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Looking for a pair of medium weight trousers than I can get away with wearing on the bike and for walking through Autumn and winter. Narrowed it down to the above two so would like any opinions on them from users. Please?
The trousers need to fit well but not be tight in the legs.
Need to be water splash/shower resistant.
A reinforced seat would be nice but not essential.
I'm 6'2", 33" waist and 80kg for reference. Seems I'm a medium long in both.
Got the Terras and they’re good, mine seem warm so probably wouldn’t want to use them till single figures. Nice and stretchy and made well too.
colleague has used scuffers and there’s a review online by someone off here who’s used them for riding, if I remember correctly very positive views all round.
Id buy scuffers but then I like keela kit a lot.
I've been using scuffers for a good few years now both hill walking (all year round) and bike riding (winter). No complaints.
Ah I found the Scuffer review by Coastkid. Yes it does read very positively about them. Good to hear others have similar experiences. Thanks.
Terras come in different materials - the originals (c£80 rrp) are not stretchy; the stretchy variants (stretch and super) are more expensive (about double the Keelas?)
I like the originals and use them for cycling and hill walking. Even without stretchy panels they're fine. I find stretch means too warm until the temperature really drops.
I'd never wear walking trousers on the bike, but anyway.....
I find the standard (non-stretchy) terra's very tight in the leg, which means going up the sizes to get them to fit (far from ideal, as the waist is then far too big). I imagine it would be more an issue when biking than it is for walking. I take it you haven't tried them on? Stretch ones work better for me.
I have ridden in my Montane Terras, they dry quick and are comfy but they are quite baggy. Mind you I'm a 32 inch waist and my pair are XL long (as I've had them ages pre weight loss). I used them for cycling with the dog. They have no stretch but the bagginess helps with comfort
I've recently changed to some stretchy Haglofs Mid Fjell pants, which fit better and are less baggy
I know it's unfashionable, but I'd be visiting a shop and trying stuff on, particularly if you're intending to wear them on a bike where the cut of the lower leg makes a big difference. I'd also be looking for a stretch soft-shell fabric, a woven not membrane-based one, for freedom of movement on the bike.
You might actually find that some of the climbing-orientated legwear works well. Tends to have a neater lower-leg cut so you can look down and see what your feet are doing on rock and potentially a scuff patch on the inside of the lower leg to avoid wear/crampon abuse. Watch out for bulky zip/crotch areas too...
Personally I wouldn't wear trouser-type legwear on a bike anyway, lycra-based tights just work better for me. The only thing I've seen that looks vaguely promising are the Fjallraven Abisko Trekking Tights - yes really - which are a sort of cross between trousers and tights and even have a reinforced seat.
In theory they looked ideal, in reality, they didn't really suit the shape of my legs... And they're really expensive. And if anyone wants to buy some just ask :-/
You might actually find that some of the climbing-orientated legwear works well.
Yes, good advice, as they are often stretch too, which will help if you insist on wearing them on a bike.
Thanks for the replies so far all. I went to a local independent shop today and have got some Scuffers in a medium long coming in.
I'm firmly in the Lycra camp for majority bike riding but wanted something that would be a little more easy on the eye for others when I'm just mooching about on the bike: shopping, collecting the boy from nursery etc.
@BadlyWiredDog those Fjallraven tights look interesting
those Fjallraven tights look interesting
If by interesting you mean gopping then yes they do.
I've used Vaude softshell trousers and Patagucci Guide softshell trousers during winters. The guide pants I have come with waterproof panels on the knee and seat.
They're both tight enough to not snag, but still allow good movement. Handily they also have braces.
Keela have these which are a slimmer fitting scuffer
http://coastkid.blogspot.com/2015/12/keela-road-runner-cycling-trousers.html
Frankly - I'd go for (another) pair of the Quechua MH500 pants, on the basis of being able to get three pairs for the price of one pair of the Keelas or the Montanes.
I have two pairs of them already and they're damn good for the money.