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Okay, let’s get this out the way, because I don’t want to lead you on (or you to try shooting yourself in the leg). These cycling chinos ARE’T actually bulletproof.
*boo*
*hiss*
I know, I know. But SPOKE have named their range the “bulletproof chinos” – so that’s how I’m justifying my ever-so-slighty click-baity title.
So, let’s get down to business.
SPOKE Bulletproof Cycling Chinos Review
Bulletproof they may not be, but they are rain proof. Which is probably (hopefully) more useful to you, depending on your lifestyle.
You can spill a drink over these trousers and the liquid will just sit on the material for quite a while until you brush it off. Admittedly, I’ve yet to give these a test ride in really torrential rain, but in “regular” rain, they do the job perfectly, although a little bit of moisture does make its way through to the pockets – so take a bit of caution with phones, wallets and so on.
Discreet Functionality
I was actually surprised to learn that these chinos were waterproof, because the material doesn’t look or feel like it would be. And that is a huge compliment to these SPOKE trousers. It’s discreet functionality at its finest. They look like regular keks, but have superhero powers (and are disguised much better than Clark Kent – how does he get away with it!?).
READ: Best Cycling Chinos for Men and Women
The trousers come in a regular fit and offer plenty of stretch which is vital for riding comfort. They also weigh in at just 8oz, so they’re nice and light too – and very breathable. Lovely.
There’s even reflective detailing embedded into these cycling chinos. Reflective piping if you like to roll up the trouser leg and a drop-down reflective flash of orange in back pocket.
Colours
I opted for the navy option (largely because I love blue everything), but the SPOKE Bulletproof chinos also come in slate (the colour, not the stone), olive (again, colour not food) and tobacco (once more, colour not stuff to smoke/chew).
Price
The SPOKE Bulletproof Chinos come in at a hearty £129 (although there is currently a 30% off the olive and tobacco varients), but you do get bang for your buck.
These are dynamite trousers that don’t look out of place in the office or down the pub, and, although they’re NOT bulletproof (please don’t test this out) they do kick ass on rainy days.
Edit: Completely forgot to mention the pocket situation – apologies! There’s two deep front pockets (no zips), and two buttoned pockets on the rear.