Turn existing jeans into bike kit

Firm offers to convert your favourite kecks. No guarantee you'll look good

KEVLAR-reinforced and armoured jeans are nothing new but the service being offered by Ruste is something we haven’t seen before. The firm will take an existing pair of jeans or trousers and add protection to make them bike-worthy.

So if you’ve got a favourite pair of 501s which you’re desperate to wear on your bike, but you have a well-developed sense of self-preservation and don’t want to take the risk of going without proper bike kit, perhaps this is the answer.

Ruste says the process takes a couple of weeks, and involves tailoring the jeans to add Kevlar for protection and a layer of Coolmax fabric, turning your jeans into three-layer protective trousers. You can also specify hip and knee armour. The firm can convert any pair, but does suggest that if you prefer tighter jeans that you start with a pair a size or two larger than you’d normally wear.

Prices for tailoring an existing pair of jeans start at £106.57.