ctfjr
Well-known member
Prior to taking my recent cross country ride I purchased the Bohn Armor pants. I have ridden pretty much in jeans my whole riding life except for my 'rain pants' which are overpants I wear in the wet stuff or in below 40 degree temps. They are some sort of insulated, padded pants made up of the stuff that is supposed to melt into your skin in the case of a slide 
I decided that the Bohn pants were a good economic alternative to the matching Cycleport mesh jeans to my Cycleport jacket. So I sent in my $$$ and about a week later they showed up.
Ok, I admit I'm only an electrical engineer not a mechanical, but damn it took me almost 1/2 an hour to fit the various armor pieces into their 'pockets' of the lycra long johns. The 'pants' are actually a lycra material that stretches snugly over this svelt body (5'11", 240 lbs). My wife was the first to comment on my new 'outfit' - no picture would do it justice so I think I will just skip the imagery.
The 'armor' is a flexible semi-rigid foam material that is designed to protect your various body parts:
2 each for the knee/shin areas, thigh and hips and one piece for your tailbone.
The pants are meant to be worn under your regular riding pants (in my case jeans), you won't even know they are on. The manufacturer claims you can wear then all day under whatever pants you are wearing. They also claim, "I can tell you from personal experience (it's often over 110F here in No. Cal.) that the breathable lycra is comfortable in the heat and really does not make any difference to riding comfort on those hot and humid days."
OK, my experience - 9000 miles, 13 days riding
They do fit pretty much as the manufacturer described. ie they are snug (believe me you don't want a picture, use your imagination). The one 'functional' issue I had was in keeping the knee/shin armor in place. Even though the lycra is very snug around my legs the armor continually slipped down (in the first 10 minutes of putting them on). It left my knees totally exposed and unprotected. The other pads stayed perfectly in place. A possible fix would be attaching a velcro pad to the lower part of the shin armor with a matching piece sewn into the lycra pants at an appropriate position.
They truly are 'invisible' when wearing them under jeans. Only the slightest inkling of a bulge in the thigh area can be seen if you know something is there -
As far as all day comfort goes, pretty much the answer is yes. I rode 10-12 hours a day. When the temps were cool (most of the time below 65) they were a non factor. Anything I'm not thinking about is good on a long ride. When the temps warmed up to 85 and over they are not quite a non factor. After 6-8 hours in warm weather I knew they were there. At the end of a day's riding where I was in 80+ degree temps my legs were all sweaty (another picture you can pass on). I really wanted out of them at the end of one of those days. The last day I rode the last 4 hours in 90 + temps. I couldn't wait to get home & into a shower.
The verdict ??? depends on your riding style. As I usually take at least 1 long ride every year, usually later than late May / early June, These pants are not for me for my long hauls. I am going to bite the bullet & order the Cycleport mesh & liner. I will probably continue to use the Bohn for day trips, especially in mild weather.
YMMV -
I decided that the Bohn pants were a good economic alternative to the matching Cycleport mesh jeans to my Cycleport jacket. So I sent in my $$$ and about a week later they showed up.
Ok, I admit I'm only an electrical engineer not a mechanical, but damn it took me almost 1/2 an hour to fit the various armor pieces into their 'pockets' of the lycra long johns. The 'pants' are actually a lycra material that stretches snugly over this svelt body (5'11", 240 lbs). My wife was the first to comment on my new 'outfit' - no picture would do it justice so I think I will just skip the imagery.
The 'armor' is a flexible semi-rigid foam material that is designed to protect your various body parts:
2 each for the knee/shin areas, thigh and hips and one piece for your tailbone.
The pants are meant to be worn under your regular riding pants (in my case jeans), you won't even know they are on. The manufacturer claims you can wear then all day under whatever pants you are wearing. They also claim, "I can tell you from personal experience (it's often over 110F here in No. Cal.) that the breathable lycra is comfortable in the heat and really does not make any difference to riding comfort on those hot and humid days."
OK, my experience - 9000 miles, 13 days riding
They do fit pretty much as the manufacturer described. ie they are snug (believe me you don't want a picture, use your imagination). The one 'functional' issue I had was in keeping the knee/shin armor in place. Even though the lycra is very snug around my legs the armor continually slipped down (in the first 10 minutes of putting them on). It left my knees totally exposed and unprotected. The other pads stayed perfectly in place. A possible fix would be attaching a velcro pad to the lower part of the shin armor with a matching piece sewn into the lycra pants at an appropriate position.
They truly are 'invisible' when wearing them under jeans. Only the slightest inkling of a bulge in the thigh area can be seen if you know something is there -
As far as all day comfort goes, pretty much the answer is yes. I rode 10-12 hours a day. When the temps were cool (most of the time below 65) they were a non factor. Anything I'm not thinking about is good on a long ride. When the temps warmed up to 85 and over they are not quite a non factor. After 6-8 hours in warm weather I knew they were there. At the end of a day's riding where I was in 80+ degree temps my legs were all sweaty (another picture you can pass on). I really wanted out of them at the end of one of those days. The last day I rode the last 4 hours in 90 + temps. I couldn't wait to get home & into a shower.
The verdict ??? depends on your riding style. As I usually take at least 1 long ride every year, usually later than late May / early June, These pants are not for me for my long hauls. I am going to bite the bullet & order the Cycleport mesh & liner. I will probably continue to use the Bohn for day trips, especially in mild weather.
YMMV -
