I was surprised, I had expected the pants to be overly warm but they breathe very well. I initially thought the location of the zippers on the legs was odd. The bottom of the legs unzip below the knee (below the reflective line in the picture). My wife, also wearing pair, pointed out that you can unzip the pants at that point to control airflow by changing the size of the opening. Since it is below the knee, I never once had rain come through the opening. Very comfortable.
These seem like good pants and would have been my third pair of Showers Pass rain pants. I bought them to replace a decade-old pair of Refuge pants. Unfortunately, these fit very differently from my old Refuge (and also from a pair of Skylines I also own). They are very long in the waist � to make the crotch snug enough that it won't catch on the saddle, the waist is several inches above my navel! Despite which they are weirdly tight through the backside (and I do not have a large butt). If I were to size down, I'm 100% sure they would split through the backside.
Conversely, they are very wide through the leg. You can tighten the legs with the velcro, but they are still flappy enough to rub the cranks & catch on the chain. Of course, you can zip off the lower leg, but they are rather long on me, hanging almost to my ankles.
I definitely wish I would have tried these on before buying, as I was stuck paying almost $10 to ship a return.
I purchased these to go with the Elite 2.1 jacket so I'd have a full year round commuting and recreational riding outfit that would keep me dry and warm in the Chicago area. I commute year round and need gear I can depend on. I was replacing a Burley jacketpants combination I purchased in the late 90's and don't have a collection of biking gear I can compare this to. I do a lot of research then buy what I think is the best choice and use the heck out of it. I've had these out in wet snow but no steady rain yet, although the roads have been wet so lots of spray and nothing gets through. They breathe well which was always a problem with the Burley pants as sweat tended to build up. I pair these with thin long underwear and I'm dry and warm down to 20 degrees (so far). Below that I'd just use thicker base layer. I also think they'd be a great option for cross country skiing, snowshoeing or other high exertion winter activities. The length is good, even when on the bike peddling. I'm 6'2 and 200 lbs with a 34 inseam and the length, although a tiny bit short, is good for me. I'd also highly recommend the suspenders to pair with these pants. I was on the fence about forking over more $ after buying these but the suspenders are worth their weight in gold, I can't imagine anything more annoying than dodging cars while trying to pull these up in the rain. They don't have any vercro on the waist or adjustability to tighten them so if they don't fit perfectly you'll be constantly adjusting. Buy the suspenders, you won't be sorry.
Great fitting and works well for my winter commute.
These pants do keep you very dry. I have not used them in knicker mode yet but I do not expect any surprises.
The only issue I have is with the velcro closures. The bottom closure is too loose allowing the pants to pucker, rub against the chainring and potentially get caught in it.I see three possible solutions make the strip of velcro loops longer allowing the closure to be tighter, shift the loops further towards the seam allowing for tighter closure, put the closure on the outside of the pants leg rather than the inside.
The easiest of these for me to implement was to find some loops with a sticky backing and extend the loops to the seam. Now I can get a tight closure, the pants no longer rug the chainring and my leg is drier.
I use the product to bike and walk in all weathers, the pants have kept me dry and warm, have plenty of room for leg action either while cycling or walking. Also received a positive compliment on fashion element.
I commuted in the prior version for two winters, despite shortcomings. The ill-conceived knee vents leaked like crazy, so I generally rode with these as shorts, dealing with wet legs.
Version 2 is lighter and more breathable - but mostly it doesn't have the knee vents that didn't add cooling, well, that's not true, they did, water-cooled.
The new version is also easier to convert, the zippers work better than before. I'm undecided on the cuff velcro though - I don't think it's been improved - but it's not worse either.
Very good pant for the commuter. Roomy enough to wear over your nice work clothes. I don't know if I would were them on long ride unless it is really coming down as they are a little too baggy. I Like the Velcro straps on the lower leg to keep the pant out of the drivetrain. The soft side of the lower Velcro needs to be a little longer. The waist is a little tight on me but the rest of the pant is plenty baggy. I am 6'1 200 lbs. I got the large initially but it was way too big. I have the medium men's now. I don't know if I will ever use them as knickers but at least that option is there. I don't really even notice the zippers.
These pants are excellent rain pants but even when it's not raining they're the perfect cold weather pants. The pair I bought in 2004 lasted 9 years 20,000 bike miles, well worth the cost...just replaced it with the newest model and expect the same.
Have used these pants on a couple of rainy days for riding in Seattle. Warm and dry at the end of the ride! Also use them for hiking in the rain. Same results....just what I've been looking for. When Spring come to Seattle, will zip off the lower legs and use them as riding shorts on rainy days.
They have worked well for me. A couple of times it stopped raining but still cool this fall and removing the bottom half of the pants kept me just right
I have used these several times this winter and they have worked well. They are warm - I wear shorts under them even in upper 30's F and rain - and this makes them more comfortable. I have even used the convertible part once and really liked the feature.
Love these pants. I suggest the suspenders too. Super comfortable great fit. Havent overheated yet but my commute is less than 30 minutes. Worth it in our rainy weather
It's like Goldilocks and the three bears..tried ge bikewear pants 1st, they had a cut more suited to Romain Bardet. Sent those back although the quality was outstanding. Next tried Cabas gore tex pants, they had a cut more suited to Larry the Cable guy, quality outstanding though. Tried these Showers pass pants last, they are perfect. I'm 6feet 175lb, they fit over my dockers or dickies and it's hi ho off to work I go. Quality of the pants is outstanding. Lots of pockets and I like the velcro pants leg ties.
Comfortable and terrific fit
Great for commuting and bike touring.
These pants run slightly longer than their mentioned size, but other than that, they are very waterproof and very well-built
I were these whenever it rains or there is a good chance of rain. I also used them for snowshoeing and they worked great. It snowed a steady wet snow and I was kept dry without over heating. They make a rustling noise while pedaling. I use the knicker length unless it is below 40 degrees. Price was a bit high but worth it if they last.
The team at Showers Pass do make a nice product. Just waiting for a local deluge to justify upgrading to one of their coats to accompany.
These rain pants are awesome. It really shows that the people who designed and made these live and ride here in Portland, Oregon. They keep me dry in heavy rain and their comfortable. Its easy to see the quailty in the way these pants were made. My only regret with these pants is not buying them sooner.
