THE VERDICT Oxford offers the best all-round performance
BELIEVE IT OR not, despite such close scores, particularly at the top of the tree, this was a relatively easy test to call. The Original Approved jeans from Oxford are fairly well known to us at RIDE; we pitted them against unbranded and unrated examples from the internet earlier this year and Jim has been riding in them for most of the summer. Matt got his first taste of them in this test and was impressed with their fit (once he had the right style) and their feeling of reassurance and comfort.
Their performance in the drag test was very good — arguably the best of the jeans that survived two runs and, as a result, both Matt and Jim feel they are well deserving of a Best Buy triangle.
Running them a very close second were the Shield jeans from Knox. They offered clearly the best abrasion on the road; they withstood four drag events until holes began to appear — the best in the test. However, their use of only Level-1 armour at the knees and hips dented confidence somewhat and their odd sizing — both Matt and Jim felt they were between sizes — also cost them a mark or two. However, on the basis of a decent fit and comfort and excellent protection, they gain a deserved Recommended triangle.
The Bull-it jeans also fared well, but they also had a fit that worked differently for our testers. However, their Level-2 armour was reassuring and despite only an AA rating, they stood three drag-test events before holes appeared, so they are worthy of a Recommended triangle.
NEXT MONTH...
Chain cleaners given a thorough going over
‘Despite close scores, it’s an easy test to call’