Women's Riding Pants: Hip, Rise and Armor Fit Problems

Most fit problems in women's riding pants come down to four places: a waist that gaps while the hips pinch, a rise that lets the waistband slide, a seat or leg that pulls when you sit, and armor that drifts off the joint. One retailer describes the typical symptoms of pants cut for men and then resized as a waist that gaps, hips that pinch and knee armor that sits too low. Check all four seated, not standing.

This page is part of our motorcycle pants sizing and fit guide. It covers fit only; for reading a chart row by row, see how to read a motorcycle pants size chart.

The four problems at a glance

Hips versus waist

Charts usually tie your waist and your hips together. In Leather Collection's women's pants chart, hip is exactly 26 cm (10.2 in) larger than waist in all eight rows, from US 6 (waist 58 cm / 22.8 in, hip 84 cm / 33.1 in) to US 20 (waist 86 cm / 33.9 in, hip 112 cm / 44.1 in). The columns are waist, hip, inseam and height; there is no rise or thigh column.

That fixed gap is the root of a common problem. Take a waist of 70 cm (27.6 in) and a hip of 108 cm (42.5 in), a 38 cm (15 in) difference. The waist points to US 12 and the hip points to US 18 on that chart. Neither row fits both.

What to do when the numbers point to different rows:

1. Check which measurement the cut leaves least room for. The store's chart guide says that is usually hip or thigh.
2. Read by hip first, because leather usually has less give than stretch fabric.
3. Expect a waist gap in the bigger size. That is the trade-off, and it is the complaint described above.
4. Consider a custom size if no standard row fits both numbers.

Measure your hips at the widest point. Alpinestars places the hip measurement at the fullest part, about 20 cm (8 in) below the waistline. Where the waist sits on a chart depends on the maker: stores and makers differ on whether it is at the navel, about 5 cm (2 in) below it, or the natural waist. Use the definition printed on the chart you order from.

Rise

Rise is how high the waistband sits above the crotch. It matters more on a bike than on a bench: a low rise can let the waistband slide down when you bend your knees and sit, and a gap at the back leaves skin exposed between jacket and pants.

No source we found gives a rise measurement for women's riding pants. One shop's summary says women's cuts should have a higher rise at the back, but it gives no figure. Charts such as the one above leave rise out. Custom orders are the exception, because some stores' custom-size forms ask for rise or similar measurements.

Test it like this:

1. Sit on the bike, feet on the pegs, hands on the bars.
2. Bend your knees and lean forward. The waistband should not slide down.
3. Check the back of the waist where your jacket hem meets it.

Don't hold your breath or suck in your stomach for this test.

Seat, thigh and length when seated

Your stomach and thighs expand when you sit, so pants that feel fine standing can feel tight on the bike. A store guide says the seat, thigh and back-of-knee areas should not pull or pinch in a riding crouch.

For length, measure the inseam seated, as if on the bike, so the hem still reaches the top of your boot, and take the longer length if you are between two. Pants that are too short ride up and leave the shin exposed. Our page on how long motorcycle pants should be when seated covers this in detail, and how to keep pants from riding up covers fixes.

Strain at the seat matters beyond comfort: see why leather pant seams split in the saddle.

Hip armor and knee armor

Hip protectors are mandatory in EN 17092 class AAA and AA garments and optional in class A. If the pants have them, they have to be where they protect. Armor maker D3O says protection should fully cover the joint without slipping down or riding up on the bike.

For hips, Viaterra says hip and tailbone armor should sit snugly without poking into you, and coverage matters more than absolute comfort. We found no source naming the exact landmark for hip pad placement, so use the seated check below and the maker's fit notes.

For knees, the pad should sit over the kneecap with the knee bent, not below it. Loose pants can let armor rotate away from the impact zone. If your pants have armor pockets with adjustment positions, use them: shorter riders may need the armor raised.

A seated fit check you can do in ten minutes

1. Wear what you will ride in: boots, base layer and the jacket you will connect to or wear over the pants.
2. Sit on the bike, or mimic the position, hands on the bars.
3. Bend and lean. The waistband stays up, with no pulling at the seat, thigh or back of the knee.
4. Check the knee pad is over the kneecap.
5. Check the hip pad is snug, covers the hip and doesn't poke.
6. Check the hem still reaches your boot top.

When no standard size fits

Standard women's sizes at Leather Collection run US 6 to 20 (EU 38 to 52) on the size guide and on its New Zealand riding-pants page, while the US category FAQ says US 6 to 18 (EU 38 to 50). The store pages disagree, so check the size guide for the store you order from.

Custom size is the fallback when waist and hip point to different rows. The stores' forms ask for different measurements: waist, hip, thigh and inseam on one page; waist, rise, thigh and inseam on another; height, waist, hip, external leg length and crotch to ground on a third. Follow the form for the pair you order.

For the pants themselves, see the motorcycle riding pants at Leather Collection. Also see how to find your motorcycle pants size and do leather motorcycle pants stretch.