River Road Rambler Chaps - 2014

The waist on these chaps is adjustable with the belt in front which has a wide adjustment range, so the waist can be adjusted to fit most anybody if the chap size is chosen correctly based on the thigh.

The most important measurement is the thigh. Measure your thigh up high near the crotch where it is the largest. Then use the chart to choose the smallest size that is bigger than your measurement. And measure yourself wearing the clothes you think you’ll be wearing with the chaps.

Inseam is a bit tricky in chaps since chaps don’t have a crotch seam, but based on what I see, the inseam is about 31” for the smaller sizes, about 32” for the mid-sizes and 33” for the largest sizes. This length should be long enough for the “average” height person, and then the legs can be hemmed to the ideal length. Before you hem, make sure to sit down to get the desired length while on a motorcycle. If the inseam sounds short for you, then I suggest the Plains Chaps because they are offered in “talls”.

Note on River Road’s published sizing guide: Up until this year, we carried the earlier version of Rambler chaps, and the chart above is what we used throughout that product’s life. But this year, they have a new size chart online which lists thigh measurements approximately 2” larger for any given size than what you see above. But I measured the chaps at the thigh and get exactly what the above chart shows. If you use their new chart, the chaps you buy will be about two sizes too small. For example, I measure myself at about 23” at the thigh and using my advice above, I’d order a Large, but using their newly published chart, I’d buy a Small. I tried on the Large in the chaps and they fit fine. Not sure what they where thinking when they published this year’s info, but it isn’t right.

Need help measuring? Get it here.

As of this writing, we are carrying River Road’s Rambler Chaps for 2014 and also Plains Chaps for 2014. What is the difference? Well, the Rambler Leather Motorcycle Chaps have a distressed finish to the black leather along the seams which gives them a bit of a “vintage” or aged look, the leather is slightly thicker and a bit softer, they include a stretch panel in the upper thigh, and in the men’s version, the back waist belt does not have the laces like the Plains chaps do (although strangely, the women’s Rambler DOES have those laces). Otherwise, they are functionally the same. As for fit, the front belt has a wide adjustment range so you can adjust the waist to size, and the cuffs have four snaps so you can hem them to the right length for you (see my comments above). Full length leg zippers make getting them on and off a breeze. The stretch panels at the inner thighs make these things really comfortable too. Check out our custom pictures of these chaps by clicking the “View Larger Images” link above. As I commented in my review of the Plains chaps, River Road makes a good quality product and while they might be a few bucks more than you might find elsewhere, they are good quality, and for lesser money, there are a LOT of not-so-good-quality chaps on the market. My advice would be to spend a bit more and get something you will enjoy. :: Paul, 11-23-13