Anyone who has spent much time on a bicycle or running will eventually find themselves in the pickle of having trouble picking a pair of pants that fit over their spectacularly formed legs whilst still fitting in the waist/hip area. This is something I’ve struggle with for years – though it’s a happy struggle.

I’ve always been partial to less expensive jeans. My last two pair were Wranglers… I split the upper thigh of one pair at work running four flights of stairs – my big legs simply split the material. It was rather embarrassing, though thankfully I had on a long reflective winter jacket for jobsite walking. I ended up at a Kohl’s (the nearest department store I knew to carry a decent selection of jeans).

I happened on the Urban Pipeline rack and saw “UltraFlex” and “Athletic Taper” Three, technically four, beautiful words to a cyclist with big, muscular legs. The Wranglers I mentioned earlier are unbelievably tight in the thighs and I’ve got about an inch and a half extra room in the waist. Let’s just say they feel odd wearing them (my legs have grown an inch since the jeans were purchased). I need a belt to keep them from feeling like they’re going to fall off… but they can’t because my quads hold them up. It used to be, before cycling, I could simply pick a pair of 32/34’s off the rack and head for the register. Anymore, I’ve got to try them on first because of the aforementioned leg issue.

The Urban Pipeline athletic taper jeans are a bit on the pricier side, between $44 and $52 a pair but the “athletic taper” combined with the UltraFlex material is nothing short of miraculous. The jeans are so comfortable, they’re almost as good as my fleece PJ pants. In fact, more than once I didn’t even bother changing after dinner.

Fortunately, Kohl’s has an online store so you can order them and have them shipped straight to your door (this is especially awesome if you need a hard-to-get size… like a 32/34). I can’t recommend them highly enough.

And so, after having received my first big paycheck after my raise, I pulled the trigger on two more pair last night (and a badass Star Wars T-shirt to get me over the free shipping threshold).