Firstgear TPG Escape Pants Review

As part of their new line of gear for Fall 2010, Firstgear released the brand new Firstgear TPG Escape Pants. Previous iterations of these pants were cut poorly with very little articulation and a boxy-shape. This made them pretty uncomfortable especially over the course of the long-distance rides they were designed to tackle. They had already developed jacket ready to compete with European brands in the bombproof ADV touring beast Firstgear TPG Rainier Jacket and they needed the pants to go along with it. With a complete overall and redesign from the bottom up, the TPG Escapes are the perfect mate for the Rainier and an excellent option for the Adventure Tourer.

Here's our full Firstgear TPG Escape Pants Review:

The Firstgear TPG Escape Pants are a true four-season, all-weather pant designed for Adventure and Sport Touring. They come in both mens' and womens' specific cuts and are a great match for the aforementioned Rainier for men or the Firstgear TPG Monarch Jacket for women. These pants will get you through any form of precipitation and a full range of temperatures, performing spectacularly under any conditions. Now let's move on to why we're so high on these pants.

In the last version, Firstgear was using basic Knox CE rated knee and hip armor but for the new version they upgraded to d3o molecular-level armor. For those unaware, d3o utilizes the newest technologies for motorcycle protection. It is soft, flexible, lightweight and extremely comfortable to wear within your gear, but upon impact it becomes rigid and resilient, dispersing all impact energy across the surface area of the armor. It's next-level, straight up. The fitment and cut of the new Escapes is also an enormous upgrade over the previous model. The old model was extremely flat and boxy in its cut; the new version offers much more flexibility and much better comfort over the course of long rides.

Liner Pants

Firstgear also improved the waterproofing of these pants. It was always built into the shell, but this model uses the Hypertex Plus Waterproof Breathable membrane rather than regular Hypertex. The Hypertex Plus membrane makes these pants 2x as waterproof breathable over extended rides as they were before. With the membrane built into the shell, you know you'll be covered whether you have the thermal liner in or not. Which brings us to the inner pant liner that is standalone and can be worn as a destination layer once you hop off the bike. The pants use two-ounce fiberfill insulation for excellent thermal qualities and have articulation in the knee and seat for comfort. They have two front pockets styled like jeans pockets and just generally look stylish when you're at your destination.

Let's run through the other features of the TPG Escapes:

• 600D Nylon Exterior with Teramid Reinforced Kevlar Underlays
• YKK Rubberized Zippers Throughout for Waterproofing
• Two large intake vents; four storage pockets
• Side Zips extend above knees for easy on/off; protected by internal storm flap with rain gutter
• Elasticized internal storm cuff with silicone grip wraps around boot to keep moisture out
• Ratcheting waist adjustments
• Reflective paneling throughout
• Heat-resistant anti-wear material on inner legs
• 10" Connection Zipper
• 2-year crash protection policy

As we've said in previous posts, we're extremely excited and impressed with the Firstgear Fall 2010 Gear lineup. To see more pants like this, visit our All Weather Motorcycle Pants page.

-RetroZilla

Related:

Firstgear HT Overpants Review
Firstgear Expedition Suit Review

Firstgear Fall 2010 Gear Guide

Cold Weather Touring Motorcycle Gear Guide

Firstgear Fall 2010 Gear Guide

Brand new for the Fall of 2010, Firstgear has released an abundance of new motorcycle apparel. Last year they focused on jackets, including the TPG line; this year, the focus is on motorcycle pants and their one-piece commuter suit. They've also produced a group of upgraded gloves. All of this gear offers massive improvements over previous iterations with upgrades in fit and articulation, better materials, and more sound design across the board.

Here is our Firstgear Fall 2010 Gear Guide.

The first major standout to us in the new lineup are the Firstgear TPG Escape Pants. Originally released in 2008 as part of the then brand new Firstgear TPG line, the Escape pants did not have the same level of R&D or thought put into them as a exceptional product like the Firstgear TPG Rainier jacket did. The pants weren't properly articulated for comfort or movement, they had a very boxy fit to them and they didn't have d3o molecular-level armor. This year's model is completely restyled and redesigned for long-distance touring and touts the addition of d3o armor in both the hips and knees. Even the standalone liner pants offer completely upgraded style over the previous iteration.

New for Fall 2010 is the Firstgear Expedition Suit, a brilliant piece of gear for the rider who wants all the features of a one-piece riding suit without having to shell out a thousand bucks for it. The Expedition is a completely waterproof breathable oversuit that will keep you warm and dry whether you are ripping trails off-road or simply commuting to work. The input of a lot of the features of the TPG line of Firstgear apparel translates to remarkable functionality at this price point. The massive quantity of vents in this suit provide maximum ventilation for true four-season functionality. There are YKK zippers throughout the suit with waterproof pockets and the main connection zipper is a Scuba-level RiRi zipper.
Firstgear hit it out of the park with the Expedition.

Three other pairs of pants are brand new for Fall 2010 from Firstgear. The Firstgear HT Overpants & Firstgear HT Air Overpants both have far superior fit and articulation than previous models just like the TPG Escapes. They are lighter and more flexible than previous models and are built as a touring fit for long-term comfort. The HT Overpants are three-season Fall-Winter-Spring riding while the HT Air Overpants are three-season Spring-Summer-Fall riding. The HT Overpants have a waterproof breathable membrane in addition to a removable zip-out liner pant that can be worn as a destination when you hop off the bike. The HT Airs have the waterproof breathability built into their destination liner pant.

For maximum performance in hot weather, the new Firstgear Mesh Tex Pants are a great option for sport touring. The previous model of the Mesh-Tex Pants were styled after a leather track pant, which meant uber-snug and very untenable for long-distance riding. These pants are cut more generously, touring-style, with a high waist and comfortable articulation. Constructed from durable 250D polymesh for maximal airflow with adjustable CE rated knee armor, the Firstgear MeshTex pants also have heat-resistant reinforcements on the inner calf on each side. These pants are designed to keep you cool and protected in warm weather riding and are a massive upgrade over former versions.

Firstgear also came out with six new gloves for this season, three of which are available in women's specific cut and fit. Every glove is redesigned with better articulation, comfort and protection over their predecessors. Two of the standouts are the Firstgear Kilimanjaro Glove, a cold weather waterproof breathable gauntlet, the Firstgear Kilimanjaro Air Glove, a lightweight mesh, leather and textile summertime glove. We're also pumped about the Firstgear Navigator Gloves, full Goatskin leather construction with a waterproof breathable membrane built as an all-season glove. Our favorite glove in the new lineup is the Firstgear Kathmandu Glove, an ADV touring style waterproof breathable textile glove.

We have full HD video reviews of the entire Fall 2010 Firstgear Gear lineup that can be seen at RevZillaTV or on the individual product pages at RevZilla.com. Firstgear took a giant leap forward these year with their new ADV touring gear and we are impressed to say the least. All of this gear is certain to go head-to-head with other leading brands on the market. Stay tuned for more details on new Firstgear apparel.

-RetroZilla

Related:

Fall 2010 Firstgear Kathmandu Gloves

Fall 2010 Firstgear Kilimanjaro Gloves

Cold Weather Touring Motorcycle Gear Guide

Cold Weather ADV Motorcycle Gear Guide