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I have BMW textile gear. I don't own a car, so I ride year round. I also spent all my money on my bike (F650GS), so I only had money for one set of gear, not summer leathers and winter textiles. I have the Commuter 2 Jacket, which is 500 Denier Cordura with shoulder, elbow and back pads. It also has 3 vents on each side. It has a zip-in waterproof liner. It's really nice in summer with the zips open, and in winter it's nice with the liner. I've ridden in the jacket in a thunder and lightning storm with torrential rain, and although the outer jacket was moist when I was through, the inner liner remained dry. I also have washed in in Nik-Wax Direct Wash-in, which has improved the water-proofing of the outer jacket. Overall, I really like this jacket. For pants I have the BMW City pants. I'm slightly dissapointed with these pants. Although they were waterproof when I got them, that wore out after a few washes, and the Nik-Wax doesn't seem to wash it back in. It gets water-resistant, but not proof again, due largely I think to the fact that they're partially denim, not all Cordura. They're very hot in the summer. They also have knee and hip pads. The pants also don't fit that well over other pants, which makes me less likely to wear them, something I'd like to improve upon with my next pants. I have two sets of boots. One set is BMW, they're the cheapest ones, that are designed to look like street shoes. They're really comfy in Summer and have good grip. They're also really comfy to walk around in. I've walked around zoos and towns and beaches and never had sore feet. But when it started raining I had to get different ones. Alpinestars makes good boots with a Gore-Tex liner. They're also pretty comfy on the bike, but impossible to walk in, the upper velcro comes loose. For summer gloves I have the Held Steve kangaroo skin gloves. The only problem I have with these gloves is that the middle finger on both gloves came unstitched after I accidentally got rained on in them. I have to keep restitching them. My winter gloves I bought for emergency purposes when it poured on me the next day after that and I can't really recommend them. They take away alot of feeling at the grips, and I know that's pretty standard but I'm sure there's something better out there. For my helmet, I have a Schuberth C2. I have a wierd shaped head, and it fits pretty well. I look like a complete loving dork when the face is open, but it's got really good venting, even in the rain, and the flip down sunshade is executed very well too. I have to drive through a tunnel twice a day, so being able to have sunshade and then flip it up in the tunnel is really cool. I really like the BMW gear, and will probably continue to buy it (if I can afford it). Alot of my purchases have been purchases of necessity rather than research, so I have a feeling I'll be even happier with my next set in a few years. It's well designed, durable, and even though I haven't put my bike down (yet?), I feel very secure in it (if only for the one fall it'll survive through). Most of my stuff, except for the winter gloves, was pretty expensive, I'll admit. I only make about 34k a year (and live in the SF Bay Area), so I'm not the kind of guy who can just go out and buy pricey gear cause I can. But when it comes to safety on the road, I figured it was all worth the investment.
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Mar 25, 2007 06:52
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| # ¿ May 2, 2024 03:15 |
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Stugazi posted:I am back in the Midwest for the first time since I started riding 18 months ago and it is freaking me out the number of people on bikes with no helmets. I haven't even seen gloves or a real jacket yet and definitely no pants or proper boots. Colorado is the same way. I want to lane split so baaaaaaaaaad (originally from CA).
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May 25, 2014 05:54
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Sagebrush posted:Yeah I am so goddamn spoiled from splitting all over the place here that I fear I'll be arrested immediately on leaving the state as I just start automatically doing it. It helps that I haven't had a bike in 5 years, so it's just a desire and not a habit. Gear talk: I'm pretty seriously considering getting a Roadcrafter (probably black with hi-viz ballistics), and the main thing stopping me is that I ride a BMW (F800S), and I associate them strongly with old fat guys who ride Beemers. That's silly and I'm skinny and don't ride a 1300LT and old fat guy stereotypes aside they're great for commuting and I should get one right?
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May 25, 2014 20:49
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Sagebrush posted:If you're a slave to fashion, you can get some armored kevlar jeans, a simple black jacket, solid colored full-face helmet, understated gloves and motorcycle boots designed to look like regular boots, and you'll be pretty well covered. It won't be super cheap (the boots in particular) but you'll just look like a guy on a motorcycle. I need something for over my work clothes (khakis/polo). Don't want to have to change. Want good protection. I thought about leathers despite those not matching these needs, but the rain in CO is so unpredictable that I just don't think it would work. Fashion isn't my need. It's utility. I just don't want to be a fat old guy.
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May 25, 2014 21:59
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mguirk the jerk posted:Yeah, I ride to work every day, including when it rains, with Rev'It textile gear over my khakis and polo. I just leave some deodorant, a comb, and work shoes at my desk. I guess this is a problem if it isn't socially acceptable to walk into your office in space lord mode. It's not a problem for me, the bigger issue is that by the time you get to textile stuff of the quality of a Roadcrafter, you're spending that much anyways, like the Alpinestars New Land stuff. I'd never heard of Teiz before. That Lombard suit looks good. My concern with it is their "Why pay overpay for Gore-Tex?" thing. Well, it's because most waterproof stuff that isn't Gore-Tex is clammy as poo poo. I would definitely want to try on one of their liners before actually buying something. The other reason to have the Gore-Tex built in is for when you have weather like here, where it will be 75 and sunny and then a storm will drop over the mountains and in 10 minutes the weather will drop 15 degrees and dump an inch of rain on you. Unless you have a convenient place to pull over to put the rain liner in your suit, you're gonna be drenched.
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May 25, 2014 23:45
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poo poo. My argument is that I'm a "good rider" so all I need is ATGATT for the unforseeable and I won't die. I can't imagine thinking I'm so good I don't need a helmet. And if it's too hot, that's what vents and removable chin curtains are for.
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Jun 8, 2014 06:57
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Schroeder91 posted:I haven't found anything else that fits my huge dome. I tried the biggest stuff cycle gear had and none of it fit. I was pleasantly surprised to find a 3x hjc at my dealer while waiting for my bike to be serviced. But yeah it should be a bit snug at first. Think about the effect of hitting asphalt with a loose helmet. Then your head is hitting the helmet at speed instead of the helmet absorbing your impact.
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Jun 8, 2014 18:31
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Digital_Jesus posted:I am going to order an Aerostitch R-3 within the next week or two. Anyone done a custom tailored order from them before? Did you just take all your measurements and send it in with your order? Is it easier to call them? Jealous. I just ordered a Teiz Lombard because I just can't afford that...
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Mar 20, 2015 03:55
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| # ¿ May 2, 2024 03:15 |
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I got my Teiz Lombard a few days ago and am really liking it. You have to know when it's gonna rain and plan on wearing the liner, but the trade off there is it's been pretty decent in hot weather too, which is hard to say for a lot of one pieces. And even without the liner it's thick Cordura so you can go through a quick shower and not be soaked inside. And it's like $600 cheaper than a Stich even with a custom color scheme.
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Apr 26, 2015 05:10
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