Make Your Own Knickers
December 20th, 2004 by Tim GrahlI long and pine for a pair of Jack Fraser’s knickers from Hypnotic Designs. I just can’t swing the price tag for them, especially around Christmas time. However I do need something that will keep me warmer while riding around town during the winter months and not get the heckles and staring that come along with full length spandex. Along with that, regular pants don’t do well while getting wrapped around my chain ring. So I decided to make my own knickers.
They are really easy to make and at the end of the day I spent just a tad over a buck a pair. I went down to my local flea market and started rifling through the dress pants section. I found a few pair that looked pretty cool and picked them up for a dollar each.
Turning them into knickers was a piece of cake. I did it in less then an hour. First, put the pants on and mark about three to four inches under your kneecap with a magic marker. Try to get them marked in the same spot on each leg. After this, cut the bottom of the pants off at the mark you just made. The final step is folding over the lower inch and then sewing them up. I did it by hand with yarn and had them done in less than twenty minutes.
I have worn them a good many times and they have been in and out of the wash a few times to. They hold up great, keep me warmer than shorts and are very comfortable. When I am able to save up enough money to get the Hypnotic Designs knickers, I’ll buy them, but until then, my one dollar thrift store knickers will have to do.
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Do you have a picture of your knickers? I am not so sure what they are.
Hello, I made some knickers begining of last yera. Wool slacks from a thrift store & some sewing skills. Sewing machines are easy to learn, if you can cut with a band saw you can sew. I put a small nylon cord at the bottom hem with a plastic thing from a camping store to snug em up. I tighten the bottom when I ride so the leg of the pant doesn’t rub my thighs & loosen em when entering a store to keep more of my legs warm. They rule & were cheap!
Looking at the Hypnotic Designs site, I have only one question. How can I get my homemade knickers to also be self-articulating?
Another neat trick and the one I use to get around town on lunch rides is to put a pedal strap around each ankle of my full length pants. This keeps them out of the chain and reduces flapping. Do both legs. It looks slightly less dorky.
I just made a pair of my own - but I went a little higher cost. I went to Walmart and picked up two pairs of Dickies work pants ($15.00 ea. on sale, regularly $20). You could probably go even cheaper ’cause I opted for the worker pants with the reinforced knee and cell phone pocket (you never know). I modeled my knickers from the Chrome (www.chromebags.com) “Shins Knickers” that cost $125. I cut the legs, turned the pants inside out and flipped up the first inch of the legs. You can iron the fold and then sew with a sewing machine — makes life easier. Then turn right-side out, fold inside one time, iron, and sew. That way the hem will never come out. Overall, I spent under $40 and an hour and a half of labor and have two pairs of knickers that ROCK. I even put my own logo on the lower right leg (as they did with Chrome’s knickers). If anyone wants photos, just email me.
I am trying to score some Carhartt work trousers (pants) from Ebay to do a chop-job on. I am tall and skinny so most of the pants are way too short anyway.
I spent pretty much all my mountain bike life wearing 3/4 cut-off ex-army trousers over the lycra shorts….I am really not built for lycra in public (6′2″ and 140lbs!)
As for making a hem…well thats advanced for me, at £5 a pair I left them to fray, but as I am respectable now (yeah right) I might borrow my mums sewing machine
Alex
Made ‘em.
Took the idea and an old pair of desert style BDU pants I had laying around and went to town. Cut the legs about 1 inch below the double new folded it under and hand sewed the hem. Turned out pretty well. Rode today wearing them and was very pleased!
Thanks for the great tip! I got a pair of Banana Republic trousers to do a chop job on from the thrift store(I’ve always wanted to mangle a pair of $80 overpriced pants!)…Got ‘em for 3 bucks, got the heavy duty seam iron stuff…just do the same as above, but put the iron on strips underneath the seam and iron…they havent come out yet…and they make me look like a cholo when I’m not riding. I love ‘em.
…just saw a pair ok knicks online called prAna Men’s Arzo Knicker…60 bucks, and are climing pants.
since most of us can not sew and “d” work pants sit real high on the waist a friend of mine sells them on ebay and on my blog.
http://www.chicagowig.com
have look and if you want some email her.
wendelicous@yahoo.com
thanks guys.
I’m going to try this with some rain pants…
I think the thriftstore method is probably the cheapest, but if you’re not handy with a sewing machine, but don’t want to get the super fancy $125 knickers….
http://www.amazon.com/Mens-Capri-Pants-Woodland-Camo/dp/B00083AUOK/sr=1-48/qid=1165323540/ref=sr_1_48/103-9765072-4920645?ie=UTF8&s=apparel
Pre-made, and not that expensive.
I got some of the Chicago Wig knickers awhile back and love ‘em! Not too expensive and they’re pretty much bomb-proof! Even by the time I buy ‘em off EBay direct from him and/or direct from his site; it’s still cheaper than I can get something here and make it myself. Clothes don’t come cheap on this side of the pond.