Swrve Cycling Jeans

Gusset. Go on, say it with me. It is not, let's face it, the most inviting word in the English language. But for cyclists who want to wear jeans (which includes most of us at one time or another), it's a very welcome concept. Normal jeans don't have one, you see; specially tailored cycling jeans like these from Swrve do. And a gusset (say it again) transforms a usually restrictive item of clothing into one that moves and performs much better.

Swrve was, if I'm correct, the first manufacturer on to the UK market with cycling jeans, and this winter they're offering both a regular cut and a new skinny fit. Both are now made with a new denim from tough-as-old-boots material manufacturer Cordura, which the company claims is hard-wearing, abrasion resistant and contains some stretch. In the month or so I've been testing them, the first two are difficult to gauge - but Cordura are better known for their bag canvases, which last for ever, so I'll give them that. All the important seams are triple-stitched, too, so it's fair to say these jeans are pretty robust. As for the stretch, that's more obvious. Yes, they do stretch a bit, while still feeling and looking like a lightweight denim. Which means that, combined with the gusset (Wikipedia: "A triangular or rhomboid piece of fabric inserted into a seam to add breadth or reduce stress from tight-fitting clothing"), they give you glorious freedom of movement to swing your legs in any direction you care to choose. Or indeed, pedal.

It's the skinny jeans we have here, by the way. And skinny they are. Not spray-on, hipster skinny, but definitely a slim cut. Useful, around town at this time of year, as the material is tight enough around the leg not to bother the chain and chainring when pedalling - so no letting chill breezes in. But, if you do roll the leg up, then there's a reflective strip running vertically down the back of the jeans. A nice little touch for dark nights - as are the reflective belt loops. The back pockets take a mini D-lock, as advertised, and the other bike-specific feature, the articulated knees, also worked well. Riding in them was, even for long distances, pretty effortless. Looks-wise, I wasn't so keen on the 'darts' of material at the knee that achieve this, but they function so well you can't really complain. The low-ish waist and high-ish back, also stopped the jeans cutting in to the tummy, and kept cold air off the back.

As for the other pen pockets and things, I wasn't particularly impressed - they seemed a bit superfluous, and what was (I think) meant to be a phone pocket on the back didn't fit an iPhone. But for a fuss-free riding jean, in a nice dark denim, these fit the bill nicely. They're also significantly cheaper than many other specialist riding jeans now around.

Verdict

Gusset-tastic. Comfy, well-made riding jeans that really work on the bike.