Tourmaster Ridgecrest Pants

Below is the size chart developed by Tour Master for this product . We’ve checked these pants against the chart and we find it is accurate, so our recommendation is to use the chart and choose based on the size of your jeans/pants. The waist of the pants have Velcro adjustment tabs which you can snug down to get a good fit. The waist range is an estimate of the range of adjustment. If you are between sizing on the inseam, I’d suggest you choose the longer as I found the measured inseam to just barely be as long as the chart indicates.

Note: The pant leg ends on these pants aren’t quite as generous as we see with other brands that offer adventure/off-road gear. On a size large pant, when I lay the pant leg end flat, I measure about 8” across, which means they are about 16” around. They can be adjust smaller with the Velcro tabs, but they can’t be made larger (not without opening the leg end zips, which you wouldn’t leave open when you ride). If you ride with tall/bulky adventure or off-road boots, you may want to measure around the calf of your boots to make sure they aren’t larger than about 15”. Or alternately, measure across the leg opening of pants you know work well with your boots to see how they compare.

Need help measuring? Get it here.

The Ridgecrest Jackets and matching Pants are new for 2021. The jacket and pant are part of a new line of Tour Master gear aimed at adventure riders. The line is called “Horizon Line”. Both the Ridgecrest jacket and pants are fitted with large mesh panels to admit a lot of air so they’ll be comfortable in warm weather. But they also come with removable waterproof liners to be used in wet weather. And finally, the jacket (but not the pants) comes with a removable vest-type thermal liner to add a layer between you and colder days. Both the jackets and pants are offered in men’s and women’s sizes (see the links below for the other garments of the group). * Note:* Also part of the Horizon Line this year is the Alpine-Trek jacket and pant for men and women which are similar to the Ridgecrest but have a solid textile shell designed for a cold-to-mild weather range. Check our Tour Master department for links to those.

Well, I guess “Tour Master” isn’t just for touring anymore, is it? So what makes this Ridgecrest jacket and pant different from the traditional Tour Master jackets and pants (like the Transition for example). The overall styling is definitely different. The colored jacket choices are more in line with the “backcountry” palettes you see with other adventure gear lines like Klim. Also, there are more pockets and pouches for stowing things, and many of the pockets are styled as patch pockets rather than inside lined pockets so they’ll have more capacity. Both the jackets and pants have more patches of nighttime reflective materials. The pant legs have added patches of leather on the inside surface of the pant legs to shield you from engine temps and also to give better grip between you and the bike (a feature common in off-road/adventure pants). The pants are fitted a bit more loosely and with the bulkier pockets (as already mentioned). In our sizing advice I’ve cautioned that the pants are built quite as widely in the lower leg as some other brands, so be sure to check out that advice to make sure the pants will work with your style of boot.

And what’s similar to traditional Tour Master gear? The overall “heft” of the jacket materials and the armor setup is very similar to the street line. When you compare this gear to main-line brands in the adventure market (most notably Klim), you’ll find this gear doesn’t use the higher end ultra-tough materials. But on the other hand, the price marks for this gear are WELL below those other brands. This gear is priced slightly above the Tour Master street line, probably because of the added complexity of the pockets, etc, but it is an absolute bargain as compared to Klim or REVIT. I’m not saying you don’t get what you pay for, but rather, this gear offers a lot, but in lesser cost materials, which may suit some riders just fine. Not everybody is buying “lifetime” gear.

Tour Master is featuring SafeTech brand armor in their 2020 and later products. The jacket includes shoulder and elbow armor inserts that are CE level 2 rated. The material is a more flexible and “squishy” rubberized material, which I think is an improvement in comfort over past designs using less flexible black solid rubber. The jacket has a fabric pocket for a back protector. The jacket comes standard with a simple thin foam back pad (mostly a place holder). Optionally you can buy a CE-rated back protector by SafeTech for about twenty bucks (something I’d recommend). The pants include the same CE2 armor for the knees and thin foam units in the hips. Like the back protector in the jacket, the hip armor can be upgraded (link also below).

Consider both the jacket and pants to have a complete outfit. Compatible zips are included in both the jacket and pants for connection to each other. Both men’s and women’s sizes are offered. The entire outfit with optional armor upgrades can be had for less than just a jacket in many premium brands! :: Paul, 05-21-21