It was a bit of a big deal for the bike industry when Levi’s released their first offerings aimed at urban cyclists. While a number of smaller manufacturers have been creating casual wear designed for life on the bike, when a company the size of Levi’s enters the market, it signifies the lifestyle has finally gone mainstream. These days its possible to wear bike related clothing head to toe without looking like a Ken to the Sporty Spice Barbie – and it’s awesome. We’ve spent time in both the indigo denim jeans and the khaki/ chincilla models, and they perform as claimed, pairing comfort and mobility with urban style on the bike. After wearing jeans with stretch to them, it is hard to go back to regular denim – they’re that comfortable.
It is still pretty tough to find the stuff on racks at your local bike shop or mall, but a few bikeshops in the know have been sprouting up that actually carry the stuff. It’s also available direct from Levi’s, but pay special attention to sizing- compared to most brands they run small. Or depending on how you look at it, they run true to size. I wear a 32″ in most brands, but a 34″ in Levi’s. Since my actual waist measurement is more like 33.5″ you might actually say that Levi’s is the one brand that has the sizing down. (Carharts are the same way) Since they do run skinny, going up a size is a good call, unless you like the feel of jeans painted on.
New additions to the current line include a button up, office friendly shirt, additional color ways for their 5-Pocket (still) skinny fit jeans and skinny fit trousers. They also have a new version of their trucker jacket, available in black that features hide away nylon hood.
The commuter line all features cotton with 2% Elastane, more popularly known as spandex in the cycling community, for comfort and mobility with a water and stain resistant NanoSphere coating.
Check It out: Levi’s Commuter Collection
