Commuting/general riding gear - thoughts
Discussion
Hi,
I'm not yet a biker
plans to do my test in April were scuppered by this virus... In the meantime thought, I've done what everyone would do I think and read up as much as possible on everything. Got a few questions and figured buying a load of gear and finding it's not right, would be an expensive mistake so after a little advice. I've had a look on the forum and can't find anyone who's done what I'm thinking.
I am trying to come up with the best initial setup that will do me for most of the year without silly costs. For reference, I would be using the bike to commute around 10 miles each way in pretty much any weather. Will have smart trousers/shirt and jumper (when it's chilly) but no suit or anything.
I'm thinking a non-waterproof jacket with removable thermal and the same for trousers and then carry round a cheapish Mac-in-a-sac style waterproof to put on when the weather turns bad or for an extra layer if its very cold. Seems like you get slightly more for your money because you're not paying for the waterproof bit too? Does anyone else do similar or found this to be a terrible idea?
I've decided on a bike with fairings, got a helmet, gloves I would get a summer and winter pairs and boots for all seasons with good socks for the winter.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Dan
I'm not yet a biker
plans to do my test in April were scuppered by this virus... In the meantime thought, I've done what everyone would do I think and read up as much as possible on everything. Got a few questions and figured buying a load of gear and finding it's not right, would be an expensive mistake so after a little advice. I've had a look on the forum and can't find anyone who's done what I'm thinking.I am trying to come up with the best initial setup that will do me for most of the year without silly costs. For reference, I would be using the bike to commute around 10 miles each way in pretty much any weather. Will have smart trousers/shirt and jumper (when it's chilly) but no suit or anything.
I'm thinking a non-waterproof jacket with removable thermal and the same for trousers and then carry round a cheapish Mac-in-a-sac style waterproof to put on when the weather turns bad or for an extra layer if its very cold. Seems like you get slightly more for your money because you're not paying for the waterproof bit too? Does anyone else do similar or found this to be a terrible idea?
I've decided on a bike with fairings, got a helmet, gloves I would get a summer and winter pairs and boots for all seasons with good socks for the winter.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Dan
For 10 miles each way (which I'm assuming won't take that long) I'd probably buy a standard set of cheap textiles (e.g. RST "waterproof"), a boil-in-the-bag suit and a top box to take clothes with you.
When it's lightly damp the cheaper textiles will be fine, and if you get caught in a heavier shower you can throw the boil-in-a-bag suit on top.
When it's lightly damp the cheaper textiles will be fine, and if you get caught in a heavier shower you can throw the boil-in-a-bag suit on top.
When you are starting off and dont know what gear works best for you, I would get on ebay and buy used kit. You can always resell later and get most of your money back. You tend to only find out what works by using it and most of us build up a wide selection of kit over many years, depending on use.
For those cold/wet winter mornings a 1 piece oversuit will be fine for 10 miles over whatever other gear you choose for "most of the time".
For those cold/wet winter mornings a 1 piece oversuit will be fine for 10 miles over whatever other gear you choose for "most of the time".
Fit, fit and fit is the top priority.
The better your clothing fits, the safer and more comfortable you’ll be. A good fit is essential for safety because it means armour – especially knee and elbow armour – can’t move out of place in a crash. Also, clothing should fit snugly because any bagginess means the material can fold over in a crash; which means it will hole! And the better clothes fit, the comfier you’ll be – so it’s worth investing time in trying on lots of clothing or investing money in made-to-measure.
The more zips for ventilation, the better. Zips give you the flexibility to open or close them according to the temperature. Also, ventilation on the arms works exceptionally well on the bike.
Leather is way safer, but textiles cope with a wider range of temperatures. Look for the CE-rating. Suitable leathers should have a AAA rating (the highest level) and should be OK for abrasion resistance at motorway speed. Decent textiles should have an AA rating, which means they shouldn’t hole up to about 40mph. An A-rating (the lowest level) is crap; I would avoid A-rated clothing.
The better your clothing fits, the safer and more comfortable you’ll be. A good fit is essential for safety because it means armour – especially knee and elbow armour – can’t move out of place in a crash. Also, clothing should fit snugly because any bagginess means the material can fold over in a crash; which means it will hole! And the better clothes fit, the comfier you’ll be – so it’s worth investing time in trying on lots of clothing or investing money in made-to-measure.
The more zips for ventilation, the better. Zips give you the flexibility to open or close them according to the temperature. Also, ventilation on the arms works exceptionally well on the bike.
Leather is way safer, but textiles cope with a wider range of temperatures. Look for the CE-rating. Suitable leathers should have a AAA rating (the highest level) and should be OK for abrasion resistance at motorway speed. Decent textiles should have an AA rating, which means they shouldn’t hole up to about 40mph. An A-rating (the lowest level) is crap; I would avoid A-rated clothing.
Buy used gear off ebay - then you'll find out what you actually need / want and can sell it on for the same price if you want to change / upgrade
I've bought and sold loads of stuff - also worth checking various dealers online as they sell last years gear cheap
To give you an idea I've bought armoured textile, lined trousers £30, goretex, lined, armoured jacket £40, leather jacket £12 ! Boots £35, kevlar jeans £50 etc
All in great condition
I've bought and sold loads of stuff - also worth checking various dealers online as they sell last years gear cheap
To give you an idea I've bought armoured textile, lined trousers £30, goretex, lined, armoured jacket £40, leather jacket £12 ! Boots £35, kevlar jeans £50 etc
All in great condition
Dan130i said:
The difficult bit is trying to see if stuff fits
Sportsbikeshop.co.uk lets you buy several sizes of clothing, and return the garments that don't fit.Another option – and one I highly recommend – is "adjust to fit". If you buy clobber from eBay (or a shop) that isn't spot-on, then you can get them tailored to fit you perfectly. Where do you live? Hideout is brilliant at this service (Essex/Cambridgeshire border), as is Nine Lives (Hampshire) and I’ve heard only good things about Hill4leather (Aldershot) too. I know from experience that Hideout and Nine Lives can alter textiles as well as leathers.
If you buy leathers: they should feel tight initially because leather expands by about 10% after you've worn them in. You don't want to be one of those bikers walking around with a baggy arse
I wouldn't skimp on the boots. Make sure they have Goretex so your feet will stay dry even in really wet conditions. Check with the cheaper stuff that the sole doesn't deform under sideways pressure i.e. imagine you going down and the weight of the bike hitting the side of the sole. Also check for good ankle protection.
I agree with the others on clothing - for year round riding textiles are the way to go with a one or two piece waterproof oversuit. CE approved armour on shoulders, elbows, back for the jacket and hips and knees for the pants.
I agree with the others on clothing - for year round riding textiles are the way to go with a one or two piece waterproof oversuit. CE approved armour on shoulders, elbows, back for the jacket and hips and knees for the pants.
zzrman said:
I wouldn't skimp on the boots.
I read somewhere that even low speed offs can cause serious injuries to one's feet/ankles, which are the parts of your body that can take the longest to heal & have the most potential complications. Definitely get decent boots!Might help you legally also: https://www.whitedalton.co.uk/motorbike-blog/2017/...
Dan130i said:
The difficult bit is trying to see if stuff fits but Ebay's a good shout
I message the seller - "Assuming it fits you well what is your height, chest..."I bought one pair of trousers that were too small - sold on for a profit, everything else has been fine.
I'd agree it would be best to try a leather race suit on but everything else is fairly flexible in sizing
One thing I'd have add to the above, is get stuff that will be good in the winter (goretex) so you don't get cold and don't have to faff around with extra waterproof layers, and also get a summer jacket and trousers.
I got everything second hand off ebay, my zip-together Hein Gericke goretex jacket and trousers have been great for 5 years now, as well as the goretex boots I bought with them. I think that was £250 for the lot. Then I bought some riding jeans and a 2 piece Richa leather suit for £50, I mostly wear the jacket on its own with the jeans in the summer. My winter gear is far too hot even with the vents open.
All in, I spent c£400 (including gloves, excluding helmet), and I'm comfy and looking forward to riding all year long, regardless of the weather.
I got everything second hand off ebay, my zip-together Hein Gericke goretex jacket and trousers have been great for 5 years now, as well as the goretex boots I bought with them. I think that was £250 for the lot. Then I bought some riding jeans and a 2 piece Richa leather suit for £50, I mostly wear the jacket on its own with the jeans in the summer. My winter gear is far too hot even with the vents open.
All in, I spent c£400 (including gloves, excluding helmet), and I'm comfy and looking forward to riding all year long, regardless of the weather.
That's really useful. A lot of people say go for goretex stuff all year round and I can't help but think it must be baking in the summer with the waterproof layer. I generally feel the heat so staying cool in the summer is a priority.
Winter I can layer up if it's cold but ideally I want to wear as little gear as possible as we don't have changing areas at work plus I cba faffing around and taking up 10 mins getting dressed/undressed before and after work.
There's just too many options haha
Winter I can layer up if it's cold but ideally I want to wear as little gear as possible as we don't have changing areas at work plus I cba faffing around and taking up 10 mins getting dressed/undressed before and after work.
There's just too many options haha
Dan130i said:
Winter I can layer up if it's cold but ideally I want to wear as little gear as possible as we don't have changing areas at work plus I cba faffing around and taking up 10 mins getting dressed/undressed before and after work.
You won't get away from that to some extent, but consider a day when the weather looks OK and you feel positive, so you don't wear your waterproof layer. 5 miles in it starts to rain, so you have to find somewhere to pull over and try to look dignified as you put your waterproof jacket over your already wet normal jacket...My gore-tex is too hot on nice sunny days, but if I can't guarantee the weather will be warm and dry for my whole ride, it's usually also cool enough that the jacket remains comfortable.
Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff