Klim Outrider pants in duck brown

The basic concept is a slightly relaxed off-road pant in a kind of chino-cum-combat style. The idea was to create a pant that was wide enough in the leg to go over your average, adventure boot. A pant that was plain enough and subtle enough to wear in a restaurant. But that was also comfortable enough for a hike to the top of the hill.

 

Klim tell us that the new Outrider is lighter and more flexible than the its predecessor, yet just as durable. Well maybe it is, but the disappointing fact is that the old one was AA rated; the new one is single A. Now the fact is that on a motorcycle pant that's going to be worn at lot at the national speed limit, we would prefer to see an abrasion resistance rating of AA. Although that does depend on the armour to an extent. On the £2,500, A-rated Rukka Nivala suit, for example, the Level 2 armour throughout is so huge that you are going to be better protected than in just about anybody else's AA outfit. Not that we can make that case here with the Outrider, because the armour is standard D3O, Level 1 Ghost.

 

But the fact is that these pants have not been designed primarily for the road. Their focus is very much the path less well taken. And when you ride off-road, abrasion resistance is of far less importance, because when things go wrong in this environment there's not normally a lot of sliding going on. Klim clearly took the view that lighter and easier to wear, and nicer to live with, trumped abrasion. And so be it. All this means is that if high-speed riding on the black stuff is what you are about this probably isn't the trouser for you.

 

The outer fabric is made from a canvas that is infused with something stretchy like Elastane. Now when you introduce stretch into a fabric you weaken it a little from an abrasion perspective. Which probably explains why the old Outrider was AA, and the new one is single A. As we have said already, this was a conscious decision on Klim's behalf to prioritise comfort over ultimate strength.

 

The armour is Ghost Level 1. It fits from the outside so is easy to remove if you're going to be doing more walking than riding. You could always upgrade to Level 2 armour, but if you did that you would probably go for Diablo rather than Ghost.

 

In terms of the detailing, you get two hand pockets and two pockets in the rear. There's also a small, thigh pocket designed to take a phone. You also get loops in the waist band to allow you to wear a belt.

 

So let's recap. This is a lightweight, comfortable, easy-to-wear motorcycle pant that has adventure riding in its sights, yet is smart enough to wear to a lunch appointment; albeit not at Scotts perhaps. It is not the most abrasion resistant pant out there, but that is by design. If you want something that is going to work better for sliding down the road, there are lots of choices out there.