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Have changes at the Vancouver company been a good thing? |
Words by Stuart Kernaghan
Roach Clothing has been a part of the Vancouver / North Shore riding scene for more than a decade. Roach gear was some of the first serious armour people started wearing on the trails, but the company was never really able to make the leap to the big show and become a major player in the bike armour and softgoods market.
Vancouver-based components manufacturer Race Face stepped in a few years ago and bought the Roach brand, expanding the line of offerings, adding a little style to the clothes, and taking production off-shore to China. So have all those changes resulted in a better product? I've been testing a pair of Roach's Rally shorts for the past several months in order to answer that very question.
The details
Technical specs on the Rallys are as follows: the fabric is heavyweight coated 500D and 1000D cordura for strength, and they incorporate a stretch panel across the back for increased comfort and mobility. Zippered side pockets are large enough for a wallet and set of keys, but won't get snagged on anything.
The dual-sided Superfly hook-and-loop front closure system is still there, and allows easy access regardless of which side you dress to. (That's not to say women can't wear the Rallys, but these things are more of an issue for guys.) Standard Roach buckle closures and adjustable webbing mean you can wear the shorts as tight or loose as you like them, and the Crotch Gusset System makes it easy to slide off the back of the saddle without any problems. The wearing experience
The Rally shorts have been designed to come down far enough to cover that exposed area you often get between shorts and knee/shin pads, and they are definitely longer than Roach's Indy |
 Roach Rally shorts Photo © Roach Clothing |
 Extra leg coverage is a bonus Photo - Dan Austin |
The one drawback to the Rallys - and any long short - is that they are a little warm. I found they just kicked the temperature up one more notch when combined with a full-face helmet, a Ninja Jacket, arm pads, and shin pads. Man, it just makes me hot thinking about all that gear. After almost six months of non-stop wear, the Rallys are in good shape. There are a few pulls in the ripstop nylon along the front of the legs but all the seam stitching is solid, the hook-and-loop closures are holding steady, and everything else on the shorts is as it should be. They've also survived several rather major wipe-outs that have left me in rough shape, without any damage. Overall impressions
The biggest change between Roach shorts of yester-year and those available now is in the finishing details. The seams are straight, there aren't thread ends sticking out, and the Roach logo is plastic instead of painted on.
You can't fault Race Face for taking production off-shore, because having shorts of this quality produced in Canada would push up the price substantially. And even though Roach gear has lost some of what made it so unique and identifiable, the bottom line is that this is still a Canadian company turning out a top-notch product. |
Ultimately, I really liked the Rallys for what they offered: extra coverage for an area of your legs that's normally exposed, good fit and adjustability through the waist, a well-designed crotch that doesn't get hung up, and excellent durability. All of that is wrapped up in a stylish package you can wear around without looking like you belong on a motocross bike at the X-Games. The Rallys were warm in the middle of the summer, but that's life - and they are definitely going to be my short of choice when the rain starts coming down. That added length will be nice when it's cold and crappy outside, and will save me from having to wear pants. Which would also be too warm. |
 Funny, they don't look like a Timex watch (Yes, that is blood) Photo - Stuart Kernaghan |
There have been a few rather noticeable changes to the Roach clothing line-up for the coming year, namely a smaller colour selection and fewer products to choose from. Most of the shorts and pants are only offered in black or pewter (grey), with the Rallys available in grey; you may be able to find a pair of royal blue ones from last year kicking around on the odd shop rack.
Sizing has also changed from numeric sizes to the small to extra-large scale; expect to pay about CDN$120 for a pair of Rallys.
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