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50/50 Test Jeans

By Joe Hall • 7th September 2011 03:16pm • Posted in Products

During the development stages of the recently released Rapha Jeans, lead product designer, Graeme Raeburn, and messenger Seb Cherchi-Bersch tested a pair of what we termed 50/50 test jeans. One leg was constructed from a benchmark cotton twill denim, the other used the denim Rapha developed exclusively with a mill in Italy. This fabric, from which the final Rapha Jeans are cut, was designed specifically for use on a bicycle.

They rode the 50/50s into the ground, commuting back and forth from south London to North London, riding all over the city, night and day, for over six months between them. This intensive testing (approx. 1800 miles and over 20 washes) was done to see where the weak points on regular jean material were, how it broke down and how effectively the Rapha denim stood up against the benchmark fabric.

The images demonstrate how and where the yarns of traditional denim break down, and shows us how robust the Rapha Jeans really are. Breaking in jeans is a nice attribute of denim but when riding this process is accelerated and in a very localised area, particularly the seat.

By mixing in a Cordura-type yarn (a robust nylon) with Lycra to cotton, our product development team could improve the wear, durability, moisture transfer and strength and also reduce the colour-fade.The development team and test riders went through five different prototype fabrics to arrive at the weight, weave and colour of the final denim. As no mill had ever made denim specifically for cycling they spent time finding a mill that could fabricate such a yarn but who would also understand its application.

Once the material was correct, they then spent time carefully incorporating cycling-specific details into a contemporary jeans pattern.

Rapha’s trademark attention to detail was applied to everything from the high-visibility binding, engineered seams, to low-profile rivets and the shape of the front pockets. Getting the balance wasn’t easy when tailoring for on-the-bike fit and visibility issues. In the end a totally unique product was created, giving the city rider everything they could possibly want in a pair of jeans: comfort, flexibility, visibility, cycle-specific pockets for D-lock and keys. And perhaps most importantly they are hard-wearing.

The Rapha Jeans are available now »

Comments

josh hunt

7th September 2011 08:41pm

sorry dudes, rigid selvedge for life. but that's just me.

Jesse Woodward

7th September 2011 09:15pm

That is one hell of a difference. It's pretty much my biggest concern these days when I buy pants as to whether or not they will hold up for regular cycling, or have a leg that is cut so that it won't get caught in the front chain-ring.

These are now on the list!

William Anderson

7th September 2011 09:37pm

Believe the hype! I also am a fan of rigid raw denim and the broken in look but at a certain point my jeans are not acceptable for the office. Besides just the difference in comfort and added cycle-friendly features, the Rapha jeans are incredibly durable and maintain their dark color and slight shine after multiple washes and months of wear. I've had mine since the first week they came out and they still look basically brand new. They have a great slim, professional cut that is great for casual Fridays and outside of work. All the other days I wear my Rapha Paul Smith trousers. I pretty much find myself in Rapha apparel every day and I have been extremely satisfied with their quality and Rapha's customer service as wells and the freshness of their style and cuts.

Stefan Rohner

7th September 2011 09:45pm

and which one looks nicer? the real Denim!

go and get some 13,5 oz ridged denim from Japan, some Nudies (for example), don´t wash them for 6month, then you will see how a cool denim looks like.

Irfan Khalil

7th September 2011 09:54pm

I see some tearing in the fabric on the Rapha leg (left), which didn't occur in the regular denim (right). That would worry me.

Krzysztof Tralewski

7th September 2011 11:50pm

Which is which?!

Krzysztof Tralewski

7th September 2011 11:56pm

"I've had mine since the first week they came out and they still look basically brand new. They have a great slim, professional cut that is great for casual Fridays and outside of work. "

Fair enough if you want to wear them around the office paired with a (fantastic, shower- and windproof) Paul Smith shirt.
I personally aspire to look like a tramp.

Byron Davy

8th September 2011 12:47am

If only the "long" leg length was actually long…

34"!!

Jeans for cyclists….we have small waists and long legs!

PAUL WITTE

8th September 2011 01:35am

I don t do jeans/bike thing . I either bike or I don t .

Kim Roberts

8th September 2011 02:00am

I'm with Byron - I'd buy these in a heartbeat IF the long actually was long!

I'm 6'6" - a 34 leg is something I can't even consider.

I understand the economic realities of mass production, but surely a small-run each season of extra-long wouldn't be THAT hard?

David Bolles

8th September 2011 03:07am

I ride 150 miles each week. Commuting miles. All conditions.
Send me a pair and I'll do a real test for you. I'll document the wear, take photos, etc.
Come on. Let's work it out Rapha.

Travis Christopher

8th September 2011 03:23am

I own a pair. The fabric is very durable, without a doubt the most durable riding jean's i've ever owned. The one problem with the current blend is on long rides, +2 hours of hard riding, the sweat makes the front of your jeans dark, basically like you've wet yourself. This probably depends on the under layer you wear, I was wearing Assos bibs, but it kinda defeats the purpose of having awesome jeans. Anything shy of a hard ride, they are PERFECT… Either make them wick quicker or make them so you can't tell if they are wet. Problem solved.

Al Lin

8th September 2011 06:26am

Travis, why not wear the bibs without the jeans, then change? Seems like that would be the easiest solution to the problem.

Stefan Rohner

8th September 2011 07:23am

must be a little sauna, bibs and jeans ;)

James Fairbank

8th September 2011 07:54am

Thanks for all the comments. Stefan, each to their own but the arcuate on Nudie Jeans is horrible & the denim they use isn't a patch on the fabric that Skull, PBJ and Full Count manufacture with. Also the saddle imprint that 100% cotton jeans develop after a while looks like you've sat in bleach.

Chris Tree

8th September 2011 09:39am

"for over six months between them. This intensive testing (approx. 1800 miles and over 20 washes)"

ewww

arvinder mangat

8th September 2011 01:43pm

My friend Simon Three Sheds swears by them. Were stones used in any of the 20 washes? That way you can say these were a stone-wash. I'll ask STS if that is currently "in"

Graeme Raeburn

9th September 2011 10:02am

I guess what the photos don't convey is how thin and fragile the worn denim is - it's nearly worn all the way through - they were pretty much identical in weight, colour and structure when first constructed.

The Rapha denim isn't ripped, but the damage you can see is where it has started to wear through (it was a very intensive test) which was the point of the test. The Rapha denim has retained it's strength and structure, whereas the regular denim is very fragile and weak.

We didn't design the fabric to compete with vintage/selvedge/unwashed/fashion denim, but was was designed for a specific purpose. It was to overcome the problems of wear, fatigue, fade and moisture management when cycling, and it does a fantastic job at this!

Hope this helps.

Matthew Randall

9th September 2011 09:32pm

I just got mine today, they fit and look great. Not a surprise really ;)

Lee Riches

12th September 2011 12:12pm

I have had a very helpful reply from Rapha about shrinkage in the leg after the first wash. I have been informed there is no shrinkage - or at least not the shrinkage you expect from raw denim.

If this is the case. And as I need to buy online. I'm assuming I need to buy EXACTLY the size according to the size guides on the charts relevant to my size and requirements.

Joe Hall

12th September 2011 12:44pm

@Lee - I would try to buy as close as possible to your measurements, yes. They are a straight leg fit so whilst they are fairly close-fitting they are in no way a skinny or slim-fit. Also, if you have particularly big quads (even for a cyclist), the stretch in the denim should still compensate somewhat.

Erik Leung

7th October 2011 03:46am

Were these tested in downpours? I've worn these twice, today in a drenching downpour and hail. This evening I'm looking at the seat of the pants: they're noticeably faded.

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