Resurgence New Wave jeans £299
www.dot4distribution.com THESE CLAIM TO set a new standard for abrasion resistance among riding jeans, while offering the same feel, fit, weight and coolness of regular denim. Big claims, and a big price too. The New Wave is made with something called Pekev Ultra – a strand of an abrasionresistant fibre (Pekev, developed by Resurgence), wrapped in Elasteen (for comfort), then wrapped in cotton.
The result is a single-skin jean: no separate protective lining on the inside, because the entire garment is abrasionresistant. Resurgence says in CE testing they survive for 11 seconds, which outstrips both Level 1 and 2 standards and sure sounds far longer than an average tumble down the road. Knee and hip armour is included and is D3O, which appears impressive but only carries a Level 1 rating. Both sit in pockets inside the jeans, and the knee armour’s position can be adjusted thanks to its Velcro patches.
The cut is simple and straight, though I find the fit on the extremely snug side of things. Otherwise they look and feel much like normal jeans, and though this isn’t the best time of year to test it, they haven’t got hot or sweaty even after a full day’s use. Impressive, but even taking the protection claims at their word you’d still have to really want a pair of riding jeans to spend £300 on them. MFG
www.alpinestars.com AN UNLIKELY MARRIAGE of retro-cool look and cuttingedge protection. The Charlie is comfortable and looks great, with nice detailing including brass zips, embossed logos and a removable flannel lining. But what makes it truly special is that it can be connected to an Alpinestars Tech-air Race airbag vest (a further £999). However, I’ve found a couple of gripes if you do so.
Firstly, with the Tech-air vest fitted, it’s a bulky thing; so much so that I had to go for a size bigger than usual. Secondly, it only works with the racing version of Alpinestars’s airbag vest (rather than their ‘street’ version, generally designed to work with their textile kit, which has a larger air bag and uses different software). Thirdly, the closure flap (which turns the airbag system on) pulls apart all the time — it seems to use fairly weak magnets and not-very-sticky Velcro. And when it comes apart, you’re left with the world’s most expensive back protector. I’ve been holding it together with a piece of Gaffa tape, though I’m going to ask my grandma to stitch in some better Velcro — turning it back into the highly sophisticated piece of protective equipment it should be. LS