Joe Rocket Alter Ego Pants

For wearing the pants over light clothing, you can choose a waist size based upon the chart below, but if you plan to wear these over heavier clothing you will want to consider the next larger size (especially if your waist falls between two size selections):

Size note: Joe Rocket’s website shows this style with a slightly different opinion on waist size and inseam, but they don’t mention anything about whether this is over clothes or not, so take it for what its worth.

The Alter Ego Pants offer the same design philosophy as the Alter Ego jacket designs, to offer protection and comfort for a wide range of riding temperatures and conditions. I really like the overall design of these pants. And while they are a bit more in price than less adaptable designs (such as solid textiles or all-mesh pants), they will be more comfortable for a wide range of riding situations. If you tour in the mountains for example, you might see temperature ranges from the 40s to the 80s all in one day. And since storage space on a bike is always at a premium it would be handy only to pack one pair of pants to cover all the riding situations. These pants have a zip-off panel that opens up a large mesh vented area from just over each knee, all the way around the back of the pants to the other knee (take the “View Larger Pictures” link above for some close-ups of this). With this panel removed and with the liner removed, you’ll get some reasonable air flow through the pants for comfort in hot weather. For cold weather you replace the zip-off panel and use the liner as a wind-stopper and you’ll be comfortable. The liner can be used as a waterproof barrier as well. The legs have long side zippers to allow you to use these pants as “overpants” so you can wear street clothes underneath if you like, and you won’t have to find a place to change clothes to take them off—ideal for commuters. The waist is adjustable so you’ll be able to get comfortable whether you use them over clothes or not. You get removable dual density armor for the knees and also some built in armor in the hips (not a great deal but better than most). There is a short rear zipper for attachment to compatible Joe Rocket jackets, so feel free to use these pants with any of the textile jacket designs (not just the Alter Ego jacket). You also get the mating half of the zipper so you can easily have an alterations person install the zipper half in a non-compatible jacket to take advantage of the feature. Overall, I think this pant is a very good value given the pant’s features and adaptability.