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Old June 2nd, 2013, 08:15 PM   #1
office
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BiLT Trackstar Pants

Substantial riding pants are almost impossible to find around the $100 mark. Kevlar-lined jeans can usually be found around this price, but the ones I’ve seen have felt absolutely flimsy (about the same as normal jeans to me) compared with real textile or leather riding pants. Maybe the armor and fancy materials help, but I don't have any experience with them.

I’ve bought most of my gear from Cycle Gear and had great luck with a lot of their house brand items including a 707 full-face helmet and a Frank Thomas leather jacket which I’ve been wearing for years. Returned lots of stuff too (mostly gloves) but never had an issue with that. Cycle Gear has been offering the Trackstar leather pants in their catalog for $99 which seemed like a huge bargain, so I swung by my local store and picked a pair up. I’m tall and lanky and usually have an issue finding pants that work with my small waist and long legs, but the size 34 fit me great. I looked for reviews online before I purchased them, but couldn’t find anything substantial so I’m posting this in case anyone would like a more detailed look at them.

I’ve been wearing them for a while now, so they are thoroughly broken in. The cut and construction is not nearly as refined as pants from Alpinestars or the other major brands, but they are reasonably comfortable. The longest ride i’ve done is 300 miles and they were great -- aside from a little poking from a velcro panel on the inside. I tucked it back into the liner at a stoplight and haven’t had any issues since then.



There are zippers at the base of the legs that make them easy to get in and out of and stretch panels behind the legs. They are perforated so ventilation is adequate and they are as comfortable as leather pants are going to get on 90F days. Belt adjustment is fairly crude with an adjustable velcro strap, but the pants have stretchy accordion-type material in the waste that allows them to feel snug and secure. The is good armor in the knees that stays in place and the pants fit well with my Alpinestars touring boots.



There are puck sliders that attach with velcro by the knees, but they seem like a one-time use affair. I imagine any serious riders would change these out. The inner liner isn’t removable as far as I can tell. There is an embroidered BILT RACING emblem that actually looks pretty attractive (if you didn’t know that it was an entry-level in-house brand)



Overall, these are quality, well-built leather pants at an untouchable price point. I haven’t seen any other products that come remotely close to providing the level of protection that these do for around $100. For a casual weekend rider who frequently commutes, they are perfect.
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Old June 2nd, 2013, 08:57 PM   #2
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Good review! Their leathers tend to run on the thin side but leather is leather. How tall and how much do you weigh? Do you have big calfs and thighs? how do they fit there?
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Old June 3rd, 2013, 09:35 AM   #3
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I'm 6'0. I haven't stepped on a scale in a while, but I'm usually around 170 - 180. I'm an occasional runner (usually 2 days/week) and ride mountain bikes, so calves are a touch larger than the average person I imagine. Fit is great there, no issues. There are zippers on the lower half area so getting in and out is no issue either.

I will say that the zippers are very good quality as well.
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Old June 6th, 2013, 08:00 AM   #4
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I've been trying to get away from Bilt gear, since I'm at the point of being able to afford "nicer" stuff. But your review makes me want to go look at these pants. We seem to be about the same size (6'2" 175 and 33" waist), so these might be a good option for me.

Alex will be in here soon and just say "Stop Buying Bilt".
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Old June 10th, 2013, 06:41 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by BRad704 View Post
I've been trying to get away from Bilt gear, since I'm at the point of being able to afford "nicer" stuff. But your review makes me want to go look at these pants. We seem to be about the same size (6'2" 175 and 33" waist), so these might be a good option for me.

Alex will be in here soon and just say "Stop Buying Bilt".
If you are used to nicer stuff from Dainese or Alpinestars, you might be disappointed. But for someone riding in jeans or cheap textile pants, they are a huge step up. I wouldn't make a sweeping generalization about Bilt-branded gear, since its just a label to rebrand 3rd party gear. Take a look at these yourself and decide if they work for you.

I had a pair of the BiLT waterproof gloves. They were downright awful (the liner made it impossible to easily remove them and they were almost impossible to get back on if your hands were sweaty) and they went back the next week.

For me, zippers are usually the biggest weak point (they can render a good jacket or a good sleeping bag useless). As with my Frank Thomas jacket, the zippers on the Trackstar pants are YKK (high quality).
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Old June 10th, 2013, 07:08 PM   #6
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@BRad704, if you're looking to move up from the budget brands by getting better gear without breaking the bank, check out Speed and Strength. Very good bang for the buck, and the quality is good.
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Old June 10th, 2013, 08:06 PM   #7
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I'm glad you found a good fit. You can't beat the price! I was just in there trying on the TrackStar suit cause I'm doing a track day day soon. I found the right size that fit me everywhere except the booty. There had to be at least 7" or more of extra material back there..lol. I was pretty bummed cause @ $200 this would've been perfect to get started with until I can afford better equipment down the road.
I ended up buying a gently used pair of Vulcan Track pants off of Craigslist and I'll just get a jacket to match...the TrackStar ($160) jacket at CG seemed like it would work ok..I would just have to sew the appropriate zipper size to the pants.
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Old June 10th, 2013, 08:09 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by office View Post
If you are used to nicer stuff from Dainese or Alpinestars, you might be disappointed. But for someone riding in jeans or cheap textile pants, they are a huge step up. I wouldn't make a sweeping generalization about Bilt-branded gear, since its just a label to rebrand 3rd party gear. Take a look at these yourself and decide if they work for you.

I had a pair of the BiLT waterproof gloves. They were downright awful (the liner made it impossible to easily remove them and they were almost impossible to get back on if your hands were sweaty) and they went back the next week.

For me, zippers are usually the biggest weak point (they can render a good jacket or a good sleeping bag useless). As with my Frank Thomas jacket, the zippers on the Trackstar pants are YKK (high quality).
I bought those gloves too last winter as well. Had to get x lrg. And I normally wear med-lrg. They are not water proof either..lol.
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Old June 11th, 2013, 06:59 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by office View Post
If you are used to nicer stuff from Dainese or Alpinestars, you might be disappointed. But for someone riding in jeans or cheap textile pants, they are a huge step up. I wouldn't make a sweeping generalization about Bilt-branded gear, since its just a label to rebrand 3rd party gear. Take a look at these yourself and decide if they work for you.

I had a pair of the BiLT waterproof gloves. They were downright awful (the liner made it impossible to easily remove them and they were almost impossible to get back on if your hands were sweaty) and they went back the next week.

For me, zippers are usually the biggest weak point (they can render a good jacket or a good sleeping bag useless). As with my Frank Thomas jacket, the zippers on the Trackstar pants are YKK (high quality).
Good to know about the YKK on those Bilt pants. My current gear is a random mix of Bilt, Icon and Teknic. So I'm not really to the point of being a high-end only guy...
Quote:
Originally Posted by choneofakind View Post
@BRad704, if you're looking to move up from the budget brands by getting better gear without breaking the bank, check out Speed and Strength. Very good bang for the buck, and the quality is good.
The mesh jacket I got for my gf is an S&S and she really likes it.
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Old June 11th, 2013, 08:35 AM   #10
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It's unfortunate for me, that they fit you so well. I'm 5'8 and built solidly, with a good layer of fat of that.


I'm trying to lose weight, but even if I lose all the fat I need to lose I doubt I'll get to where I can fit in riding pants properly, they will always be too long with the knee armor too low.
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Old June 11th, 2013, 10:21 AM   #11
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Icon?

I have the Anthem mesh overpants and they are baggy and short. Really too baggy and too short for me
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Old June 11th, 2013, 04:00 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BRad704 View Post
Icon?

I have the Anthem mesh overpants and they are baggy and short. Really too baggy and too short for me
I can look into them, but I'll have to find a place where I can try them on, and I was really hoping to fit into Bilt one day. I figure that if other track pants that are 1.3 mm are good enough for 150 mph crashes, Bilt's 1.1 mm leather ought to be good enough for a crash on a 250. And it is much cheaper than other brands.


But if I can find a place to try stuff on, I might go for it, I just will not buy something without trying it on. I fit into so little stuff properly, even when I lose weight I'm a big boned guy, and can rarely find jackets that fit me, or pants that fit correctly. I was actually surprised, my leather hybrid jacket from Bilt fits amazingly well, and that never happens.
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