I offer the following comments as suggested improvements for the Peninsula pants.
I am 182cm (6ft), 77kg (170lb), waist 82cm (33 inch) with inseam 85cm (34inch). Basically European average leaning towards tall and slim. Some of my comments may seem harsh and picky, but I consider these a premium pant that should meet a high standard.
What I liked:
- Quality material and tailoring. Good balance between weight and durability. Feels tougher than typical MX pants, and not as heavy as some of the other premium brands. Ideal for dirt riding. That said, I’d pick a different type of pant (or brand) to take a slide on the tarmac.
- There is enough room in the leg for my Leatt C-Frame or Pod K4 knee braces (obviously with the knee armour removed).
Not so much:
I have various Revit products, which I really like. One of the main attractors for me was the hip and knee armour (which I’d insert when I don’t wear knee braces). This was also the biggest disappointment.
- The hip armour could be broader. I accept people are built differently, but in my case the hip armour does not cover my hip bone, which is a big fail considering this was the reason I chose the Revit pants over another brand.
- The knee patch (material) is in the right spot, but the knee armour is too high, and it isn’t adjustable. I may just have extraordinary long thighs but the indent in the knee armour is about two inches above my patella.
- The waist should allow more adjustability. I’m slim but not emaciated and had to use the tightest setting. Even so, as soon as I bent or crouched I’d have ‘plumber’s crack’. A more robust webbing or belt-type arrangement would help, as would a broader stretch panel in the back. The back stretch panel should spread further towards the hips. It is too narrow and doesn’t serve its intended purpose. It becomes even more noticeable with knee braces that put tension on the thigh area and would pull the pants down, dropping the crutch slightly and making mounting the bike a bit difficult. I think this is mainly because the pants are too loose around the middle. (I did also try a medium size, but could hardly get them on.)
- The pockets are a nice size, but the opening is too restrictive. I found it difficult to retrieve items from the pockets.
- A very annoying niggle, but the fabric behind the zipper constantly got stuck in zipper. A slightly thicker fabric might be less inclined to get caught in the zipper.
My initial excitement about the pants blinded me to these issues, and in hindsight I should have returned them. Having now worn them a few times I am a bit underwhelmed, and hope the next iteration of the pants address these issues. I did consider ordering the long version in the hope that the thigh area would be longer. However, the three-month wait period, inability to return a special order should they not fit, and the other matters listed above dissuaded me.
