Alki Pant

I LOVE THESE PANTS! They are great, really nice features, but there is only 2 bad things I can say about these pants, but one isn't really a problem with the pants themselves.

1) If you spend a lot of time sitting in really wet snow your butt gets a little wet. I was just out today, in the rain in all man-made snow, sitting waiting for people in the park and only got a little wet, but the rain didn't get through.

2) The backs of the pants at the heels could be a little shorter so it doesn't get destroyed when you walk but I probably should have ordered a size smaller if the store had them in stock.

Overall, these are awesome pants.

I was fortunate enough to finish out the last month of the 2010 season with the 2010 Jacket and Alki pants.

I received the Admiral jacket in the Lime Blurred Plaid and the Alki pants in Peacock. The jacket is much brighter in person and like the CAPP3L Cambridge jacket last year, there are subtle blurred lines in the jacket pattern when you look close. The Peacock color is pretty much as you see it in the catalog, a navy blue.

The one thing I loved about this combo is I stayed dry in every condition I rode in. We had some unusual wet snow at the end of the season and I was dry as a bone when I crashed in it. Didn't get wet in the spring with the slushy conditions and didn't sweat to death in the warmer temperatures and the lining wicked away moisture very well. The zip in feature from the powder skirt to the pants is a lifesaver as well. Nothing like dropping something with the confidence that you're not going to get that cold chill of snow down your butt crack if you crash and tumble.

You don't have a lot of pocket options on the Admiral Jacket, but that isn't a bad thing. Chest pocket on the left side and two traditional hand pockets at each side. The one grip I had with the pockets was the zippers, I hate zippers that you have to pull down to open. IMO to close a zipper you should pull it down, this way as the zipper wears through the season it stays closed. I've lost some stuff in the past from pockets that open that way and I'm paranoid about it now. I also would have to hold the bottom of my jacket down to get enough "tension" on the zipper to close it pulling up. But the zippers are great quality, burly and waterproof. My iPhone never got wet along with the other things I carry along with me while riding.

The fit is great on these as well, boxy & baggy but not all TECH9 Gangsterish. My measurements are:

* 44" Chest
* 36-38" Waist
* 31" inseam
* 33/34" Sleeve Length

I ended up in a large in the jacket and the pants with my measurements. They fit great, I had enough room for articulation in the knees, chest, shoulders. When I had the pants zipped to the jacket there was plenty of give and I didn't tear or stretch that out or fill constricted at all by it.

The other thing that was great about the fit is that I could zip the jacket all the way up and not feel like I was going to choke. In the past I've had some Ride Jackets that I just couldn't zip up all the way as they were too tight and not comfortable or there were so loose that I had to pull the hood tight as possible to keep it from flapping around. I'm happy to report that the Admiral jacket fits well around your neck/face and isn't too tight/loose and you can wear a face mask under it without worry as well. Both of these pieces are shells (no insulation)... but I did have room to wear base layers under both on the colder days without any issue and didn't feel like my mobility was restricted by layering.

These two pieces are worth every dime you spend on them as you're going to stay dry & warm, the material is durable and most important for most... they look good. But at least in this instance those that think fashion first, will be rewarded with some of the best function on the market for outerwear.