Helmet? Check. Armor? Check. Gloves protect knuckles? You bet. Chaps? Wait. I’ll be ready and waddling out the door in about five hours. I own a pair of chaps, but honestly, I’ve never worn them. I usually just put on my strongest jeans and lace up my riding boots. But I’ve always felt a little bit vulnerable when it comes to my feet — until I discovered biker jeans.
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The Highway 21 Blockhouse Jeans are classic straight-leg trousers made of 12-ounce denim with Aramid fiber-reinforced panels on 70% of the jeans – hip to below-knee in the front and about half-thigh in the back. These include CE Level 1 removable knee armor and removable hip armor pockets (hip armor sold separately).
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In my book, Blockhouse Jeans has some pros and cons. For starters, I’m not crazy about colors. I chose Oxford Blue, and it turned out to be a much lighter shade of blue than it appears on Highway 21’s website, almost a light blue. It’s not bad, but it’s not my favorite. They are also available in Black.
My biggest concern is the pockets for the knee armor. These are supposed to look like regular jeans, so the pockets on the outside don’t look as clean, but the inside of Blockhouse Jeans sits below the knee where the leg is narrower. I have another pair of riding jeans that have a pocket opening above the knee and it’s much easier to get the armor in. With Blockhouse Jeans, getting the armor out and back in every time I do the laundry is a battle. Also, even though the product description says the bags can be adjusted to different heights, given the size of the armor, I can only fasten the hook and loop in one position.
In the bigger picture, however, Blockhouse Jeans are comfortable and roomy without being baggy. I wore them over a pair of heated panties, and although the jeans were a bit tight at first, they quickly loosened up just right. Speaking of heat, with the Aramid panels separate from the denim, they’re warmer than my other pair of motorcycle jeans that have protection woven into the denim. To give you an idea, on a recent interstate ride on a naked bike on a particularly cold day (28 degrees with a 10 mph headwind to the north), I forgot my pants. my thermal underwear and just my long johns, Blockhouse jeans, and rain gear to block the wind, and my legs are perfectly normal. When the weather gets colder, this is definitely my couple.
Loot Highway 21 jeans in men’s waist sizes 30-42 (Sizes high for 32-38) for $129.95.
