Spidi got into cool-looking, riding jeans way before most other brands knew this was even a thing. They’ve been producing stylish, bike jeans for more than 20 years, using a variety of materials and fabrics. They have used an aramid fibre known as Keramide. They’ve used Dyneema and they’ve used Cordura. It wouldn’t be untrue to suggest that they were the pioneers in the creation of bike jeans that didn’t look like bike jeans. Indeed, we think that, unknowingly, they invented the single-layer, biking jean.
At the entry level, we are still fans of their J-Tracker Tech single-layer jean. It is not the most protective on the market, but woven with Cordura it is really nice and comfortable to wear, and it's upsettingly inexpensive. Even though it's AA-rated, we still term it, for various reasons, a 60 mph jean.
We have also offered Spidi's J&Dyneema jean. Like the J-Tracker, this also had a single-layer construction, but made with Dyneema it was much stronger than the J-Tracker, and had a four-second slide time under the EN13595 protocol. But whilst it was in its own way impressive, it didn’t quite crack it. It had a full mesh lining around the backside that didn’t make it feel like a proper jean.
Well perhaps Spidi realised this because they have now introduced an updated and upgraded version. It’s called the J&Dyneema Evo, and we like it a lot.
Anyway let us talk about the jean itself in a bit more detail.
The Spidi J&Dyneema Evo has a 60% Dyneema content, so it is perhaps not surprising that it is rated AAA under EN 17092. As you might expect, the jean also incorporates cotton; in this case the content is 38%. The remaining 2% is Elastane; and it is this last fibre that makes the jean so comfortable to wear; so comfortable to ride in; and so comfortable to walk around in.
The fit is flattering, but we wouldn’t exactly call it slim. It is somewhat more generous in the calves than, say, the Rokkertech Tapered Slim. And this is a good thing, as we see it. There are lots of super-slim riding jeans around, but if there’s a bit more to you, so to speak, then the pickings are, well, a bit slim!
The jean has also borrowed a little detail from Spidi's J-Tracker; namely a gusset in the crotch. This gusset makes the jean nicer to wear on the bike. It also helps to ensure that the knee armour sits where it should in the centre of the knees. Unfortunately, many brands fail to get this important detail right.
A motorcycle jean usually has to have some kind of lining somewhere because it is the lining that holds the knee armour in place. Well the lining on the J&Dyneema Evo is only down the front of the legs, but what we like about it is that it is a made from a mesh, meaning that the airflow through the outer fabric is not affected. And that’s important because, of course, one of the key benefits of a single-layer jeans is how nice they are to wear in hot weather.
The armour in the knees and hips is Spidi’s own. We like it. It is large, flat and flexible, but quite thin, so like all the best armour you barely know you’re wearing it.
We also like the colour of these jeans. We already do this jean in black, but this one is a proper blue.
There's another thing we like about the blue version of the J&Dyneema Evo jean. It comes in two leg lengths whereas exactly the same jean in black only comes in one leg length. And that was always an issue, especially as the one leg length was 34". And that meant that a lot people had to have them shortened. Well, the new, blue jean comes in a 34" leg length and a 30" leg length. That's much better.
So is there anything not to like about the Spidi J&Dyneema Evo?
Well, in truth, not a lot. We still think our Rokker Legends are going to fit more people because they come in more sizes, and more leg lengths. The Rokkers are totally unlined; and that we like. But the Spidis are cheaper, and they pass the EN17092 abrasion test at the higher AAA level. And many will be swayed by that.
There is just one tiny issue with the J&Dyneema Evo jeans, and it irritates us because it's just oh-so-Italian!
Inside the hem, there’s some reflective banding; the idea being to make the wearer a little more visible at night to traffic approaching from behind. But here’s the rub. The reflective band is only on the left leg; and that’s fine if you ride on the right hand side of the road. But here in the UK we don’t. One is left wondering who in the design department thought money could usefully be saved by using reflective tape in just the one leg? And why nobody told the designers that Spidi also sells jeans in Australia, Japan and the UK!
