn’t address damage to your |
| Best For | Cold days or when you have tall shoes or socks |
5. Put duct/gaffer tape on your pants where your legs rub
This way of protecting your pants will definitely get some people to give you a funny look once you get off your bike. This isn’t exactly for nice pants either. I would only suggest this method if you travel quite the distance every day, and you don’t have the option to change clothes.
All that being said. This is an incredibly effective way to protect your pants. The tape will act as a sacrificial layer that you just replace every time you hop on your bike.
While you are at it, you might as well wrap your right leg up with tape as well. Now you’ve got protection in the two main areas that experience damage on a ride.
| Pros | Straight forward process Protects your sitting area as well as your pant leg |
| Cons | The cost of buying tape all the time will add up You have to carry a roll of tape with you Looks very strange Could possibly leave residue on your pants |
| Best For | When you don’t mind buying a lot of tape or people giving you funny looks |
6. Change your seat
This option doesn’t apply to every seat that’s out there. Some seats have a seam that rubs against your legs while you are riding. For these seats, you can place a seat cover over them. Here is a link to Amazon if you’d like to check out the prices. Just make sure that the cover material is slick so your pants can slide over it easily.
If you’d rather not get a seat cover, you can also opt for a narrower seat. These will make your sit bone a bit sorer after a ride, but it doesn’t offer as much of an opportunity for your pants to rub together. Your legs will always rub on something, but a narrower seat means it will rub them less.
Extra-wide seats are something to stay away from if you find that you are rubbing holes in your pants. They may be more comfortable while you are riding, but you pay the price by buying more pants.
| Pros | Very simple Lightweight No setup once you’ve installed it Very customizable |
| Cons | Can be expensive Only slow down the damage Doesn’t address damage to your pant leg |
| Best For | When you don’t want to make any changes to your pants |
7. Use a chain guard
This is not going to be a popular option, but it does work. While researching this, I found it pretty difficult to find a chain guard that would fit on my bike. There were a few that looked custom made, but that is way more effort than I’m willing to invest when my main alternative is rolling up my pant leg.
This option applies more to bikes with only one gear or bikes that are much lower on the price spectrum. You might find one that looks cool, but it’ll be a pain to maintain. I really don’t suggest pursuing this as a serious option, but it would definitely keep your pants from getting caught in the chain.
| Pros | No setup at the beginning of a ride once you’ve installed it Can be customizable It works, I guess |
| Cons | Can be expensive to get one that fits your bike well Can be hard to find Adds weight that is hard to remove Makes maintenance more difficult Doesn’t address damage to sitting area |
| Best For | When you want to be different from everyone else |
8. Ride standing up
Standing up while you ride isn’t anything new, but it wasn’t a solution that I expected. The main goal is to make it so that your seat can’t rub on your pants anymore. I focused more on how I could change my pants or change my bike, that I could also change myself.
Unfortunately, your legs can still rub together a lot while you ride standing up. As well. it completely fails to address the bottom of your pant leg catching on your chain.
So, this option is great to use in tandem with another option like rolling up your pant leg or wearing different pants. The only problem is you are more likely to be sweaty upon arrival.
| Pros | Free Good workout Very easy to start or stop mid-ride |
| Cons | Makes you sweatier than normal You still need to do something about your pant leg |
| Best For | When you don’t mind more of a workout on a shorter ride |
I hope that with all of these ways to keep your pants safe, you’ll be more confident in getting on your bike no matter what pants you are wearing that day.
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