What to wear, what to wear? You want to ride, so you need protection, but you want to wear street clothes when you get where you’re gettin’. Instead of packing extra clothes and finding a phone booth to make a quick change, here’s a simple solution.

Try the Hein Gericke Cargo Overpants. They’re easy on/easy off, thanks to the full-length two-way zippers on both legs. One extra-nice touch is that the zippers are in just the right place to allow quick access to your pants’ front pockets. I also like the operation of the zippers; they didn’t fight me once.

The overpants have a waterproof Sheltex liner, also zippered, that’s removable for warm-weather riding. The liner compresses down to a small bundle when not in use, so it was easy to stash it on a bike. The outer shell is made of a ballistic Mesh-Tex material, which is basically perforated nylon that provides decent airflow in warm temps. Inside is a removable liner, secured with three snaps at each cuff and a full-circumference zipper at the waist. On cooler mornings and evenings, my legs stayed nice and toasty with the liner in place.

The pants bend easily and comfortably at the knees, owing to the stretchy panels and soft armor. There are two large cargo pockets (hence the name, I guess) above the knees, secured with Velcro flaps, which offer plenty of room for things like a digital camera or an MP3 player. There’s also one zippered pocket in the back, on the left butt cheek. It’s a great place to stow your wallet; otherwise, you’ll find yourself disrobing at gas stations to dig out your credit cards.

You can make fine adjustments to the waist size with the Velcro belts, and the cuffs have Velcro flaps for a snug fit at the ankle. I found the sizing to be just right, as I ordered the same size as my normal pants, and these fit well over my pants. The only difficulty I encountered was that the legs wanted to hike up a bit on long rides. (I have really long legs, so that happens a lot.) Also, the pants have a minimal amount of reflective material, though there is a small reflective band above and below each knee.

But, overall, the Cargo overpants suit me well, providing an extra layer of protection that’s easy to get into and out of. RB

SOURCES

Cargo Overpants $199.95

Hein Gericke USA
Fairchild Sports
15602 Mosher Ave., Dept. RB
Tustin, CA 92780
888/313-2510

www.heingericke-usa.com