Ok so I’m not getting much use out of my jeans before I wear a hole in them from riding, commuting and to meetings etc. I’m thinking getting a brooks swift saddle may help as they are very shiny and therefore less abrasive. Anyone tried this before I shell out £100 on one or got any better ideas?

Eat fewer pies?

Better jeans? Cycling specific ones?

Ride standing up?
Wear cycling clothes?

Rule 4

I’ve used Swifts and Swallows, but never really considered their lack of abrasive properties, and can’t think if they differ from other saddles in that respect. I usually wear bib shorts when cycling, anyhow. The Swallow has narrower sides, so might rub less, but it might not be a good shape for your sit bones if you have an upright position. As for smoothness, when polished-up I suppose they’re similar in texture to a leather shoe, but when damp they lose that polish – they don’t go rough, but the shine disappears. For what it’s worth, I find my bib shorts tend to go thin outside of the pad region. However, my jeans and suit trousers (which I never wear on the bike) always wear out in the crotch area.

You cycle in jeans?

I cant think of anything worse to cycle in ,even to the pub

Different stokes for different fokes. When I was commuting and ridding was my main form of transport I rode in what ever and could ride 35 – 40 miles in jeans no bother.

OP. I did know someone who would just sow a big patch in his jeans, it was done well and didn’t notice, so it depends how handy you or someone you know is.

If it rains it’d be be cycling with lead trousers.

I’ve always quite liked the idea of a mufty day ride out once a year. All this high wicking, merino, lycra gubbins can just get a bit tiresome..

jeans , t-shirt, pair of trainers and a joma skateboard/ice hockey helmet and away we go – carrier bag with sandwiches and a can of pepsi in, swinging on the handlebars too of course…can’t wait!

>Anyone tried this before I shell out £100 on one or got any better ideas?<

Aye, ditch the strides and wear something more appropriate.

> I rode in what ever and could ride 35 – 40 miles in jeans no bother.<

I genuinely find this very difficult to believe but hey if you are determined to cycle in jeans then why not I guess.

Well believe it, its no determination it was just not a problem, now I’m only really happy for an hour or so of utility riding if I have jeans on.

As I said cycling was my main form of transport so I didn’t “dress up” to cycle and I wear jeans mainly when I don’t have to be smart. I rode to work (13 ish miles) a few time in corduroy and found that horrible so it all depends.

Jeans are fine to cycle in. I can’t believe some of you think you have to dress up to cycle 5 or 6 miles.
FWIW the rapha jeans are extremely hard wearing.

Why is it hard to believe someone would cycle in jeans? I ‘ve been cycling for almost 40 years but only recently (the last 5 years) bought cycling specific clothing.

Can’t help the OP, my trousers generally got ripped before they wore through 😀

I’ve done loads of miles in jeans under overtrousers in the winter and was fine and comfortable.

Often go shopping on the bike and have jeans on.

I’ve a pair of those rapha jeans I’ve only ever worn a couple* of times if that’s what your after.

*literally

I basically tear the arse out of about two pairs of jeans a year commuting.

No solutions to offer, sorry.

Yeah the rapha jeans are interesting, but twice the price of a brooks saddle. I’d rather avoid them if possible.

For those quick to hate, if you’d read the original post I said I ride to meetings etc, it is my preferred method of transport and of course I will not be wearing lycra to said meetings. Any other fabric would wear out as quickly, with the possible exception of tweed!

There’s a few different cycling jeans out there

Or you could go for the nice spandex ones that seem to be trendy …. guessing more acceptable on girls than your average stw inhabitant, but they are the nearest to lycra jeans you’ll get 😉

Come to think of it levis made some cycling specific jeans too right?

cut them then BOOM pair of hipster shorts.

As I said cycling was my main form of transport so I didn’t “dress up” to cycle and I wear jeans mainly when I don’t have to be smart. I rode to work (13 ish miles) a few time in corduroy and found that horrible so it all depends.

To be fair corduroy IS horrible, full stop.

When I was a kid on a paper round I could easily at weekends do 2-3 hours plus in jeans in all weathers on the bike. And yes, when it rained they got wet and heavy and when it was snowing/freezing they turned to boards but I knew no better. I would go out and ride for fun in jeans also.
A couple of years ago even I was commuting in jeans and cotton tshirts that got so sweaty they took all day to dry out.
It was no real big deal.
While I have good cycle specific clothing that will cope with all the elements and rigours of offroad, you’ll still frequently find me commuting in a cheap old Altura top, some cheap Chinese padded undershorts off eBay and a pair of cotton combat shorts that were Mr Tescos’ finest summer wear. Maybe even with a belt.
As with most things, its possible to take cycling gear too seriously.
OP, I’m not convinced a nice leather saddle will help – although it will look pretty. If its more comfortable maybe it will be worth it but I doubt it will help the denim wear issue.
I’ve worn the ass out (usually actually two patches at the tops of the inside of my thighs on more pairs of jeans than I care to admit.

Solution

‘Keep your eye on the ball’

Hard not to with those shorts on.

WTF is that about?

>When I was a kid on a paper round I could easily at weekends do 2-3 hours plus in jeans in all weathers on the bike. And yes, when it rained they got wet and heavy and when it was snowing/freezing they turned to boards but I knew no better. I would go out and ride for fun in jeans also.
A couple of years ago even I was commuting in jeans and cotton tshirts that got so sweaty they took all day to dry out.
It was no real big deal.<

Yup, that sounds like a right barrel of laughs 😉

Of course you can ride in jeans – done so many times myself. But I’m not seeing the logic in deliberately setting out to knock in 35-40 miles in heavy, seam ridden, chainring snagging leg wear. Besides, it rains too much where I live and anyone who says they enjoy riding in wet jeans needs their head examining.

Buy some Endura Singletrack trousers or the equivalent, comfy & designed for cycling.
Alternatively, learn to sew & patch, which is what I used to do in the olden days. 🙂

I’ve got a pair of the Swrve jeans for commuting duties that facilitate post-work pub and are smart enough to wear around the office (depending on your office, obvs).

They’re a good fit without getting too close to the skinny jeans style that makes me want to both die and kill in equal amounts.

they’ve been going for a year with only minor rubbing evident on the saddle contact area. They’re also seamless in that area making them very comfortable and have good cycling specific ‘features’ without looking obviously like cycling trousers.

The point I was cack handedly trying to make was that commonplace cycling specific clothing (other than the Lycra roadie look which was usually seen as ‘odd’ when not in a club or race context) is a very recent thing.

I don’t deny that good cycle specific clothing is a good thing and generally preferable if a available- but it ain’t cheap and may not be practical once the ‘cycling’ bit is over. For decades the trouser clip and possibly rain cape was the solution to all cycling wardrobe problems and it still works (although you’ll never catch me in a raincape instead of my Nightvision)

Wet jeans are never fun, but they’re hardly the end of the world. It’s one of those happy little tragedies you get over quite easily. IMO cold, wet feet are fare worse, yet people still happily ride in skate shoes and even FiveTens.

Anyway, there’s a jeans wearing solution on eBay: some Australian jeans for about forty quid shipped. They are branded ‘urban kreation’ and targetted at the bmx crowd who want a little protection but don’t want armour. They’re basically Kevlar impregnated (or similar – DGAF about the tech on this) and designed to withstand falling off and sliding across Tarmac/gravel. Should solve the problem of seat wear for anyone not scared of wet cloth.

Oh no!
I just rode my bike to work, wearing jeans!
As I do every day, and have done for the last 2 years*

And I’ve noticed a few pairs have worn out at the crotch too. Most long-lasting were my Alpikt ones with a diamond shaped crotch panel which allowed more movement, and doesn’t have a seam to sit on.

*My commute is 1 mile on the flat, at the pace of a 4-year old riding his 14″ wheeled bike to the school which is next to my office. I could walk fast alongside him, but then I’d have to walk home. It takes 5 mins on the bike, 20 mins to walk. No brainer really, and its not worth getting changed for such a short distance.

You cycle in jeans?

See, this is the problem with cycling in the UK. Us Brits MUST do it PROPERLY. The right bike, all the gear, and dressed in the right clothes, and go on an organised or mapped out ride. We have to do it as a specific sport, overdo it of you like.

When, in reality, it should be just transport. Jump on the bike and go. Into town, to the flicks, shopping, to work/school. It doesn’t have to be overdone all the time.
I honestly believe we need to get more into the Euro way of thinking before cycling can really take off here. This obsessiveness puts people off.

I commutes for years. I starred off getting changed twice a day into and out of cycling gear and ended up riding in just normal clothes.
Right now we have literally just finished a 300 mile tour in northern England and the Scottish boarders. (Just packing up the tent to go home) and the only cycling clothing I took was 2 pairs of cycling shorts to wear under normal clothes, helmet and gloves. Then I can park the bike off and wander into a cafe looking like a normal person.
I highly recommend it. Ditch the cycling clothes. 🙂

Buy cheap jeans.

I’ve just returned from Hanover, and was really happy to see the number of bikes / skates etc, mostly ridden by people with jeans (or shorts, it was 25c), often in a situp and beg type shopping bike. really good to see, and i wish the UK was more like it. havind said that, for a long ride, the most comfortable thing is lycra, no doubt about it, but if I was doing a short commute / going to meetings, then I’d have a pair of jeans / trousers and some waterproof overs and spare shoes and socks.
Sorry OP, this doesn’t help you at all, and I used to wear out the crotch of my suit trousers when I had an easy 3 mile commute across Leicester.

Jump on the bike and go. Into town, to the flicks, shopping, to work/school. It doesn’t have to be overdone all the time.

Agreed.

You can ride a bike in the same clothes you may use walk into town, get the bus, drive etc.

no camelbak, no shades, no gloves, no padding, no Lycra.

It’s great, it’s like being a kid again.

I did know someone who would just sow a big patch in his jeans, it was done well and didn’t notice,

Surely, if you were to sow a patch in your jeans, everybody would notice the smell ? 😉

Used to commute a couple of miles to/from the station in jeans,myself, but would have to consider some cycling specific jeans (i.e. with seams in the right places) if I had to do it again.