Hood Concept 6 Jeans mini review

Done about 500 miles in these so far and give them the thumbs up.

The good:

• Feel very sturdy for jeans, the denim is definitely heavier than regular jeans and the kevlar lining is substantial - although not complete (unlike their K7 model which is complete), it seems to cover all the likely areas and a lot more besides.
• Armour (optional but highly recommended) fits well, doesn't move around. It's Knox stuff and seems as good as the stuff in my one-piece. The hip stuff in particular is comfortable and covers a good area (I always seem to land on my backside/hips).
• They ride a lot higher than regular "fashion" jeans, so you don't get builder's butt syndrome when hunched into the bike and get draughts down your backside. Also more protection in an off I guess.
• Concept 6 seems to be their "fashion" range, ie. a little less nerdy than the drainpipe K7. I wouldn't go so far as to say they're fashionable but they look reasonably up to date. Hip armour isn't immediately apparent down the pub although knee armour definitely is.
• Stitching, by and large, isn't exposed and is double stitched where appropriate.
• Comfortable on bike, and the fit is good, I doubt they're going to ride down and expose your cheeks to tarmac in an off.
• Well priced for a hand made product.

The bad:

• They're still jeans, obviously not going to be as good as dead cow. This is a moot point really, you're either going to be a leather or nothing person or not. I'll definitely never wear regular jeans on the bike again (although in the past - when youth gave me delusions of invulnerability - I did, and crashed in them too).
• They sit a little too high to be comfortable or fashionable off the bike, we're not exactly talking Simon Cowell territory here but uncomfortable for extended periods (as mentioned above though, they're very comfortable on bike and the extra height is a benefit here).
• Knee armour is quite bulky, again, a big plus on bike but a negative off it.

Overall, if you're going to wear them in the office you'll be a little uncomfortable and will definitely need to take the knee armour out. But for what they are they're perfect.

I'm confident that the abrasion resistance of the main areas (eg. the backside) is well up there and not much below that of other textiles. As for impact resistance, the armour is good, in the right places, and holds firm; impact injuries are down to luck really and I doubt any material can really cover all eventualities in this regard.

[Luckypants]

Any pics of wehat they look like on?

Thanks for posting that, very handy to read as I ordered a pair of there K7 jeans but there is a 10 day delay on the armour so just waiting for them to arrive

Originally Posted by Luckypants

Any pics of wehat they look like on?

I'm sure my Mummy warned me about situations like this (joke!)

Can't point the camera at myself, the mirror's not full length and the missus is out - best I can do today is what they look like off, and inside out (figure that's useful to highlight the partial kevlar coverage on the Concept 6 model).

Frontage: (note even the pockets are in denim rather than that flimsy cotton you find in regular jeans)



... and bottomage:



EDIT:
Thought it might be worth noting that kevlar coverage around the knees effectively stops only about an inch or two above where your boots start. Obviously that's not much good if you're only wearing trainers but I'd highly, highly, recommend never ever wearing anything but boots on a bike (decent ones at that - feet and hands touch down at greater force than your head in most instances).

Also, they're quite warm. Well, not warm as in too-warm, just not cold. In my younger more reckless years when I wore regular jeans on the bike I'd often wear a pair of tracky bottoms underneath to keep warm - even in the summer; these seem just right (well, in the range of temperatures we've had in the warmer-than-average last few weeks).

Good reveiw! I think I'll order myself some; I have the brochure from Hood jeans with samples of the materials, it all seems good but reading this reveiw has helped me make up my mind a bit more

Unless someone discovers they really are no better than jeans in an off...

Matt

[Stu]

Can I ask why you choose the 6 over the cheaper K7. Do they look that much better?

Originally Posted by Stu

Can I ask why you choose the 6 over the cheaper K7. Do they look that much better?

This is very much a personal thing I guess, but I kinda think so. I was going purely on the images on their site at the time. They seem ever so slightly more baggy than the K7s which (to my mind) look a bit more Levi 501ish. I always found 501s to be a somewhat tight fit round my manly nether regions.

The other difference is that the Concept 6s use "knitted aramid" rather than "weaved aramid". I have no idea whatsoever what that means or how it relates to abrasion resistance, but it would appear that Draggin jeans use the knitted stuff and other reviews seem to suggest this is slightly more comfortable than the weaved stuff. Indeed, I have an expert (and I do mean expert) witness to attest to the comfort factor:

Originally Posted by MiniMatt

I have an expert (and I do mean expert) witness to attest to the comfort factor:

And Kitty Sez "These are MY jeans now." Note claws slightly dug in to retain previous owner from reclaiming them.

I have the same problem with Maria's cat sitting on my bag and work

Matt

[Luckypants]

My opinions on cats are well documented on here.........

HTH

I got my K7 jeans delivered the other day bit awkward trying to get the armour in but then again it does help if I read the instructions!

Very comfy to wear and to drive in (found them quite warm) just hope they are cooler than my leathers in the summer.