new riding gear

[lazarus]

returning to biking for the second time I need some new riding gear. Or to be honest some decent advice.

my last lot of fabric went down the road with me and it didnt fare well. It was Frank Thomas stuff, mid range. I have leather pants, an old cruiser style ( aka Marlon Brando) leather jacket but leather is not really that practical in UK weather and when I want to look even half smart at the other end. And I have an old Buffalo fabric set dating from when Buffalo fiorst appeared so its really a bit manky by now.

So what sort of gear do you wear and what do you think of it?

[Aladinsaneuk]

All depends on budget

But

Buy good boots and gloves

Find a good second hand bike gear place and spend a day shopping

I have a set of alpine star leathers that cost 200 quid second hand

I bought my textiles new for 120 - fit counts ;)

The aldi and lidl stuff is good btw - next may I fear....

[MartDude]

The aldi and lidl stuff is good btw - next may I fear....

Think it was around in March last year?

[lazarus]

having slid down the road and got a real bad dose of gravel rash as well as all the breaks, I'm reluctant to buy from the likes of Lidl. Instead I'm thinking real good stuff at a reasonable price rather than reasonable stuff at a cheap price if you see what I mean.

[MartDude]

I can only speak of the Aldi/Lidl winter underwear. It's really good value - just as effective as the Oxford Chillout stuff, at a quarter of the price.

I know others here use/have used their helmets & boots.

[Aladinsaneuk]

The aldi and lidl stuff is good quality - the textiles I would rate above buffalo

And their helmets meet German TUV .....

I would strongly suggest they are worth a look IF THEY FIT

Fit is the key - and if you go for seperate jacket and trousers make sure they are joined all the way round

I still do prefer leathers btw;)

[flatlander]

I still do prefer leather btw;)

S"funny squid said he thought you preferred rubber

He is right though as far as possible fit is important, Aldi Lidl stuff is February and at least for accessories especially the under layer stuff as Mart says is way better than Umbro Nike etc IMHO

I hear you on makes though don't touch Akito it's crap and there's no service it's just an importer.
The helmet is the most important IMHO and generally you pay more money with that. You will most likely find your head shape suits certain makes better so go for that then look at individual choice.

Clothes wise personally for good quality at affordable prices Richa and Weise can be good IME. Buffalo old stuff was ok but the armour was incorrectly graded as EU safety when it wasn't in the 90"s don't remember the exact date

Gaerne make excellent boots that last well Sidi are popular but IME don't last as well. Daytona are flavour of the month.

I would look at the warranty / backup as I say I find some makes are just importers.
I still use HG Tuareg waterproofs and have done more than 30k miles in the current set still keep the wet out just starting to lose zip pulls no buggy though zips are still okay

Alpinestar gloves got really well not sure about the protection level as I notice that a lot of their jackets don't have back protection.

Lots of the known makes will be good and we all have different views based on experience.

So set a budget find a fit and stick to known makes. Don't discard others if they come strongly recommended from more than reasonable source meaning trustworthy folk not magazine reviews
Head feet and hands look after em and watch yer back
HTH

[Dusty]

SUITS
I have Hein Gericke Master Goretex textiles which were expensive but they've lasted 6 years and are still in great condition. Occasional washing with Nikwax Tech Wash keeps them clean and waterproof. I have no idea how they crash, touching wood as I type, but the Hiprotec Comfort armour is CE approved. My only criticism with HG is that the neck could be slightly bigger. Strange, really because one would expect German necks to be as thick as mine.However, on reflection,perhaps it's only slim Germans who ride bikes; the fat ones are all in Merc S types.

I prefer leathers for warm dry weather but with our climate I usually wear the textile jacket with a pair of HG PSX leather trousers.
I also have a 2 piece Richa leather suit that was mid price. It's not the softest leather but it does feel that it would hold together well. I particularly like the shin armour in the trousers.

If I had to renew anything, I'd probably go to HG and Forth Gear http://www.forthgear.co.uk/

I'm interested to hear positive comments about Lidl/Aldi as I wasn't impressed with some cycling kit I bought a few years ago, and the motorcycling underfleece thingy I got from Aldi was OK for the cheap price but not something I'd buy again.

HELMET, BOOTS, GLOVES
As Pete says, they all need to be good.

My helmet is an Arai Viper GT but I'm seriously considering a Shoei Qwest as the Arai isn't the warmest helmet in winter and it is quite noisy.This weekend, Lids Direct have 20% off everything. Enter WEEKEND20 at the checkout. http://www.lidsdirect.co.uk/

I hate to see riders without gloves and cringe at the thought of what even a slow speed off would do to unprotected hands.
My favourite pair is my Alpinestars Tech Road which are no longer available. Waterproof and comfortable, and only the little finger lining is giving up after 6 years.
Spada Enforcers are warm but bulky for the winter; waterproofing still to be tested.
HG Leather Sports Goretex for the summer. Comfortable enough but buy a size bigger than normal. Currently reduced to £70.

My boots are HG Rhino. Not exactly sporty styling nor the most protective but superbly comfortable all year round and 100% waterproof.

Riding gear is a bit like bikes; there's a good argument for having different types to suit different conditions. However, that's an expensive approach.

HI-VIS
I know this is controversial but I wear a long sleeved hi-vis vest when I'm commuting or when visibility is poor. One of the reasons for wearing it at these times is that it keeps my jacket clean! I do think that being long sleeved significantly improves its visibility.

[Falconihlist]

I've been a fan of textiles, as they do provide an overall level of practicality that can't be achieve with leathers. This year I opted to spend a bit and bought some Halvarssons gear. The graffiti jacket, and taal trousers.

Last year I bought a Shoei qwest and it is for me a very comfortable lid, although it is always personal preference. A good deal at the shop, and with free pinlock visor inserts.

Boots, Sidi Saber MX style boots, absolutely awesome once broken in. I found the easiest way to break them in was go for a blast on a supermoto or MX bike for a couple of days if you can.

Gloves, alpinestars GTX 365. Used them through 2 winters, and just having a pair of glove liners has kept the sub zero temps away.

[lazarus]

One issue on my mind is the leather vs fabric one.

I have never ridden in really cold weather ( iue below 5C) and avoid starting off on a bike if its raining. There's a lot to be said for a heater and windscreen wipers. But as I mentioned earlier I have been down the road and ended up with big skin grafts on my legs. So I am predisposed towards leather. But do any of you ride in leather all year round and if so how do you deal with being caught in the rain ( I have a summer oversuit) and with lower temperatures? Can you, for example, wear one of the fluorescent yellow jackets that the road gangs use on top of leathers to keep warm and dry? What about the legs - nothing worse than a wet gusset.

As for helmets, I already have a couple but am looking for a Schuberth flip front to replace the one that saved my life. Boots I have from AltBerg and they are great albeit not armoured. Gloves aplenty.

So it really is the leather vs fabric decision first

[Aladinsaneuk]

Invest in a quality base layer

Not thermals but a base layer.....

Combine that with leathers and that's ok :)
(I carry an all in one oversuit as well)

For heavy rain / bad weather use textiles

[Dusty]

In the days when textiles comprised of nothing but Belstaff waxed cotton, I avoided them and wore leather all year round, and as my bike was my only transport, only resorted to the bus when there was snow lying. Admittedly, I was much younger then, but i managed to keep warm by using layers under my leathers, inner gloves, balaclava,scarf round my chin and knotted at the back, a PVC waterproof oversuit and overmitts. So, it can be done. However, the improved performance of modern textiles enables you to be warm and dry without the bulk and, therefore, improves machine control in slippery conditions, thereby reducing the risk of a crash. Nowadays, I carry waterproof overtrousers or full suit depending on what leather gear I'm wearing, but if it's sub 5C I'll be wearing textiles and if I could only choose one outfit, it would be my textile jacket, leather trousers and the cheap and cheerful Weise waterproof breeks strapped to the seat.

I've never tried waterproof workwear on the bike but I have worn it for work and I'm sure it would be better than nothing. However, I think it would flap around a lot, billow like a sail and probably allow water ingress at collar and cuffs if riding at any speed.

[D-Rider]

In the days when textiles comprised of nothing but Belstaff waxed cotton,

Best waterproofs I ever had were waxed cotton Belstaffs. I think you can still get them but they are unaffordably expensive these days.

[Dusty]

No arguments there, D-Rider. It was their complete lack of crash protection that put me off.
As you say, crazy prices now that they're a fashion item.

[GregD-UK]

Hi all,

If price isn't an issue, I would go the Halvarsson, weiss or dainese route. Failing that, price can be a major consideration. I got a waterproof pair of Hein gericke trousers off fleebay, hardly used for £36 Guys seem too put on weight, so some tasty bike gear can be sourced if you trawl the pages carefully

I am contemplating buying a dainese tundra jacket or halvarsson graffitti/Outlast jacket if I decide to ride more in bad weather. Carry a one peice outer layer by the way. Dainese jerico gloves good buy as well. Sorry, like the cut and fit of dainese swag Suits my body shape.....