Gear Review: Pando Moto Steel Black 9 Riding Jeans

Can Steel Black 9 become one of your favorite jeans?

25% Dyneema®, 15 times stronger than steel, high heat conductivity, CE officially approved, 2 position knee armor pockets, and a reflective cuff – this is all bout our Steel Black 9 model. And the RideApart team has tested them out:

Everyone has a favorite pair of jeans. To help soften the Monday blues, I tend to wear mine at the beginning of the week. Inevitably, that leaves my least favorite trousers—my riding jeans—for the end of the week. Of course, the ill-fitting denim and bulging knee armor only dampen my spirits as I sprint to the week’s finish line. For that reason, when I got my hands on a pair of Pando Moto’s Steel Black 9, I saw it as an opportunity to reframe my perspective on riding jeans—and reclaim my TGIF.

The first thing I noticed when unboxing the Steel Black 9 riding jeans was the sturdy construction and hefty weave. The 13-ounce denim features a protective layer of Dyneema fabric that lends rigidity and mimics the feel and texture of selvedge denim. Conversely, my current riding jeans consist of a cotton/elastic blend that feels more like wearing a pair of loose jeggings so the Steel Black 9’s advanced materials and craftsmanship were a welcome change. 

I regularly visit the local tailor for shortening and tapering my pant legs but the slim-cut Pando Moto jeans fit my frame directly out-of-the-box. The Steel Black 9’s nearly-black indigo color was also appropriate for professional settings as well as after-work happy hours. In addition to the superior fit and finish, the low-profile CE-approved KNOX knee armor (included) and hip armor (sold separately) are practically imperceptible. In the span of a week, I wore the jeans to the workplace, a cafe, and a restaurant and no one could tell that I was donning riding gear.