CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Questions/Support/Help

"Smart" trousers

(24 posts)
  • Started 13 years ago by kaputnik
  • Latest reply from wee folding bike
  • This topic is not resolved

  1. kaputnik
    Moderator

    One for the gents, or the ladies that buy trousers for their gentlemans...

    Can anyone recommend a shop (I'm thinking high street here) that sells smart (i.e. work / office) trousers with tailoring more suited to the cycling physique (i.e. in at the waist, out at the thigh). I'm naturally quite generous in the thigh department and cycling has emphasised this!

    Every pair I seem to buy that fit at the waist are constricting at the thighs and uncomfortable to sit in for extended perious. Those that seem to fit nicely at the thigh seem to have been designed with a large and baggy waist and enhanced "sitting muscles" in mind that no amount of belt tightening can deal with.

    Failing that I'll have to get some that are too big and have them taken in at the right places...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  2. chdot
    Admin

    I think Anth is the trouser expert (after yesterday).

    Posted 13 years ago #

  3. Dave
    Member

    I have the same problem. If I don't wear a belt, all my trousers fall off, and if I do, the bunching of material under the belt is uncomfortable.

    What's a man to do?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  4. ruggtomcat
    Member

    Darts.

    I custom make all my costumes and bags etc, a little modification is no biggie.

    I think the girls are probably smirking at you. :)

    Posted 13 years ago #

  5. cb
    Member

    When I saw the thread title I thought this was going to be about trousers with built in solar iPad charging, or automatic length adjustment or something.

    But you just meant smart.

    *Slightly disappointed*

    Posted 13 years ago #

  6. spytefear
    Member

    @ruggtomcat - for a brief second there I though pub darts... Beer balanced on the stomach

    Posted 13 years ago #

  7. Min
    Member

    Women's trousers don't have waists in them either or you could try those.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  8. SRD
    Moderator

    MIN - That's what I was thinking. I'm not particularly skinny, but I always need a belt to keep my troos up too!

    Posted 13 years ago #

  9. spytefear
    Member

    @SRD - I'm not particularly skinny
    You LIE! You are skinny. Don't deny.

    I wonder if a kilt would be comfortable on a bike and must try this with my combat/drinking kilt

    Posted 13 years ago #

  10. ruggtomcat
    Member

    (shortish) skirts and bikes are indeed very comfy, and make your legs look great :)

    And if it was a smart kilt you could prolly get away with wearing it round the office too!

    Posted 13 years ago #

  11. wingpig
    Member

    There are almost no trousers which fit a normal waist yet allow for cycling-thighs (nor walking-buttocks). There seems to have been a trend in recent years towards assuming that anyone with a waist between 32" and 34" never needs to do anything except stand perfectly still, never attempting to sit down, bend over, climb stairs or even walk. I got lucky a couple of years ago and bought a couple of pairs of discounted Sainsbury's 'TU' brown flaxen trousers ni the sale for £10 apiece which (though they lacked the proper employment-trouser-style seam) no-one has shouted at me for wearing in the office and which (on the few occasions when I've cycled between offices in them rather than getting changed) were not impossible to ride in provided there was nothing in my pockets.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  12. kaputnik
    Moderator

    It is sitting down in these wool/twill trousers that's driving me daft. Either my trousers have shrunk this week or my thighs have grown! I can't get comfortable and our desks are too low / seats dont go low enough to cross my thighs under the desk. Having to stand up to read things!

    Posted 13 years ago #

  13. SRD
    Moderator

    You LIE! You are skinny. Don't deny.

    :) Nah. I'm just small. When I was a kid I was skinny.

    But, this topic makes me think 'that's why I wear skirts' - because I can buy them in sizes that fit!!!

    And that is why Circe needs to put chain guards on the Helios...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  14. PS
    Member

    It's a long time since I found a pair of high street trousers that fit me. Even before I started doing a lot of cycling, I was clearly the wrong shape for trouser designers - to get something that fitted my "rear" I needed trousers that had a waist 2 inches too big - they either had waifs or porkers in mind... Little in between.

    Last time I bought a suit I had to buy a pair of trousers the size up from the jacket and get the waist taken in. When I explained that the thighs and certain other bits were too tight on the "correct" size, it was good to hear the tailor ask "Are you a cyclist?"

    Posted 13 years ago #

  15. wee folding bike
    Member

    I wear Craghopper Kiwis and nobody complains. They have a map pocket on the right leg so you might not get away with them in an office.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  16. kaputnik
    Moderator

    I might take a trip to Slaters on Saturday afternoon then, they'll do alterations on their own stuff at the poitn of sale for no extra charge (I think).

    Posted 13 years ago #

  17. steveo
    Member

    Yeah i've had trousers adjusted by them, though it was only brining the hem up.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  18. SRD
    Moderator

    changing a waistband is a much fiddlier job than shortening. not sure a shop will do that. you might try one of the tailor/repair shops but it will not be cheap, as it is tricky to do neatly.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  19. nearefare
    Member

    huh and there was me thinking it was just my body shape, right well update us on the Slaters waist adjustment thing, they might see a surge in sales after sunday :)

    Posted 13 years ago #

  20. kaputnik
    Moderator

    pair of trousers that seem to fit selected from Slaters, being taken down so will report back when I collect next week! Salesgirl assured me that "these ones will stretch"

    Posted 13 years ago #

  21. wee folding bike
    Member

    I think the official phrase is "Ride up with wear.".

    Posted 13 years ago #

  22. gembo
    Member

    Slaters sales pitch might be just that. K-nikky can test wear them and report back. 1980s trousers I used to have were 28in waist but voluminous in the thigh. More pantaloons. Kind sported by David Bowie and new romantics, not MC Hammer. Maybe they will come back in once the drainpipes go out?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  23. gembo
    Member

    the other thing you can do is settle down, start a family, eat and drink a lot, take less exercise, get older and then your waist size is wide enough for the trews to accommodate your muscular legs and bahoochie. That's what I did but it is a long term approach

    Posted 13 years ago #

  24. wee folding bike
    Member

    I'm reducing. Got to fit my 1991 kilt again by August.

    Down 4 lbs in the last couple of weeks. Another 4 at least to go but I might aim lower this spring.

    Posted 13 years ago #

RSS feed for this topic

Reply

You must log in to post.


Video embedded using Easy Video Embed plugin