‘Proper Charlie’ gravel trouser range

Our very own Charlie has decided that local competition is good, and is dipping a toe – or rather both legs – into the trouser market. Inspired by his years of experience riding bikes, as well as rider feedback from his Graveldash events, Charlie has worked to bring his ‘Proper Charlie Pants’ to the market.

He’s initially launching with two styles. In typical Charlie fashion, he’s not sure if it’ll end there, or if he’ll add further lines as inspiration strikes. He’s not a man with a plan, he’s a man with hair. And trousers. Let’s take a look.

Proper Charlie Gravel Slacks

Although his hair and skateboard habit may lead you to believe he is a bum, Charlie is a secret follower – nay, setter – of fashion. He even has a fiance that works in fashion. Once, he turned up to work and Hannah thought he must be going on a date, or to court, but it turned out he’d just made an effort. Sometimes when Charlie is making an effort with his clothes, he also wants to make an effort on his bike. While the Singletrack Club Ride shirts satisfied his upper body needs, his lower half was left wanting, and so he created the Gravel Slacks.

‘These Gravel Slacks are for when you want to ride to work, but have a proper job. Or for when you’re bikepacking and want to get into the finest restaurants in the evenings. Who wants to pedal all day only to have to sit outside with fish and chips? A quick splash in the sea, on with your Gravel Slacks, and you could be tucking into Poisson au Jus avec Buerre de Souris (recipe to come in a future edition of Singletrack Kitchen). Doesn’t that sound better?’

Charlie the Trousermonger

Being a practical scout master kind of a guy, the Gravel Slacks come with practical features. They have a stain resistant crotch – so they’re compatible with chafe reducing unguents. They come in ‘Calderdale Proof’ brown – which Charlie notes is also compatible with the dust of Arizona, should you wish to take your Gravel Slacks to Singlespeed Arizona. And there’s a secure inner back pocket, where you can put valuable things such as a credit card or emergency fiver (in Charlie’s case, the fiver is probably worth more).

Another practical design feature is the trouser cuffs. These have been carefully stitched to enable the wearer to roll them up in perfect 1/4 inch increments. This will allow you to keep your slacks out of your chain without misalignment of your slacks or chakras. If you like your cuffs yet more secure, there’s a pair of ‘cuff loops’, like belt loops, but inside your cuff and perfectly sized to take the Trail Tether. Huh? What’s a Trail Tether? Charlie explains:

‘The Trail Tether is the Voile Strap of clothing accessories. It looks like a micro belt, or maybe a dangly Voile Strap, and it comes stored on a button on the waistband. You can loop your keys onto it, or tighten it up around a trail beer for a mid ride beverage. The Trail Tether is the emergency duct tape of the trouser world. Wrap it through the cuff loops to keep your trousers clear of your chain, or use it to tie your snapped reach mech to your frame as you limp home and vow to switch to single speeding.’

Charlie is also a friend of creature comforts, so the Gravel Slacks come with elasticated side panels in the waistband, and a special elastomer based fly zipper. ‘No gentleman wants to endure the pain of a zipper interface, and in the wilds of a bikepacking trip, or behind the King’s Arms, sometimes the appearance of local fauna can induce a hurried zipping procedure. This elastomer based zipper is kind to even the most sensitive of skin.’ explains Charlie.

The Proper Charlie Gravel Slacks are available to pre-order now. Made right here in OL14, the same postcode as Singletrack Towers, they’re just £41.22.

Proper Charlie Power Cords

For the colder days, there’s the Proper Charlie Power Cords. These have the same waistband, zipper, pocket and cuff features as the Gravel Slacks, but they’re made from a nice fuzzy corduroy. What’s special about them? Over to Charlie:

‘I hated corduroy when I was a kid, it wasn’t cool in any sense of the word, and when you rode on your BMX the furrows of the fabric would vrrp-vrrp-vrrp, slowing your approach to that shoddy jump you’d just built, and inevitably causing the rider to plunge off the end instead of soaring like Frank Zappa’s mind. The vrrp-vrrp-vrrp noise would accompany you everywhere you went, making it impossible to sneak home after dark. For my Power Cords, I have turned the fabric by 90 degrees, so that the lines of the cord do not rub against one another. More power, more speed, more fun’.

Fact fans will like to know that corduroy is defined by ‘wales’, and Charlie’s Power Cords will come in a wale 14 fabric. A ‘wale’ of 14 means there are 14 ridges per inch of fabric.

Again, these are available to pre order now, but will be made in Texas. As a result, the cost is a little higher, at £142.20.

Singletrack will be the exclusive UK stockists of Proper Charlie Pants. Head here to place your pre-orders.