Race Pants

BMX race pants: the garment that takes the track

Between rubbing on the saddle, loading up in the berms and sliding across tarmac, the lower half of your kit takes far more punishment than the top. Race pants are therefore nothing like tracksuit bottoms: they are cut from technical fabrics, reinforced in the exposed areas and articulated so they never restrict you when pedalling out of the saddle. BMX RACING gathers several manufacturers' ranges here, in kids as well as adult sizes.

Full-length legs: a competition requirement

BMX race regulations call for the leg to be fully covered. Shorts, three-quarter and cropped styles are all excluded from official motos, just as short-sleeve jerseys are. Race pants are therefore, alongside the full-face helmet and gloves, one of the items without which a rider does not start.

Fabrics, reinforcements and articulation

• High-tenacity polyester, often 600D across the wear zones
• Synthetic leather inner-knee panel, resistant to heat and friction
• Stretch panels behind the knee and at the crotch
• Pre-curved knee that stays in place as the leg bends
• Ventilation perforations on the thighs of summer models
• Reinforced seat, in permanent contact with the saddle

Finding your size: the even-number system

Most brands number race pants in even sizes: 18, 20 and 22 for children, then 28, 30, 32, 34, 36 and 38 for adults. Those figures are a waist measurement in inches, not a European clothing size. A Mini rider is frequently in a 20 or 22, an Expert in a 26 or 28, a Pro somewhere between 30 and 34. Watch the inside leg as well: American cuts often run long, and a hem dragging on the pedal is a real hazard.

Waistbands, adjustment and hold

Three systems coexist: an integrated elastic waistband with notched side tabs, a motocross-style ratchet buckle, and a plain button with belt loops. For a young rider mid-growth spurt, favour notched adjustment that will follow them through two seasons rather than one.

What goes on underneath

Race pants do not absorb impact: they resist abrasion, and that is all. Knee pads slide underneath, provided you choose a cut with enough room at the knee, and many riders add a padded short as well. If that is you, look at our padded undershorts, designed specifically to be worn under race kit.

The brands available

Answer builds hard-wearing pants matched to its jerseys, with a very complete youth size chart. Chase works tighter cuts that Expert and Junior riders tend to prefer. Stay Strong offers generous youth sizing and softer fabrics. Meybo lines its kit up with the colours of its frames, and Pride remains a reference for European body shapes. Kenny, Shot and Fly Racing carry their motocross patterns across to reinforced race fabrics.

Care and service life

Wash inside out at 30 °C with fastenings closed, no softener and no tumble dryer, both of which soften the reinforcements. A seat or crotch seam that lets go can be restitched by an alterations tailor; a knee panel torn through cannot be saved and no longer protects.

The BMX RACING view

We stock several brands in parallel, so we compare real size charts instead of sending you off to a generic table. Give us the waist measurement, the inside leg and the rider's category and we will name the right reference and the matching race jersey. Dispatched within 24 to 72 hours, with you can spread the cost over 2 or 3 payments available.