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What I Wear To Ride and Why
By Thom | May 20, 2009
The more miles you put on combined with the more stories you hear, the more your realize that investing in some decent quality motorcycle gear is worth it. You may subscribe to AGATT or “all the gear all the time” philosophy. Maybe you just want to be able to put on more miles with less wear and tear to your body. Either way, selecting the right gear is worth some time and research.
What type of gear to wear generally sparks off some great debates – just like what type of oil to use or which bike brand is better. Today, there are thousands of combination of motorcycle gear that you can choose from. Below are my observations and tips.
Here is what gear should do for you:
- It should be easy to put on/take off (if it’s hard to throw on or time consuming – you won’t wear it)
- It should be comfortable (again, if it sucks, you won’t wear it)
- It should be multifunctional (ie. my liner can double as a warm jacket or rain jacket when I’m off the bike)
- It should be great in warm weather and OK it cold weather (generally, 80% of the time you ride it’s hot, and I while I enjoy a good sauna, it’s not fun for 100’s of miles)
- It should protect you when you fall
- It should also help to protect you from the sun, rain, and wind (all of which can ruin your day – sun burns, rain is wet, and wind drys you out)
- It should last more than several riding seasons (quality vs. quantity)
- It should be easy to wash or spot clean (the old joke “dry clean only” really means “this is shirt is always dirty”)
Your options:
First, I will assume that you want full coverage, so that means either a full suit (like an Aerostich Roadcrafter) or a jacket/pant combo. Personally, I like the jacket and pants combo much better than a full suit. It’s much easier to take off a jacket to cool off at a gas station or to walk in a restaurant without getting too many strange looks. I think it’s also easier to find a good fit without having to get anything talored or customized.
Second, either you choose leather or textile. Leather was king for many years, even better when they came out with perforated leather, but has slipped considerably as more and more people buy textile. If you strictly race, routinely ride above 100 mph or enjoy sweating – go for leather. Otherwise, today’s textile just can’t be beat. With textile, you don’t have to worry about rain, washing, or most temperatures. Look at the IronButt rally riders – you won’t see any of them in leather.
Third, which gear maker do you choose? This one is tough, because I (and most others) don’t stick to just one brand. There are positives and negative about each piece of gear from any manufacturer. In the end I think it comes down to fit, style, and quality. A $30 jacket from a mall store may look good and fit well, but if it’s made of pleather you’re not going to want to wear it on the bike. Conversely, if you have a $300 set of pants that are high quality and look good, but don’t fit well, you’re back to zero.
Fourth, what type and how much armor do you want? I would strong advise getting some sort of armor that is incorporated into your clothing. It has the potential to save you from deep injuries and broken bones. CE approved armor seems to be the standard and should be a minimum starting point. I would shoot for armor in the shoulders, elbows, back, hips, and knees. These are parts of your body that are really good at trying to damage themselves during a wreck. Also, look for “safety stitching,” as this is a special way of stitching that is resistant to coming apart.
Here is the gear that I wear and why I wear it:
Jacket:
I wear a Hein Gericke ‘Urban’ jacket. It’s mainly comprised of textile mesh in front/back and under the arms. The rest of the jacket is a stronger textile fabric. The jacket has CE approved hard armor in the elbows and soft armor in the shoulders and back. The liner is waterproof/windproof and can be attached to the jacket using several zippers and loops. (I rarely fully put the liner in the jacket using the zippers, most of the time I just throw it on underneath). There are several parts of the jacket that have reflectivity built in.
My review- Overall, it has been a great jacket it keeps me very cool in hot weather, and also the liner is surprisingly warm. I’ve added the reflective material onto the arms to prevent getting merged into and also a reflective vest for visibility. In the original, I would have liked to see a little bit more. Also, I would have enjoyed a slightly lighter color, but I would imagine that this one hides dirt well. I’ve yet to have any problems with the zipper and the armor stays in place very well. It has been very durable, surviving for over 4 years and 30,000 miles.
Pants:
For pants, I wear First Gear HT Air 2.0 Mesh Overpants. Similar to the jacket, the pants offer a mesh material in most of the areas not prone to crashing. They have a waterproof/windproof liner that zips and snaps in place and also have armor at the knees and hips. Full length, two-way zippers for getting in/out. They are over pants,which mean that you can wear shorts/jeans underneath and change out of them after your ride – much preferred over trying to find someplace to change.
My review – Overall these are extremely cool pants compared to other textile/leather pants. The mesh really helps to keep up the airflow. I’ve had several people try them out against their normal pants and they would’ve bought them from me on the spot. The bottom leg portion is very heat resistant. There have been several times that I found myself touching my exhaust with my leg will no ill effects. I’ve really only had two problems with the pants, one is with the armor as it tends to fold at the knee if you’re not careful when putting them on. Second, there has been a small section on the left knee that has started to become unstitched. I’m hoping I can get it repaired at a shoe shop. Additionally, they are very durable and have survived just as long as the jacket. There is a full line of reflective piping that is helpful at night, but I wish there was some in the back of the heal region.
Gloves:
I have a set of FirstGear leather full-gauntlet gloves with armor at the knuckles and extra padding and leather at the palms. I’ve had these so long (7 years) I don’ remember what model they were. The have chrome hard armor on each knuckle and a type of cuff that comes over a vented section of the glove. They also have a pretty wide range of adjust ability at the gauntlet using Velcro.
My review - These gloves had held up well over the years, and are surprisingly great for cold and warm weather riding. They have never bled during the rain, but have started to fade as the miles go by. The chrome paint has also started to wear off, but doesn’t seem to have compromised their protection. I’m in the market for a different set. I highly recommend buying ones with a large gauntlet to prevent bees, hornets, mosquitoes, and bald eagles from finding themselves traped in your sleeves. Also, don’t skimp here, generally your hands are the first thing to come in contact with the pavement and the last thing that you want to be without after the crash.
Boots:
I’ve been wearing a set of Teknic Defender Waterproof boots for many years and I’ve really grown to like them. The have a full waterproof membrane including the gusset behind the zipper. They feature a 3/4th length zipper, steel anti-crush plates in the shin, ankles, and heel, and a oil/gas resistant sole. Also, they have a second layer of leather over the area that you shift with to prevent wear.
My review: I do like them. They have held up extremely well, with only some wear on the heel. They are probably a little warmer than vented boots, but I’ve literally filled them to the brim with water and left them soak for 30 minutes without any water seeping out. They do feel pretty comfortable to walk medium distances in, but I would still bring along another pair of shoes to change into. I haven’t had any problems slipping off the pegs or trouble shifting/braking.
Hopefully this will help you in deciding what gear to buy! We’ll see you on the road…
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