"Bought these for a morning ride into work with temps down into the 40's and they were perfect. I ride with these in anything below about 65 degrees and never get cold thanks to the wind proof front. Fantastic stuff. Loved the pants so much I went back and got the matching Novara jacket."

"When looking for some bike pants I was looking for something comfortable, not too hot, that wouldn't make me slip around on the seat and of course not too loose.



I tried some other pants but they either didn't fit comfortably or were too hot (I could feel the heat and sweat building up just walking around the house). Considered leggings but reviews say they all slip off after a while.



So I decided to give these a try. Since I live in Texas I don't have to deal with extreme cold, its rare that it gets below 30. These seemed like a good choice for "cool" weather.



Features

They are black, a few reflective bits here and there. The outer shell is mostly nylon. Not especially slippery. I was happy that I could put them on over my existing bike shorts and not slide around on my seat. There is a drawstring at the waist and a small (think keys and cash) pocket inside. The knees are sewn to articulate and bend a little bit. The ankles have a zipper that goes up to mid calf. When zipped they fit pretty tight but you can unzip them to get in and out with bike shoes on.



The overall fit around the legs is tight but not too tight. It's not skin hugging spandex. You will have some wrinkles and ruffles. But its tight enough that unless you're a racer its aerodynamic drag won't be too much of an issue. They fit loose enough that you could wear them with reasonable comfort in non-biking situations and you can fit them over your existing bike shorts. If you unzip the ankles you can roll the legs up to mid thigh.



Perhaps the most interesting feature about them that makes them unique and that sold me on them was the fact that the front have of the pants have wind blocking material sewn in. The back half of the pants are a nylon/spandex weave. They have a bit of stretch and are not windproof. So if the wind is coming at you from the front (isn't it always..) it stops it, but if you get a gust from the rear you will feel it through the back.



For me this was great because I was looking for something warm but not too hot. The effect of this setup is that it stops the really nasty stuff from the front but lets you dump excess heat out the back. When I'm really going at it hard I can feel the heat and sweat building up underneath the wind blocker fabric. But with the rear "open" in some respects and the pants being loose enough to allow a little circulation that heat and moisture get vented out the back. This keeps your legs dry and comfortable (though it feels a little weird at first).



For biking around in the 30's and 40's this is perfect. I'm not sure it would hold up well in the 20's though. Since I live in Texas this isn't much of an issue for me but those with longer colder winters might consider another product for the dead of winter and use these for fall/spring.



I think they are great, I love them and the fact they go on sale (being Novara gear) is a plus but I wouldn't hesitate to pay full price. For my desires they are the best I've found."

"I have two pair, an '08 model and an '09 model. The '09 added the full length reflective piping, which I like, but there was a change in the backside fabric that seems to make it more susceptible to pilling and trapping lint and other debris. That's the only reason I didn't give the pants 5 stars. Pair them with chamois shorts or chamois boxers and they're perfect for my 7 mile Seattle area commute in weather ranging from the mid-20's and dry to low 50's and wet. I treat them with water repellent periodicaly, and the front side resists water well enough to keep me nearly dry in most rains on my 35 minute trip. This is Seattle, and it rains often, but not the toad-strangler torrents one gets in other parts of the country. I'll occasionally get a wet knee or calf from touching the frame with the thin backside fabric when stopped at a light. Still, that's better than the swamp I'd have wearing a true rain pant. I'll buy another pair this year so I have 3 pair to work with."

"Super product. ready to buy another pair for this winter of riding in western NC. Not too tight so that you don't get cold knees as with other tights. able to wear more under them if needed. great to X-C ski in. You wear shorts under them for padding, which I feel is better than tights with built in padding."

"These pants have it all. Great everyday bike commuting, mountaibking, and roadbiking. Keeps yours legs warm and does not constrict at all. They are not like normal skin tight pants.I personaly like the draw string at the waist and the zippers at the ankels. I also like the material that i found out will make water bead up and roll off.

However, they DO NOT have any padding. I simply wear my biking shorts under neith and the problem is solved."

"I use these pants for temperatures from the mid 30's to 60 degrees. These are so light weight I didn't think they would be warm enough but they cut the wind completely. They are also not like some vinyl pants they are very breathable. Loved the first pair so much, I bought a second pair. After 2 years of nearly daily riding, they are still show very little wear. I didn't think I'd ever write a review about pants but these really are worth it. I use them for cold weather rides and rain rides also."

"never had to mess with this stuff in south FL, but up here in Raleigh, it's a must. The large fits me fine (6'0, 185 lbs). Nicely detailed. If you choose to wear thermals underneath, you'd probably be comfortable down past freezing temps. Works fine as is down in the low 40's. Great value. Four stars because the drawstring waist adjustment is a bit janky."

"Picked these up in the store. Normally I fit a large, but the mediums were a perfect fit for me.



They work very well in cold weather, preventing the wind from chilling your legs, but the back side is breathable, so they do not overheat.



The fit is very comfortable and the zipper cuffs work well."

"Have worn these pants on three rides now - 25mi, 20mi, and 48mi. The 25 and 20mi rides were in stiff winds and the 48mi started out at 45deg F. These pants performed well. The front material cut the wind down to nothing, while the material on the back "breathed" to keep me from getting over-heated. Overall very comfortable worn with a pair of cycling shorts underneath. I'm 6'2" and 170lbs with a 34" waist and 34" inseam. The LARGE size fits me pretty well. The legs come down just to below my ankle. Perhaps would be better if they were maybe an inch longer, but overall fit is fine. With articulated knee they don't ride up at all while peddling, which is great."

"These are very good but not quite perfect pants. As others have noted, additional pockets would be great.



That said, they do fit a bit more snug than I expected. That's not a problem, but they wouldn't really allow another layer underneath for truly cold riding. This morning it was 23 degrees with wind chill rated around 14. . .my legs were cool, but not cold and I wouldn't have wanted another layer. The wind block is excellent and they breathe well. Don't want to find out how they are in the rain. . .but in dry cold, I'm good in the low '20s and probably up to the mid 40's. Temps above that might be too warm. I suppose the only time I would want another layer of light tights under them would be if the base temps were single digits and the wind chill way below that, ,, ,otherwise, these are my mainstay for cold weather commutes.



I don't get the comment about lack of padding. . . I wear regular bike shorts under them. The articulated knee and stretch of the materiel make them very comfortable. . .my in-bound commute takes about 75 minutes and I'm plenty warm by the end.



Lastly. . .. I'm all for visibility and while I haven't had a driver's view of that reflective stripe, it seems that it would be highly effective and I appreciate that it's there.



Now if someone would just make the perfect commuter jacket---high vis lime color with lots of reflective material (not just little highlights), high collar, wind proof, breathable, long sleeves, pit zips, napolean pocket, other pockets. . .proper cycling cut. . . I have several jackets that each have some of these features, , , ,now to get them all into one! . . ."