Joe Rocket Alter Ego Pants 10.0

The new 2010 Joe Rocket Alter Ego Pants, like the Alter Ego Jacket, are designed to adapt to whatever riding conditions you are presented with.

As we talked about when we covered the Alter Ego Jacket - having several types of gear allow you to adapt to the current riding conditions. But what about those times where the conditions change after you have already set out on your ride or if you are on a long-distance trip where it's not practical to bring several types of gear? The Alter Ego pants allow the rider to take care of this problem effortlessly with mesh panels, and a waterproof liner.

One thing we noticed right away is how comfortable the pants are - on and off the bike. We sat down for a several hour meal and walked around the streets wearing the pants the entire time with being completely comfortable with them on.

style

The Alter Ego pants look quite stylish with a modern design. Color choice is lacking as the only one available is - you guessed it - black.

features

The Alter Egos have quite a few features that make them so versatile.

The pants have removable zipper panels that run along the thigh and around the seat area down the other thigh. When unzipped and taken off, this exposes the mesh textile material underneath which leave the armored parts of the pants in place. The panels provide a great amount of ventilation and even when you are not in motion you can feel the openness of your skin being able to breath.

Have you ever wanted to put your riding pants on in a hurry? Or perhaps, like myself, you are inherently lazy and always strive to put the least amount of effort when it comes to dressing, huffing in frustration when your pants wont go over your boots. With the Alter Ego's this problem has been solved, as there is a zipper that runs all the way up from the cuff of the pants up to the knee area! Unzip the pant legs, slip each leg in, boots and all, then zip them back down - all done in about 5 seconds! Very convenient indeed.

Two front pockets on either side give you sufficient pocket storage, however, we would have liked to have seen at least one more pocket perhaps on the leg area for even greater convenience.

A removable water-proof liner will keep your legs and crotch dry in rain.

A waist belt ensures a snug fit and is held into place with two Velcro strips. The waist area also has an accordion stretch material on either side to conform to each riders unique waist size.

At the rear of the jacket, an 8 inch zipper allows for any Joe Rocket jacket, such as the Alter Ego Jacket, to be attached for a seamless connection.

safety

CE rated armor is found in the knee areas which is also removable (although we recommend leaving them in). In addition to this several foam pads are located in the following areas: slightly above the knees, hips, and the tailbone area.

A reflective strip runs along each leg and around the back of the pants for greater visibility.

quality

Like the Alter Ego Jacket, the outer shell is made of Joe Rocket's trademarked Rock Tek material.

Grade 'A' zippers - YYK, are used for all of the zipper aeras of the pants.

The quality of the material is good. There is nothing spectacular about the craftsmanship, but at the same time, it is of sound quality.

show me the money

The Alter Ego Pants run for USD $249.99

overall value

The Alter Ego pants offer the rider instant convenience and comfort. They are amazingly easy to put on and take off. As mentioned at the beginning of our article they are also very comfortable. The knee armor is hardly noticeable when riding or walking - unlike some armored pants where you feel like a robot to their bulk. The fact that the pants feel as if they are not there is perhaps their biggest downfall. The knee armor does not seem sufficient enough. That 'safe' feeling is not there. Although the hip and tailbone padding does offset this insecurity a bit, we think that the knee pads could be improved. However, you can always swap out the armor with your own field armor. The water-proof liner is a big plus. The long leg zippers are great and make for quick and easy dressings (with boots still on). The mesh panels are easy to zip on and off and provide superb airflow! We would recommend these pants to you if you are looking for quick, convenient, armored pants that are adaptable to any spring, summer, fall types of conditions.

rating

• Style: 5/10
• Features: 8/10
• Safety: 7/10
• Quality: 7/10
• Price: 8/10
• Overall Value: 8/10