Rukka Winsto-R pants in black

For a number of years we have been beseeching manufacturers to produce a truly windproof base layer that could be worn beneath a summer-weight pant without a membrane. We particularly wanted a windproof layer that was thin enough to be worn beneath a motorcycle jean, in order to allow them to be worn comfortably in the cooler months.

 

Well, the Rukka Winsto-R pant is not that base- or mid-layer. And that, quite simply, is because it is too thick to be worn inside a tight-fitting trouser such as a jean. That layer, the one we have been working towards, is on its way. We have tested a number of prototypes of it. We hope to see it next year, but whilst the Winsto-R fulfils the same brief, its application is different.

 

Riding jeans, obviously, are not the only highly breathable trousers out there. Indeed, right now high-airflow trousers are all the rage. Within our own firmament, we have Klim pants like the Switchbacks, the Marrakesh, the Induction and Baja S4 pants. In terms of Rukka pants there's the Air Karvik.

 

And all these are great motorcycle trousers that are going to flow huge amounts of air if the weather is hot, or when you are working hard off road. The problem is that when it turns a bit chilly you can very quickly get very cold in a pair of highly breathable trousers like the ones we've spoken about.

 

Now with a highly breathable jacket there are lots of ways that the rider can insulate body heat and protect from the effects of the wind chill. There are windproof shirts, fleeces, softshells and down jackets. But there are very few alternatives when it comes to the lower half.

 

And that's where the Winsto-R pant comes in. It's a highly windproof pant that, whilst too thick to be worn beneath a tighter-fitting jean, will work perfectly beneath a looser-fitting, more adventure-oriented trouser like the Marrakesh et al..

 

We are the layering people. Layering allows us to use one jacket or pant, and wear them in all conditions from the very hottest, to the very coldest and the very wettest. And the Winsto-R is going to be an important component in making this possible for more riders.