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Hood H2 jeans/trousers - Bob Pickett looks to protect his legs, but wants something he can wear on and off the bike

Hood H2 trousers - good enough to be worn in the office without anyone realising these are designed for biking After some 30,000 miles, the denim on my Hood K7 Jeans started to wear out in the places that all denim jeans wear (not wishing to say 'crotch'… oh, I just did). To be honest, it could be patched - and Hood do repairs - but I decided it was time to try something a little different.

Of course, a major consideration is that I ride all year round, in all weathers, so whatever kit I buy has to be hard wearing. So I rang Hood to see what else they could suggest.

And they came up with the H2 jean/trousers. These are made from a poly/cotton blend, so should be robust. How robust? Well it transpires a couple undertook the Pan-American Highway run - something like 60,000 miles - and the only issue was the strong South American Sun bleached the colour!

That is tough enough for me.

I've been wearing them for a few months now - and can only report good things. The H2 are lined with woven para-Aramid (essentially Kevlar), which means your legs are cared for in the event of a slide down the road (the drag test that Hood put a pair of their jeans through shows the effectiveness of the lining). The poly/cotton blend fabric is definitely hard wearing - and has the added benefit of making the H2 look like a 'normal' pair of trousers. There have been days when I've not bothered to change out of them at work… and no-one has noticed.

Of course, they are not waterproof - but then they're not meant to be. And being a thinner fabric than the K7's denim, colder weather will see your legs feeling chilly much, much faster. So I have taken to wearing my waterproof (and lined) over-trousers on colder days with the H2 jeans and this helps ensure my legs stay warm and dry.

Like my K7 jeans, the H2 come in a generous cut - and to be honest, you want them to be a bit looser than you would if you were buying an ordinary pair, as these are designed to be worn on a bike. So do bear this in mind when ordering.

Another positive feature is the (incredibly) strong Velcro strips that secure the flaps on the two rear pockets. Even if you forget your wallet is in a back pocket, don't worry, it is going to be safe and sound in there. I also think it is going to deter the casual thief, as they're not going to risk the sound of Velcro ripping open! While we're on the subject of pockets, the front ones have been designed with riding in mind as well. They are deep and angled so that if you've left change or something in them, it should be secure even while riding.

Verdict Hood has come up with the goods once again. I would recommend owning a pair of K7 denim jeans and the H2 trousers; the K7 for Winter/Spring and the H2 for Summer/Autumn - and this also means you'll have kit to cover both casual and slightly smarter wear as well!

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