Giro New Road Classic Mobility Trouser

Giro's neat New Road Classic Mobility trouser (crazy name) has a few bike-friendly features that are subtle enough not to be noticeable when you get off the bike.

One of the main features that turns these from trousers into cycling trousers is the crotch section. Rather than having that big lump of fabric where all the seams usually meet on a pair of everyday trousers – which is positioned exactly where you sit on a bike saddle, for maximum discomfort – Giro have moved that meeting point forward so that it's out of the way. There's still a central seam front to back, but you don't particularly notice that, especially not on shorter rides, because it's not too bulky. Giro have also added a second layer of fabric through the area that contacts the saddle.

The result is that sitting on the bike in these feels more comfortable than in normal jeans or trousers and there's very little chafing as you pedal. The design works, basically (it's a similar deal with the Vulpine Men's Jinzu Raw Selvedge Cycling Jeans /content/review/132357-vulpine-mens-jinzu-raw-selvedge-cycling-jeans that we reviewed recently).

Of course, you don't feel as comfortable as you would in your favourite bib tights but that's not the point; you can keep these on while you're in the office, at the coffee shop, doing your shopping or whatever, without looking a bit, you know, weird.

There's a little crossways stretch to these trousers too – the fabric is 97% cotton and 3% Lycra. There's not so much stretch that anyone else is going to notice, but enough to allow you to take up a cycling position and pedal, despite the slim cut. I think they could afford to be a bit more stretchy but there's always going to be a compromise in trousers designed for use both on and off the bike. I didn't experience an exposed lower back when stretched forward on the bike, and the fabric bounces back into shape when you get off the bike so you don't have bulging areas around your butt and knees for the rest of the day.

The fabric is reasonably rugged, as far as cotton goes, although the crotch shows some minor wear after wet weather rides where grit and dirt has got onto the saddle and then onto the trousers. When I say 'minor wear' I just mean that the surface of the fabric has been scuffed a little. There's no danger of going through it any time soon.

Unless you have a chainguard on your bike, you're going to want to do something with the right leg when you're riding to stop it getting tangled up in the chain. Rolling it up does the job, and Giro have thoughtfully added reflective tape to the seams of both legs to help you get noticed in traffic at night. That tape is grey in daylight and there's no way that anyone is going to spot it as a safety measure when you're off the bike even if you have a turn-up.

One other useful feature is a hidden hip pocket that I found handy for storing a mobile phone or keys while riding. Stuff in there doesn't get in the way as you pedal and it can't fall out because it's zipped in.

Putting cycling features to one side, these are good everyday trousers, coming with bound seams, a buttoned fly, two rear pockets, two front pockets and a little ticket pocket up by the waistband.

Verdict

Slim-fitting trousers with a bit of stretch and subtle bike-friendly features