Olympia Pro Ladies Promax Pants
- US Sizes 4-18
- My US Size: 4-6, Olympia Size: 6
- $$
So far, I am loving these pants. They fit me perfectly and are better than the FirstGear Overpants I had before. Even though I'm a shortie with a 28" inseam, these aren't too long. I'm wearing a size 6 in this picture. I've found them to be as comfortable as my FG's, if not more comfy. I thought with the textile being thicker and more dense that it would be really uncomfortable riding, but I haven't found that to be the case.
Pros:
- Big pockets in front.
- Reflective piping along the sides of the lower leg.
- Hip to toe zippers (easy on and off. woo woo!).
- Velcro adjustments at the ankle.
- Removable quilted liner.
- Velcro flaps over the zippers.
- Waterproof! Really!
Cons:
- Not enough reflective piping up the leg, instead of stopping at the knee.
- No cargo pockets, except on the men's version
- Useless back pockets. Do you ever reach into the back pocket while riding?
The hip and knee armor is fully changeable. You only get CE rated knee armor, but not hips. I've swapped out my knee armor for Dainese women's knee armor, since I'm using T-Pro in my leathers, I decided to use the Dainese armor in these instead. They're much more comfortable. The velcro armor pocket at the knees are adjustable up and down 2-3 inches in each direction as well. You can put in CE armor at the hips as well, although the pockets are a funny shape so you'd have to find armor that will fit the pockets.
I almost forgot to talk about the waterproofing! With the full velcro up the side, it will keep the water from penetrating through the zipper. I've also performed a 'crotch' test and am happy to say that these passed with flying colors. With my old First Gear's, I always felt an *ahem" dampness, so to speak, when first sitting on my bike in the morning after wet and rainy or foggy night. I felt absolutely nothing when I sat on that wet, soppy seat. What more could a girl ask for?
When you're trying these on, be sure to sit on your bike (if you can) or another bike, or just assume a seated position. Keep in mind that these pants (like all gear) are designed to be most comfortable and fitted properly in riding position. So you want the armor to be in the right place and not move from over your knee. Your kneecap should be securely up against/in the deep 'pocket' of the armor while in riding position. You don't want the armor to shift should you crash, so that's why it needs to be snugly covering your knees. And, that's another reason why gear is supposed to fit snug. You also want them to be a tad bit long so when you sit you have some room for the pants to rise up a bit at the thighs/waist. I'm not normally a fan of a high waisted pant, but in this case, they really work to keep the pants from riding too low in the back.
If you aren't used to so much velcro, the on and off will take some getting used to. It's definitely stronger velcro, which is good because we don't want it ripping apart if you're sliding. After a week or so of wearing them you'll get used to taking them on and off, and it should only take a few minutes to get fully dressed once you're used to the routine.
If you're tall and have trouble finding pants that fit you, these will fit. I've had women who are close to 5'10" try these on without any problems. They have added a couple inches at the bottom of their pants to make sure taller folks are covered.
If you're a commuter, you'll find these to work well for daily on/off at the office.