RAPHA MEN'S CASUAL WEAR
For all the joys of jeans, serge de Nimes, aka denim, riding isn't one of them. The stretch is poor, the seams are thick and perfectly positioned for chafing, and owing to the properties of 100% cotton, once they get damp, they stay damp for a long time. It's for this reason that Rapha designed their own pants, aka Trousers, for the days when riding is the means, not the end.
Our biggest beef with jeans is that the mega-seam, where the four leg panels are joined, is thick and perfectly positioned for discomfort in the center of the crotch. Between that and the thick inside-leg seams rubbing against both our saddle and inner thigh, you've got a perfect recipe for pain; using chamois crème for a short commute is not what we had in mind. Rapha, among the many things they do to improve the comfort of long-legged, non-skintight leg wear, have changed the positioning of these vital seams. The leg front panels don't go as far around the leg as they typically do on most pants. This allows the seam where the four panels join to be well in front of where you typically find it, thus putting less pressure on your crotch. And by moving this seam forward, the inner-leg seams are also forward of where they are typically found, reducing the saddle and leg rubbing and meaning you won't need to slather salve in order to ride in these trousers.
Once they took care of the inner seams, they figured they might as well improve everything else. The material isn't 100% cotton, but a cotton-…comfortable and casual, yet they're made for riding your bike… polyester blend, which adds stretch, is quicker-drying, and is more durable. A nice trifecta.
The seat panel is lined with microfiber for greater riding comfort. The back of each leg has two panels both to create means to secure the lined panel and to create better stretch characteristics for riding. The pockets have been tweaked as well to reflect the needs of a cyclist. The front pockets are positioned on the side seams so that cargo stowed inside moves less and has less chance to fall out. The right pocket has an inner fold that creates an extra safety for items you want to keep secure. There are two rear pockets; the left is a zip pocket, the right a welt pocket. If you look carefully, you'll see that the belt loop above the right rear pocket is made from nylon webbing. This is deliberate; you can attach a U-lock through this loop, and if it's small enough, it can reach from the loop into the welt pocket. The belt loops are designed to fit Rapha's belt, which is about 40mm wide; narrower belts will work fine, too.
The body-securing system beyond the belt loops, is equally ingenious. The fly has a locking zipper pull to limit embarrassing moments. The waistband has a hook and loop that extends past the zipper for both security and a flat front. The interior of the waist is lined with gripper elastic. And, as is de rigueur for Rapha, the interior seams are finished with contrasting tape and the interior of the pocket also tells a story.
Because Rapha is forward-looking, the fit and look is what they call "modern." This means a slightly lower waist than traditional jeans and a fit that is slim, which is closer to snug than it is to baggy.
The Rapha Trousers come in Black and Sand. The leg length is 34 inches. They're available in five waist sizes from 30 to 38 inches in two-inch increments.
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