As riders we’ve all heard some form of, “it’s not if you are going to go down but when.” That warning resonates when fully gearing up for a weekend ride into the corners or track sprint but we’ve still all taken the stupid risk of riding in only street clothes and a lid at one time or another. Who wants to whoosh around in textile riding pants on a hot summer day or when headed out for errands, right? In these instances, don’t denim jeans work just fine? Cowboys have been repping denim durability since John Wayne so why wouldn’t it hold up when sliding across the pavement? And if that’s true, then the numerous Kevlar jean companies out there are selling nothing but a crock of BS packaged in an expensive pant. We set out to discover if paying the price for a riding jean is actually worth the extra coin—in the most scientifically entertaining way possible.
The Test: In an attempt to keep our limbs intact we got creative and devised a plan that would test the abrasion resistance of standard denim compared to Drayko’s Kevlar and Dyneema lined riding jeans without going home road-rashed. Sand bags filled with 25 pounds of sand were placed into the upper thigh/seat portion of each pant leg to mimic leg weight. Each pair of jeans was tied off at the knees (so the bags could not slip past). A heavy-duty rope was then secured through the belt loops and run to an SUV’s hitch. The two test leg dummies were then loaded into the back of the truck and it was off to the drop zone, where each would be heaved out and dragged individually but at near identical speeds and distances. The first set of drops took place on a smooth, straight stretch of pavement that lacked any road bumps. The second set of drops started on smooth pavement but sent the dummy legs into sharp gravel to mimic what would happen if a rider slid off the road and into the rough stuff. In both instances we chose low speeds to better illustrate what can happen even in a slow slide.
Road Surface: Smooth pavement
Result: Minor scuffs, small tear in quad area and frayed pocked seams
Road Surface: Asphalt to heavy gravel
Length Dragged: 45-55 Feet
Result: Heavy tears, frayed seams, multiple worn through areas
Road Surface: Smooth pavement
Result: Minor scuffs with frayed seat seams
Road Surface: Asphalt to heavy gravel
Length Dragged: 45-55 Feet
Result: Denim tears over pocket and outside protective lining areas, intact lining
Myth: Busted
Each crash is different and it’s impossible to plan for everything so as our parents used to say, “it’s better to be safe than sorry.” From our testing, we found that an everyday pair of denim pants, when dragged on smooth asphalt at a low speed, won’t rip into shreds immediately but will rip faster than a bong on 420 when met with gravel, rocks or road debris. The Draykos saw similar wear to the Levis in the first drag test but left the rocks in much better shape—where the denim ripped, the underlying protective lining stayed strong. At riding speed, jagged edges rip denim in the blink of an eye but knitted Kevlar and Dyneema fabrics withstand much higher levels of abrasion and don’t tear or blow out as easily. We didn’t test at speeds greater than 35 MPH so imagine what would happen at 80 MPH. What’s guaranteed in every crash is that your legs will hit the deck so shouldn’t they be protected? Riding jeans might cost you an extra $100 dollars over what’s already in the closet but that’s a fair trade to limping around with serious leg road rash if things go wrong.