Richa Montannah Ladies Trouser - Review http://www.bikechatter.net/media/reviews/photos/thumbnail/320x320s/e9/09/48/1101_montannah-trousers-black-1329936001.jpg Hot

 To couple up to the Aimee Jacket, Kate picked the ultra stylish Montannah leather trousers out of the Richa 2011 range to give a run through, here is what she thought

Initial Thoughts 

Belgium, for me conjures thoughts of beer, waffles and the wonderful Hercule Poirot. Montannah on the other hand makes me think of a teen pop princess who’s dad sung about his achy breaky heart back in the 80's. Its a bit of a clash! “My ongoing quest for a pair of flattering, soft and comfy leather trousers may finally be over” – at least that was the hope when I first saw these online. My initial fear was on all the pictures they look like they are cut for very tall skinny girls, I prayed to be proven wrong!

I'm struggling not to call them jeans because that's what they look like. They are cut like jeans and look like jeans but if you are searching for information about them online you will only find them listed as a trouser.The last leather jeans/trousers I reviewed for this site were very nice. Flattering on the leg, but very high waisted, and as a girl who lives generally in hipsters they felt a bit strange to me. These are cut to sit on the hips so immediately I was excited.

The first thing I thought when I took them out of their packaging was how wonderfully soft the leather was, silky smooth and supple like no other. The second thing I thought was crikey how small they were! I am a UK size 10-12 and often find ladies bike gear slightly on the small side so had ordered a 12 but they were still tiny (who on earth I wonder would fit in a size 6?), after a bit of jostling with sizing I decided on having them swapped to a 14 which at the time felt slightly depressing but, to my relief fitted much better. It would seem that there are a lot of comments on Richa trousers being 1-2 sizes small for UK figures in both mens and ladies ranges so bear that in mind while shopping and, where possible, always try them on before you buy.

Construction 

The semi-amaline cow leather these trousers are constructed from has an almost natural look to it like you see in ladies fashion leather jeans, semi-aniline leather is desirable in motorcycle gear for this very reason and is easier to clean than other leathers.  They are a straight leg but have a zip at the bottom which opens a small textile wedge panel to give the appearance of a boot cut which personally I prefer and means they fit easily over which ever style of riding boot you choose to wear. The Montannah only come in one leg length which I thought seemed fairly long at first, as I'm not the tallest of ladies (5ft4) I wore these with a slightly heeled boot which I felt they looked best with but these would probably be long enough for anyone up to about 5ft8 in flat boots.

They have no bottom hem which I at first thought a little odd as almost seem unfinished but I realise having worn them that actually they look great and a bottom hem would ruin the line of the trousers and make them chunky and stick out, they flow and look ultra stylish and so much more like a casual trouser finished in this way. These are a full leather trouser other than the tiny panels mentioned, no Keprotec panels here as you see on most leather trousers these days, but then no added stretch is actually needed,The leather is incredibly soft and supple and took no breaking in at all, they were really comfy from the very first wear.

As previously mentioned these jeans (there I go calling them jeans again) are cut to sit on or just above the hips. I wondered whether this would make them difficult to zip together with compatible jackets which typically fasten higher up around the waist, they have a short connecting zip at the back at the bottom of the waist band which features 5 belt loops should you want to wear a belt. They actually zipped to my Richa Aimee jacket with no problem whatsoever and I didn't get a hint of a chilly back when riding, something I was concerned about. This obviously may not be the case if you were wearing a shorter jacket or one which you were unable to zip too which is something to bear in mind.

Fastenings at the waist are achieved with a popper and also a metal C clip which gives additional peace of mind that the trousers wont just pop undone if you sit down quickly or eat too many puddings, something I have previously found an issue with race wear and garments with a sporty fit, they also come a YKK® zip which by now is the standard. The back of the waistband is a soft textile and the trousers have a full polyester mesh lining which helps wick the sweat away from you if it gets a bit warm.

There are two large YKK® zipped pockets on either side of the back of the trousers and two large front pockets, the right of which has a smaller coin pocket inside again much like you'd find on a standard pair of jeans, the coin pocket has a small metal Richa logo attached to it and the left side of the jean has a laser cut swirling tribal design from the bottom of the pocket to about halfway down the thigh. I really like this decoration – its understated and classy and very feminine. There is a matching Richa Montannah Jacket also available which has the same swirling design across the front but in my opinion this matches brilliantly with the Aimee jacket I also reviewed.

Of course Richa also think about rider protection. There is a thin foam pad on either side of the hips . This is none removable and stitched to the mesh lining, but its so thin it doesn't add pounds to you anyway. There is of course removable CE approved Armour in the knees which is adjustable so in its highest position sits in the right place for me when I am in riding position, I find that adjusting the armour from the outset can make a huge difference to how a set of leathers fits and advise that all ladies try and make these adjustments if they find their riding kit 'not quite right'

Features

• Semi-aniline leather

• Mesh lining

• Laser printing

• Adjustable CE knee protectors

• Five pockets

• YKK® zips throughout