howies Chada Chinos

The howies Chada Chinos are a cool, stretchy pair of trousers that are at home on the bike or around town. Having said that, they probably won't stand up to endless cycle trips.

My first thoughts when pulling these latte coloured chinos on was that I needed to update the age on my road.cc profile status as I had got a year older and these strides are maybe for someone a bit more youthful and spunky (or whatever the term is nowadays).

But they felt good on, the fit is slim but not skinny unless you have legs like Chris Hoy and there is quite a lot of stretch in the cotton material and most importantly, they looked good on.

The waistband isn't too low so they don't intentionally show off you underpants and you can tuck your shirt in which will keep your mother happy and an imminent cold at bay.

I wouldn't say that these chino's are a cycle specific garment, they are more an item of clothing that works well on a bike. There isn't a seamless gusset for example but that didn't mean my crotch got grated into ground nutmeg after swinging my leg over the saddle. howies describe them as on/off bike wear - they are a pair of trousers designed to work on a bike, but they're not designed for it, you could just as easily buy as a pair of trousers and never ride your bike - in a way that you wouldn't do with say, Rapha's cycling trousers, or Surface jeans which are more like technical wear made to look like streetwear.

The 3% elastic in the cotton material gives a fair amount of stretch and shape retention and makes these trousers remarkably comfortable. In fact I don't think they have any cycle specific features.

The narrow leg bottoms keep themselves from causing mischief in your chainrings so no need to tuck them into your socks or borrow your Grandad's trouser clips.

Riding in the rain did mean my legs got wet but the trousers held their shape and still felt comfortable to ride in when drenched. Being a light colour (other colours are available), as soon as water spills on to them they immediately darken which greatly exaggerates how wet you have got but, thankfully, being a much thinner material than say denim, they dry out incredibly quickly - maybe by the time you finish your croissant and latte while skim reading the Guardian for freelance jobs… mind you, while they are wet it does look like you have urinated down your legs.

The fabric is quite thin and feels light but the weave is tight enough not to give you chilly legs when cutting through the breeze. They might not have the thermal properties desired for cold winter days without an underlayer.

A neat little pocket on the front keeps a small bunch of keys accessible or some loose coins from spilling out of the main pockets. Other details include an embroidered logo above the back right pocket, belt loops and a button fly.

These are a nice pair of trousers, they look good, they fit well and they are very comfortable. They work well perched on a saddle and they are probably the most affordable pair of trousers from howies.

My main reservation is that the material isn't tough enough for these strides to be a dedicated cycle garment. After only one wet week of commuting, about 100 miles, the crotch is showing signs of wear and the material has adopted some bike stains (grubby chain mark on right calf and spray tan up the bum from not having a mudguard).

I wouldn't choose these for commuting but for someone like me who travels everywhere across London by bicycle, these are an excellent, non-restrictive, smart, fashionable trouser for bombing across town - if I was buying, and I might, I would choose a darker colour.

Verdict

Comfortable, slim fitting chino with enough stretch to work well on the pedals