So after going out on the rideout last weekend and a little incident in the rain the other day I thought it’s time to get myself a proper pair of trousers to wear. I’ve been pretty happy with my two pairs of Red Route jeans (with base layer and waterproofs at times) for the past 6+ months as I owned a scooter but would like something safer and warmer now!
I have no idea what I should get. Leathers? Textile? Waterproof? Branded?
I feel like leathers would be a good way to go but is that terrible in the rain? Can I get waterproofs over it to solve the problem?
I’m a bit of a brand whore and keep eyeing up the really big names. Does that matter that much? Can anyone recommend anything?
Looking to spend no more than £150-200.
Oh and my boots have become much less waterproof recently. Been looking at a pair of Sidi Black Rain Evo or the slightly pricier Sidi B2 Gore Tex. Gonna go down to a shop and try them out soon-ish. Anyone has them?
I’ve got a pair of Sidi Black rains and they have been brilliant and never leaked even in the worst of weather and where them pretty much all year round. They do have a habit of squeaking when you walk but mine have stopped doing that now (for the moment)
As for other gear, I started with cheaper waterproof textiles, which lasted about 18 months of day to day use and started to leak near the end. Currently have Rev’it gear as my wet weather gear, had them almost 3 years and still keeping me dry and warm.
I have also got leathers for when the weather should be dryer
Their clearance lines should see you with a textile jacket with CE protectors in shoulders, elbows & back, textile trouser with CE protectors in knees & hips, a pair of motorcycle boots and enough change from £200.00 to pay for the petrol for a 225 mile try before you buy round trip up the A5 ROUND TRIP LINKY HERE
My RST Tractec boots are also brilliantly waterproof, nothing has come through yet
And the metal toesliders are just ftw Have a look at 'em, they come around ~£110.
The probs with non water proof textiles, at least with my textile jacket and some others I’ve seen, is that they can be quite bulky, and getting a water proof jacket over that can be quite a mission, though a rain coat as suggested by Dodgy Saffa could probably work indeed.
I prefer leathers for road racing, trackdays and long motorway journeys, as they are better for sliding along at higher speeds…though won’t help when you hit the telephone pole.
Kevlar jeans for town riding where my average speed rarely exceeds 40 mph.
Textiles for when I need to wear something under the bike gear, trousers etc.
I have both textiles and over waterproofs for when the weather is bad, I got Blizzard II stuff from Hein Gericke and it was pretty good when I used it, I don’t really ride in the rain much any more, only ever seem to get caught out in light rain these days and then leathers, properly waxed, will do the job.
Had a pair of B2 Gore - very comfortable and waterproof. Decent all weather boots (except torrential rain - not much will save you).
I used some Oxford Bone Dry (or something like that) over trousers and leathers when riding down through France - kept me perfectly dry and not toooo difficult to get on, even over my boots and leathers. Crossing the Millau viaduct it was hammering down, but the Bone Drys really worked - more than I can say for the rain covers for the Sports panniers (design-wise anyway).
So, leathers for protection from damage and over trousers for protection from rain and associated problems.
Was going to point out the Hein Gericke sale, but was beaten to it! :hehe:
About a month ago, I got myself a full set of Hein Gerickes own brand gortex textiles. They are great! They have removable armour and thermal lining, are waterproof and very comfort! I know you said that you like the brands…but Hein Gerickes own brand are very smart and I would highly recommend them! Go have a look at the stuff in your local Hein Gericke - or better still, go and visit the one in Gants Hill and have a word with Ratty (LB member) he will stear you in the right direction!
Cheers for the replies folks! I’ll get down to Hein Gericke and see what’s on sale. I’d rather go to a shop in London and try things on rather than buy stuff over the net from somewhere far away even if it’s cheaper… That 200+ mile trip sounds a bit overkill for me and my 125
RST and Rev’it look good too so I’ll find some shops and pay them a visit too. I think the leathers will have to wait a couple of years til I get a bigger bike but for now I’ll get some waterproof trousers.
I currently wear a Frank Thomas XTii jacket which has a waterproof lining and a thermal one. It’s done quite a good job in the last 7 months or so, quite happy with it for now!
Oh and the Black Rains were quite uncomfortable. The B2 were quite nice on the other hand…
I’ll try and get down to and RST dealer over the weekend to try the Tracktec out!
Id happily recommend Alpinestars gortex trousers ive had some for about two years now and they are still utterly waterproof and warm i commute in them for at least 6 months of the year and very happy little bit pricey but worth it i reckon
For boots ive got some daytona gtx ones that are at least 7-8 years old they are hand me downs from my dad and they are so comfy and still waterproof id only ever buy daytonas for winter boots
Damn, thanks for the tip Serrisan! I’m not too good with cold so definitely don’t want any of that happening. That said I used to wear thermals + jeans + wind/waterproofs in winter and that was fine. But the water layer just isn’t gonna help there…
I tried on some Dainese goretex as well. Just as expensive and yet no hip protection at all, not even pockets for armor. That sucked.
Mat: which A* trousers are you talkingabout? The daytona are waay out of my budget though
So I went out to infinity and tried on some boots. Ended up with previous season’s Sidi Cobra GoreTex as the other ones were too small (pressure on the very end of the toe…). I’ve been wearing them for the last 3-4 hours and my feet ache/hurt so much. I sure hope they’re gonna wear in cause otherwise I just wasted a lot of money.
I’m also having difficulty changing gears, just can’t feel the peg and having trouble fitting the foot between the foot peg and the gear lever. That’s gonna get better right??
Have a look at 'em, they come around ~£110.
