Bike to Work Jeans

A lot of options are entering the market for bicycle commuter clothing, including Levis, Betabrand, ... The main problem I have is the jeans are very low rise and don't come in sizes that fit me. Recently I was browsing L.L. Bean and stumbled across the most amazing thing... "active" jeans! L.L. Bean does a great job of accommodating a variety of shapes and sizes and their quality is pretty good.

I particularly love L.L. Bean jeans because they are made for Pear shaped women. The legs are usually a bit more generous than typical jeans and the waists are more nipped in with a higher rise.

The Performance Stretch Jeans are skinny jeans but they are more of a comfortable slim fit rather than a super squeezed in fit. If you have chunky legs due to either muscle or fat, these will fit you. If your waist is smaller than your hips by a lot, these will fit you.

Finally, they are made of a special performance material and are incredibly durable. I've worn them 3-4 times a week non-stop since I got them earlier this year and they have shown zero signs of wear besides a bit of fading. They also dry faster than regular jeans (although I would not call them "quick drying"). If you tumble dry low for 30 minutes after a spin cycle, they'll easily be done within that time. Hang drying, they are dry within 1-2 hours depending on humidity and air flow. If you're washing in the sink, they'll be dry overnight if you can wring them out with a towel. If you sweat in them or get drenched in a downpour, they'll dry within an hour.

L.L. Bean Performance Stretch Jeans are great for biking!

Another feature I love are the little reflector tabs on the back belt loop and the cuffs!

I have taken these on short trips travelling and I've been impressed at not only the overall durability but their tendency to not retain oders.

Sizing tip, if you want a really tight, skinny fit, then order down. Otherwise, you can safely go by the size chart. It is true to size and if your hips are a little wider than what's listed, don't worry about it because they are stretch jeans and they will stretch out a little bit. My measurements are 34" high waist (38" low waist), 48" hips. No size 20 was available but it would have been too large in the waist. The size 18 fits me perfectly.

L.L. Bean Performance Stretch Jeans, Back View, size 18

L.L. Bean Performance Stretch Jeans, Front View, size 18

If you're looking for an all purpose workhorse jean, something you can do active things in, travel, and still look nice in, I can't recommend these enough!