Levi’s used to have a Commuter 511 model designed for cycling. It had reinforced panels in the crotch where the bike seat goes, reflective Scotchlite piping on the seam where selvedge would normally go. They discontinued them AFAIK but you might be able to find secondhand.
I’ll freely admit TLDR - I’ll get to it - but I strongly empathize.
I was in one of the last cohorts of my high schools shop class. I made some ambitious projects (nothing mind blowing). I learned to ship instead of starting a new project!
I learned CNC routing and plasma cutting. I learned CAD. I learned how to engage methodically with a dangerous system.
My first tech jobs were in machining and CAD. Today I’ve drifted away.
It’s hard to keep working and learning. Techshop closed. Makerspaces have soldering guns and 3D printers, no Haas mills. The few with real equipment want you to drop thousands of $$$ and 6 months of time on taking their cert classes, instead of just a safety checkout. Maybe the latter is impossible with insurance, but I’m still annoyed. I can’t afford a house in the Bay so I can’t start building my own shop.
Today I fiddle with hand tools and watch AvE and hope I’ll find a shop or mentor that works with my life. If I ever get “fuck you money”, I’ll go start taking machining courses at a trade school full time. If I ever afford a house here or move, I’ll aim to get a shop outbuilding and hire tutors to teach me the harder aspects.
Is there a better path?? I’ll read TFA and see if there’s anything actionable, but I think it will just make me sadder. I guess I could go work in CAD again...