In the city you want to cycling around in things you are comfortable in. However, you don’t always want to wear lycra. You want to be able to go to the pub or a restaurant and not feel like people can see your pants.
Both myself and Andreas have reviewed cycling jeans in the past. We have generally found them to be good, although nothing is ever perfect. We have also reviewed Vulpine clothing in the past and found it to be generally pretty excellent. So, when we got the press release for the Autumn 2016 range launch and saw jeans for both women and men, we were intrigued.
What are they?
Vulpine make urban cycling clothes, everyone knows that by now. They make really, really nice urban cycling clothes. They also make roughly the same things for men and women, and to me this is important.
Last year I was a little disappointed when they made men’s jeans and not women’s. However, when I interviewed Nick Hussey a earlier in the year, he had assured me that they were making women’s jeans so I felt a little better.
The jeans are a fairly standard indigo colour in skinny fit for women. This makes them blend in well with standard street wear. They have more cycling friendly features than standard skinny jeans though, and they are much, much more practical on the bike (as they should be). They sell for £120 and are available for both men and women.
These Vulpine ones have a gusset in the crotch to remove the seams and limit chaffing and wear from the saddle. They also have articulated knees so they do not restrict your movement. The back of the waistband is higher providing extra coverage, and the belt loops are more plentiful on the back.
The rear pockets are reinforced at the bottom, so they are less likely to wear through if you ride with anything in them. Finally, the inside of the right, drive side leg is printed with little reflective elements. This means that if you roll the leg up, you will have a little more visibility in the dark.
Whilst we didn’t get our hands on the men’s version, they seem to have all the same features. The fit is a slim one, again meaning they fit in well with regular jeans, but perform much better on the bike
Fit
I admit to being a little worried about this. The previous pair of Vulpine trousers I have tried, the cotton rain pants, were a very odd fit. Thankfully the jeans are not the same.
I prefer things to not be completely skin tight and the jeans in my normal clothing size are great for me. However, I think I am probably between sizes and if I wanted a tighter fit then I would need to size down – I do think they maybe come up a little big. They are certainly generously cut on the waist compared to the rest of the leg. This is sadly something that is standard in women trousers it seems – less differentiation between hips and waist. Its not too bad, just means I need to wear a belt.
The Good
Slight niggles with fit aside, these are the best riding jeans I have ever tried. They fit great, allow for perfect amounts of movement and I think they look pretty awesome. I quite like the Levi commuter jeans I have, but they are a little restrictive in the calves when cycling, and really no different from a regular pair of jeans.
The Vulpine cycling jeans are not restrictive at all. They give in all the right places and make me forget about them while cycling. I think it must be the cut, particularly the darts in the knee, as they do not have more elastane in them. This is a good thing as it means they do not stretch out after one wear, making it possible to wear them several days in a row.
They actually have features which make them better for cycling in than regular jeans. The crotch is noticeable in terms of on saddle comfort and should really help with longevity.
They look good with boots, trainers or smart shoes. I have actually been wearing these jeans as much off the bike as I have on – I took them on a hen weekend with me to wear with boots while going out, and they worked perfectly.
The Bad
There is not much bad about these jeans. Really the main thing I can think of is the price as at £120 these are not cheap jeans. I have found them to be incredibly comfortable and I really love them, but they are in line with designer, premium jeans – not something everyone will want to spend money on. But Vulpine is a premium brand so it is to be expected.
Review Conclusions
I love these jeans. They are extremely comfortable on and off the bike and are actually made with cycling in mind, for women and men. You can simply not think about them, rather than always being reminded that they are there from seams digging in or legs restricting movement. Think of these as lycra comfort in an urban friendly package.
The fit is great for cycling and wearing off the bike. The fabric and craftsmanship are spot on – these jeans feel like they will last years. The only negative is the price but for such well made jeans it is pretty good – they are the kind of jeans you will wear for days and then wash and dry them as quickly as possible, then wear for days again. They are now my go to jeans for cycling to work and around the city.
Keep an eye out for another couple of Vulpine reviews in the next week or so!
If you want to get your own pair of cycling jeans for men or women, head over the Vulpine’s website, they cost £120 and 1st class postage is free.
What I find disappointing about vulpine trousers, women’s trousers, is the 30inch inseam – at least 2inches too short for me. Vulpine’s men trousers on the other hand are available in a regular and long fit.
I’m the other side of Kate M’s coin, with short legs! 30 will be too long for me…
Thanks for reviewing these – been waiting for someone to write a review since the jeans came out.
I’ve found that the Ligne8 jeans are a pretty good fit and tick most of the boxes for me for cycling jeans, so I’ll be interested to see how the Vulpine ones compare.
I have a pair of Resolute Bay cycling jeans and they are really good!! have all the features you need, plus they are only £80!! £120 is a bit much to ask i think