Musa pants and Splats

While my days as a spandex hamster are far behind me(and never really existed) I recently bought some cycle specific clothes from Rivendell.  Veloria at Lovely Bicycle posted an excellent review of MUSA pants on her blog which encouraged me to buy a pair and try them myself.  I only had a few comments that are worthwhile but I also ordered a pair of their new "Splats"  to try them out.  The Splats are an interesting thing I will discuss tomorrow, but they and the pants both have interesting designs:

The really compelling cycle specific design in the pants is the gusseted crotch which eliminates a lot of irritation and chafing.  These pants are really comfortable to ride in.  Rivendell says they are "normal" looking which
begs the question, "what is normal at Rivendell?"  Actually they look more like surgical scrubs than a normal pair of slacks or jeans.

 The blue that I bought is much  darker than it appears in the photo and really not bad looking at all, the tapered leg is convenient for avoiding the chainwheel while riding and the reflective strip is a nice addition which isn't too obtrusive while walking around.  Riv, designed these to be "unisex" and I really don't see why not except that these seem a little too narrow in the hips for a women's comfort, but guys these do not have a zip fly so I guess they level the playing field in that respect.  As far as looking normal, well you have to be the judge.  They ain't going nowhere with a Ralph Lauren jacket, but they are more normal than normal athletic ware:

And definitely normaller and more socially acceptable than tights walking around:

Do I like them?  I am going to order one of each color for myself. They certainly are comfortable for riding and  a lot less jockish than the alternatives.