What do you consider to be suitable clothing/safety gear when out on your bike? What do you wear? Just my thoughts and info on the things I consider to be important
Same as you really,Commuting 10 ish miles i wear work trousers,black combats which are a bit dodgy but always armoured textile jacket or leather,boots and gloves.Any serious riding i wear full leathers or textiles.I rode a bike to a mates a while back that he had bought with no gloves and it felt so wrong.
+Hedge hog It's hard isn't it. We know the dangers and mostly dress accordingly. But sometimes it's a hassle when your just popping out or on a short commute. Can't say I've ever ridden without gloves on. I think I'd feel 'naked' without them.
Will be looking to replace some of my pretty old kit this year - got it down to a fine art now, after nearly 30 years...... Long post, but might be some points worth sharing: Always follow a similar path - *research*, look for at least double, preferably triple stitching, and Level 2 soft armour. -> full kit - either jacket & jeans - leather. Or, Leather jeans + Textile Jacket for winter/rainy days. Boots - Touring - currently some Beamer jobbies. Well put together and tough. Will either try Altberg next (always do well in the tests, and come in width options), or, some of the similar spec Daytonas - pricey, but are like 'feet shaped Volvos!. My last pair of sportier boots - A-Stars - now worn out, they were ok, but I do like the protection offered by the stuff above - even if they are heavy, and a bit hot on a Summer's day. Level 2 back protector - Forcefield - not a pleasant subject matter, but personally, I'd rather be dead than immobile. Lids - Life long Arai user ... Bought a Schuberth C3 for commuting, which was cracking (past its usable life now). In the aftermath of a redundancy, I deviated from Arai for only the 2nd time - last year - HJC - IS-17 - a good lid for relatively little money, and it's a 5-Star on the Sharp Tests. Followed that up with a HJC Max flipper - to replace the C3 - weighs more, and isn't as nicely engineered - BUT perhaps oddly, scores better in the Sharp Tests, AND has a better "stay shut" percentage/result. (C3 very much quieter than both the HJCs, and a bit quieter than the Arais) Next Flipper - likely to be an x-lite X-1003 (or whatever incarnation X-lite are at, by that time) - which is somewhere in the middle of the C3, and the HJC Max-2 ----> test results on a par with the HJC, but more comparable with the Schubert for quietness and quality, whilst not been as expensive. {Research pointer - There's a website called Billy's Crash Helmets - quite useful, and informative} The Sharp Tests - there's more to it than the Test results, but it's a good way of whittling down your choices initially. No point buying something cheap if it's got the protective qualities of a plant-pot, when there's some surprisingly cheap, and SAFE options across a broad price range. E.g. - HJC IS-17 - RRP c. 160 quid - but you can get them for a lot less than that, spesh if you buy in the Winter/January.
+kwakkers68 Totally agree with you on the first point- research. Plus it's enjoyable reading around all the various products out there. I've come across Billy's crash helmets before, it's a great website and really useful. I was tied between an Arai and a Shoei when I bought my last lid. Eventually went for the shoei as it just felt right. Thanks for insights and the useful comment. Ride safe.
I have summer and winter gear, okay in summer I wear black cargo pants otherwise you will swelter when it is around 34c. I always wear boots mainly work boots without steel cap as they kill my toes and of course bamboo socks the thick ones as the keep your feet dry and you will never have smelly feet again.
A few years back, Ride Magazine used to do some pretty good testing - along scientific lines - they'd test for abrasion, etc. Standards seemed to have slipped in recent years though - If I was cynically minded, I'd wonder if some of the manufacturers had spat their dummy out ....? Bad reviews - less sales = no advertising? Still, must have been good for the bods with the better products. Pity, really.
kwakkers68 Yeah, I remember those reviews. I subscribe to ride. it's a great mag. Your right though, they still do tests but on things like panniers and things maybe not so much clothing.
How many people do you see in vids on CZcams where Motorbikers are Vlogging in T'Shirts and no gloves. Some do stunts, Wheelies & Stoppies etc and when they come off you find yourself going "Ouch... Ouch" followed by "D***head... you asked for that" lol. In most cases the 1st thing that happens when you come off your bike your hands go out to save you... that's where you lose serious layers of skin and suffer for weeks after the event. (That's just for starters & there's usually more). Motorbike gear is an 'absolute must' for self preservation. We all enjoy a beautiful pastime riding our wonderful machines however we're exposed to danger and vulnerability....therefore we must protect ourselves just in case & with the array of gear available at varying prices to everyone these days there really is no excuse.
Your so right Mark. I used to road race (push bikes ) for 10 years and came off a couple of times at what would be considered slow speeds on a motorbike. However the damage to the skin was fairly extensive and took weeks to heal. Far too many people just don't realise the dangers and take too many risks.
The further south you were the better the weather was. It was fairly windy that day, but I think I still would have risked it, just take it easy. I usually wear my two-piece leathers all the time. Even in the summer you must have proper foot protection, trainers will not protect you from having your foot ripped off.
Totally agree with you re. trainers. I'd never ride without boots or proper sturdy footwear. I was once on the motorway when a stone the size of your fist, flew up off a car and hit me on the shin. If i'd not been wearing motorbike boots, it would have broke my shin/leg. Still caused huge pain, but no damage thanks to proper Sidi boots!!!!
full kit 99.99% of the time pal especially with the roads i go on and the speeds i do. i must admin that i wear normal Jeans in the summer though. may invest in some biker jeans this year as the leather jacket is much more comfortable than the textiles. I've rode in trainers also and as you said, it just doesn't feel right. too used to wearing boots for work also haha
Have you ever considered a decent pair of Kevlar Jeans for the summer when it's a scorcher and you really don't want to wear leather trousers or textiles.... Both my wife and myself have them just for summer use and they are so much safer than a regular pair of denim jeans that will give out very quickly under abrasion. They have extra protection in all the main areas and removable knee protectors built in too.
There's a vid somewhere on here - some bods test the resilience of cheapo Kevlar jeans vs some of the better put together options. Worth a watch, before buying.
I looked into that video and after being dragged around a go kart track for what seems an eternity I don't think there's much would be standing very well afterwards lol. I get the point regarding the cheaper brand versus the more expensive brand and would probably agree in life you get what you pay for. Don't know how textiles would have compared, would be interesting to see a like for like demo.
Same as you really,Commuting 10 ish miles i wear work trousers,black combats which are a bit dodgy but always armoured textile jacket or leather,boots and gloves.Any serious riding i wear full leathers or textiles.I rode a bike to a mates a while back that he had bought with no gloves and it felt so wrong.
+Hedge hog It's hard isn't it. We know the dangers and mostly dress accordingly. But sometimes it's a hassle when your just popping out or on a short commute. Can't say I've ever ridden without gloves on. I think I'd feel 'naked' without them.
Will be looking to replace some of my pretty old kit this year - got it
down to a fine art now, after nearly 30 years...... Long post, but might
be some points worth sharing:
Always follow a similar path - *research*, look for at least double, preferably
triple stitching, and Level 2 soft armour.
-> full kit - either jacket & jeans - leather. Or, Leather jeans + Textile Jacket for
winter/rainy days.
Boots - Touring - currently some Beamer jobbies. Well put together and tough.
Will either try Altberg next (always do well in the tests, and come in width options),
or, some of the similar spec Daytonas - pricey, but are like 'feet shaped Volvos!.
My last pair of sportier boots - A-Stars - now worn out, they were ok,
but I do like the protection offered by the stuff above - even if they are
heavy, and a bit hot on a Summer's day.
Level 2 back protector - Forcefield - not a pleasant subject matter,
but personally, I'd rather be dead than immobile.
Lids - Life long Arai user ... Bought a Schuberth C3 for commuting, which was
cracking (past its usable life now).
In the aftermath of a redundancy, I deviated from Arai for only the 2nd time - last year -
HJC - IS-17 - a good lid for relatively little money, and it's a 5-Star on the
Sharp Tests. Followed that up with a HJC Max flipper - to replace the C3 -
weighs more, and isn't as nicely engineered - BUT perhaps oddly, scores
better in the Sharp Tests, AND has a better "stay shut" percentage/result.
(C3 very much quieter than both the HJCs, and a bit quieter than the Arais)
Next Flipper - likely to be an x-lite X-1003 (or whatever incarnation X-lite are at,
by that time) - which is somewhere in the
middle of the C3, and the HJC Max-2 ----> test results on a par with the
HJC, but more comparable with the Schubert for quietness and
quality, whilst not been as expensive.
{Research pointer - There's a website called Billy's Crash Helmets - quite useful, and
informative}
The Sharp Tests - there's more to it than the Test results, but it's a good
way of whittling down your choices initially. No point buying something
cheap if it's got the protective qualities of a plant-pot, when there's some
surprisingly cheap, and SAFE options across a broad price range.
E.g. - HJC IS-17 - RRP c. 160 quid - but you can get them for a lot less
than that, spesh if you buy in the Winter/January.
+kwakkers68 Totally agree with you on the first point- research. Plus it's enjoyable reading around all the various products out there.
I've come across Billy's crash helmets before, it's a great website and really useful. I was tied between an Arai and a Shoei when I bought my last lid. Eventually went for the shoei as it just felt right. Thanks for insights and the useful comment. Ride safe.
I have summer and winter gear, okay in summer I wear black cargo pants otherwise you will swelter when it is around 34c. I always wear boots mainly work boots without steel cap as they kill my toes and of course bamboo socks the thick ones as the keep your feet dry and you will never have smelly feet again.
banditnev and no one wants sweaty/smelly feet!!
A few years back, Ride Magazine used to do some pretty good testing -
along scientific lines - they'd test for abrasion, etc.
Standards seemed to have slipped in recent years though -
If I was cynically minded, I'd wonder if some of the manufacturers
had spat their dummy out ....?
Bad reviews - less sales = no advertising?
Still, must have been good for the bods with the better products.
Pity, really.
kwakkers68 Yeah, I remember those reviews. I subscribe to ride. it's a great mag. Your right though, they still do tests but on things like panniers and things maybe not so much clothing.
How many people do you see in vids on CZcams where Motorbikers are Vlogging in T'Shirts and no gloves. Some do stunts, Wheelies & Stoppies etc and when they come off you find yourself going "Ouch... Ouch" followed by "D***head... you asked for that" lol. In most cases the 1st thing that happens when you come off your bike your hands go out to save you... that's where you lose serious layers of skin and suffer for weeks after the event. (That's just for starters & there's usually more). Motorbike gear is an 'absolute must' for self preservation. We all enjoy a beautiful pastime riding our wonderful machines however we're exposed to danger and vulnerability....therefore we must protect ourselves just in case & with the array of gear available at varying prices to everyone these days there really is no excuse.
Your so right Mark. I used to road race (push bikes ) for 10 years and came off a couple of times at what would be considered slow speeds on a motorbike. However the damage to the skin was fairly extensive and took weeks to heal. Far too many people just don't realise the dangers and take too many risks.
The further south you were the better the weather was. It was fairly windy that day, but I think I still would have risked it, just take it easy. I usually wear my two-piece leathers all the time. Even in the summer you must have proper foot protection, trainers will not protect you from having your foot ripped off.
Totally agree with you re. trainers. I'd never ride without boots or proper sturdy footwear. I was once on the motorway when a stone the size of your fist, flew up off a car and hit me on the shin. If i'd not been wearing motorbike boots, it would have broke my shin/leg. Still caused huge pain, but no damage thanks to proper Sidi boots!!!!
full kit 99.99% of the time pal especially with the roads i go on and the speeds i do. i must admin that i wear normal Jeans in the summer though. may invest in some biker jeans this year as the leather jacket is much more comfortable than the textiles.
I've rode in trainers also and as you said, it just doesn't feel right. too used to wearing boots for work also haha
MorriSiege when your travelling the distance you are, full kit is a must!! I think I'll be getting some kevlar jeans this season.
Have you ever considered a decent pair of Kevlar Jeans for the summer when it's a scorcher and you really don't want to wear leather trousers or textiles.... Both my wife and myself have them just for summer use and they are so much safer than a regular pair of denim jeans that will give out very quickly under abrasion. They have extra protection in all the main areas and removable knee protectors built in too.
+Mark Horton Yes I've looked into them and may well get a pair this year. A couple of my mates have them and speak very highly of them.
There's a vid somewhere on here - some bods test the resilience of
cheapo Kevlar jeans vs some of the better put together options.
Worth a watch, before buying.
kwakkers68 Thanks, I'll look into it.
I looked into that video and after being dragged around a go kart track for what seems an eternity I don't think there's much would be standing very well afterwards lol. I get the point regarding the cheaper brand versus the more expensive brand and would probably agree in life you get what you pay for. Don't know how textiles would have compared, would be interesting to see a like for like demo.