Pearl Izumi Men’s Rove Trousers

Pearl Izumi's Rove trousers are stretchy, comfortable and thoroughly unrestrictive in the saddle. They look smart and have some excellent hidden reflective elements, too. But despite some claimed weatherproofing, they're a bit lightweight for year-round riding.

There seems to be no shortage of urban and commuter-friendly cycling trousers on the market these days. But while it's a trite point to say some are better than others, initial impressions of these Rove options from Pearl Izumi are very good.

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The four-way stretchy fabric – which consists of 70% organic cotton, eco fans – is extremely accommodating, although the quite narrow, straight legs are bound to cling to most cyclists' thighs. The main downside to this, as you'll spot in the pictures, is that you get a touch of the old VPLs if you're wearing padded shorts underneath.

In the saddle, though, that clinginess is not a bad thing because it offers unrestricted movement that actually seems like a good second best to Lycra. The cut of the trousers is helpful, too, with a nice high back and a forgiving waistband.

Unlike many other trousers, where diamond-shaped gussets are included to move seams away from pressure point, Pearl Izumi simply brings the seams further towards the front. It all works very well. Combined with the totally unhindered pedalling action, these trousers are so unintrusive to wear, you could whack them on for the World Naked Bike Ride and still feel like you were joining in the fun.

As well as performance, practicalities are taken care of with a hidden zipped pocket on the outer right thigh, another zipped pocket at the rear right, and a poppered pocket on the rear left, which contains a little surprise...

While the trousers are a little darker in real than our pictures show, they do feature some subtle reflectivity. For instance, my wife noticed the natty pop-out lining of that left rear pocket which features 'BioViz' detailing.

Also, if you roll up the left leg you'll find even more bright yellow BioVizing on the inside, and a further reflective stripe inside the right leg.

However, the Roves aren't quite perfect. That lightweight fabric and build brings with it a few issues, the main one being weatherproofing. Pearl Izumi says the material has been treated with water-shedding durable water repellent, but don't hold out for much – precipitation of anything more than morning mist is going to get these trousers damp.

They don't stand up to seriously chilly breezes too well either. On the flip side, they've been great to wear in summer as they offer very decent breathability, and they dry out super-quickly.

My only other concern is longevity. I've used and washed the Roves a fair bit and everything has stood up well so far – Pearl Izumi kit tends to be made beautifully. But the lightweight nature of the trousers does have me wondering how long they'll last, especially in daily use – maybe they'll prove me wrong, but a bit of reinforcement at the seat wouldn't have gone amiss.

Value and conclusion

While there are plenty of commuting trousers out there, the vast majority tend to be based on a pair of jeans. Perhaps the closest match to the Rove's smarter look are Chrome's 5 Pocket Madrona Pants, which cost £120 but proved sturdy and surprisingly windproof. Also similar to the Roves are Rapha's Technical Trousers which Oli tested recently and come in at £110. So the Roves are in the right ballpark, price-wise.

> Buyer’s Guide: The best casual cycling commuter wear

The distinction between the Chromes and these Pearl Izumis is actually quite an important point. I've been testing the Roves in summer and they've been fantastic lightweight trousers that offer excellent comfort, particularly in the heat, and work superbly well in mild to warm temperatures. But I wouldn't say they were quite suitable for all-year-round wear. When things get a little nippy, you might want just a bit more heft.

Verdict

Superbly comfortable and lightweight smart commuting trousers – but you'll want something else in winter