New textile time...but what?
Discussion
just to add my euro's worth,
myself and fellow instructors went down two bad weather routes:
1. full leathers as usual but with top and bottom gore tex suit under the seat, bought from an outdoor wear shop.
2. leather bottoms and cordura goretex jacket. again with a pair of goretex trousers purchased from said outdoor shop under the seat
one major issue with goretex is it does clog and eventually fail. washing it helps but it does degrade.
having separate components means as one piece of gore fails, you can buy a new piece far cheaper than a new m/c gore jacket.
leather is also to superior textile in the event of an off; it doesn't 'grip' the road.
myself and fellow instructors went down two bad weather routes:
1. full leathers as usual but with top and bottom gore tex suit under the seat, bought from an outdoor wear shop.
2. leather bottoms and cordura goretex jacket. again with a pair of goretex trousers purchased from said outdoor shop under the seat
one major issue with goretex is it does clog and eventually fail. washing it helps but it does degrade.
having separate components means as one piece of gore fails, you can buy a new piece far cheaper than a new m/c gore jacket.
leather is also to superior textile in the event of an off; it doesn't 'grip' the road.
kurt535 said:
just to add my euro's worth,
myself and fellow instructors went down two bad weather routes:
1. full leathers as usual but with top and bottom gore tex suit under the seat, bought from an outdoor wear shop.
2. leather bottoms and cordura goretex jacket. again with a pair of goretex trousers purchased from said outdoor shop under the seat
one major issue with goretex is it does clog and eventually fail. washing it helps but it does degrade.
having separate components means as one piece of gore fails, you can buy a new piece far cheaper than a new m/c gore jacket.
leather is also to superior textile in the event of an off; it doesn't 'grip' the road.
If my riding was only for pleasure then I'd buy leathers and an oversuit as I think that they are more protective. But as most of rising is commuting and I am wearing 'normal' office clothes underneath textiles are far more flexible.myself and fellow instructors went down two bad weather routes:
1. full leathers as usual but with top and bottom gore tex suit under the seat, bought from an outdoor wear shop.
2. leather bottoms and cordura goretex jacket. again with a pair of goretex trousers purchased from said outdoor shop under the seat
one major issue with goretex is it does clog and eventually fail. washing it helps but it does degrade.
having separate components means as one piece of gore fails, you can buy a new piece far cheaper than a new m/c gore jacket.
leather is also to superior textile in the event of an off; it doesn't 'grip' the road.
Prof Prolapse said:
I think the bottom line is almost everyone here will using leathers or textiles that have been sold to them as fashion items, not CE-marked PPE.
Arguing one untested item, is better than another untested item, is a bit foolish.
What makes you think that? I've never even looked at non CE marked gear, let alone bought it.Arguing one untested item, is better than another untested item, is a bit foolish.
Edited by James_B on Saturday 10th June 14:08
boyse7en said:
kurt535 said:
leather is also to superior textile in the event of an off; it doesn't 'grip' the road.
That isn't necessarily a good thing if you slide into the path of oncoming traffic.
Surely there's no argument that leather's better than textiles in a crash? Not only has leather got better abrasion resistance than textiles, but tight leather can act like a kind of splint.
Similarly, it's hard to argue against textiles coping with a wider range of weather than leather.
Similarly, it's hard to argue against textiles coping with a wider range of weather than leather.
I managed to get to Getgeared in Leatherhead yesterday and tried on three of the jackets.
Revit Poseidon - really solidly built, nice fit and the trousers were the best fit for me so far. Good to see that the arm adjustment isn't poppers and the armour felt decent. All in all I'm much more positive about it now than I was.
Dane Torben - I've pretty much discounted this now. It looks decent enough quality and ticks all the right boxes but the cut feels very basic. They've made a well featured jacket but it just doesn't fit me very well.
Alpinestars Managua - Mixed impressions here. It fits best of the three that I've tried so far. My worry is the waterproofing of the vents. They open up on the chest but you're relying on "waterproof" zips to hold it all together. I think that could be quite a big mistake as the zips like that that I've used in the past have been pretty patchy. Also there's no standard back protector so there's even more expense...
I'm going to try and get a look at the Dainese and Rukka today and see if those are any different / better. As we have family arriving that may not happen for a couple of weeks though.
Revit Poseidon - really solidly built, nice fit and the trousers were the best fit for me so far. Good to see that the arm adjustment isn't poppers and the armour felt decent. All in all I'm much more positive about it now than I was.
Dane Torben - I've pretty much discounted this now. It looks decent enough quality and ticks all the right boxes but the cut feels very basic. They've made a well featured jacket but it just doesn't fit me very well.
Alpinestars Managua - Mixed impressions here. It fits best of the three that I've tried so far. My worry is the waterproofing of the vents. They open up on the chest but you're relying on "waterproof" zips to hold it all together. I think that could be quite a big mistake as the zips like that that I've used in the past have been pretty patchy. Also there's no standard back protector so there's even more expense...
I'm going to try and get a look at the Dainese and Rukka today and see if those are any different / better. As we have family arriving that may not happen for a couple of weeks though.
Have you ever had a look at the BMW clothing? Something like the Tourshell or StreetGuard may be worth looking at. But my one bit of advice is get something with a laminated membrane. That way the rain will just run off rather than soak in.
It's (mostly) all very discreet branding and we are selling more and more to non-BMW owners. Have a look and if there's anything that takes your fancy let me know and I'd be happy to look after you with price
It's (mostly) all very discreet branding and we are selling more and more to non-BMW owners. Have a look and if there's anything that takes your fancy let me know and I'd be happy to look after you with price
I've had the Rev'it Poseidon for a couple of years now. I ride year round and do about 25k miles a year, work is about an hour away, so there is a little context.
Really great suit, detachable liner in jacket and trousers is excellent and seems well thought out, venting is great too. I used the trousers in Morocco and they were perfectly fine, I took at mesh jacket.
Nothing on the whole suit has broken at all but I have worn through the lower part of the trousers where they rub between boots and bike and they are starting to get a little tired. Will look at the Dominator II next but not having a detachable thermal liner is definitely a point against that.
The only thing I would really change are the jacket pockets, the openings are a tiny bit too small but I can live with that.
Yes, the smallest size they do is Medium ?!?!?!?! however, that fits me so yay!
Really great suit, detachable liner in jacket and trousers is excellent and seems well thought out, venting is great too. I used the trousers in Morocco and they were perfectly fine, I took at mesh jacket.
Nothing on the whole suit has broken at all but I have worn through the lower part of the trousers where they rub between boots and bike and they are starting to get a little tired. Will look at the Dominator II next but not having a detachable thermal liner is definitely a point against that.
The only thing I would really change are the jacket pockets, the openings are a tiny bit too small but I can live with that.
Yes, the smallest size they do is Medium ?!?!?!?! however, that fits me so yay!
James_B said:
Prof Prolapse said:
I think the bottom line is almost everyone here will using leathers or textiles that have been sold to them as fashion items, not CE-marked PPE.
Arguing one untested item, is better than another untested item, is a bit foolish.
What makes you think that? I've never even looked at non CE marked gear, let alone bought it.Arguing one untested item, is better than another untested item, is a bit foolish.
Edited by James_B on Saturday 10th June 14:08
You'll have looked at it two hundred times a you glanced around the shop, so that cannot be true you've never seen it. "CE marked armour" is often where the confusion lies.
What do you wear that is CE marked?
boyse7en said:
I've had the Dane Sealand Pro jacket for four months now and can recommend it. Much cheaper than most GoreTex Pro stuff, and it fits me well. The double-cuffs are great and it hasn't let in a drop of water even in monsoon conditions.
It is very warm in the winter with the thermal liner in, and still pretty warm even with it out - a recent trip to Portugal showed that it really wasn't designed for 30 degree temperatures all day!
The armour is a bit stiff when it is cold, so I hang it up in the house now rather than the unheated utility room. It's not terrible if you don't but the armour feels a bit odd until it gets warm enough to soften and mould around the shoulders and elbows.
I'm saving up for the trousers
Having read everyone's posts, this is what I am thinking of going for as a decent jacket, thanks It is very warm in the winter with the thermal liner in, and still pretty warm even with it out - a recent trip to Portugal showed that it really wasn't designed for 30 degree temperatures all day!
The armour is a bit stiff when it is cold, so I hang it up in the house now rather than the unheated utility room. It's not terrible if you don't but the armour feels a bit odd until it gets warm enough to soften and mould around the shoulders and elbows.
I'm saving up for the trousers
I managed to get to see the remaining gear that I wanted to yesterday.
Rukka:
I got the full sales pitch from Infinity which was actually a bit more off-putting than not.
The Rukka gear does feel pretty good - typically much lighter than the equivalent jacket. The styling is typically very plain and while there are some nice touches there are an equal number of irritating design areas. They are another manufacturer that use poppers to resize sleeves which bunches the material in an uncomfortable way. The pockets were awkward to get into in places too. The "cheap" jacket at £700 doesn't come with a back protector (£60-70) and the trousers then take it up to £1250. Due to the premium price, it needed to be perfect to be in the frame and it wasn't. I'd need to go to the £1000 jacket to get the functions that I wanted in a style that I liked and I refuse to pay that much for a jacket.
So while I'm sure they are good bits of kit I don't see the value other than the five year warranty. But my understanding is that goretex provide a 5 year warranty anyway so I'm a bit stuck as to what it is I'm paying for, particularly as they're all made in the same factories.
Klim:
Another well put together jacket and trouser set. It's obviously designed with hotter climates in mind as the vents are all over the place. They again rely on 'waterproof' zips for their vents which I'm very wary of. They also don't come with any kind of thermal liner. I tried on the jacket that Vara2NC kindly suggested (the Blade) but I couldn't get over how insubstantial it feels. It really is a waterproof shell with some armoured areas. Good value though at £300. The Badlands is a bit more substantial but is in Rukka price territory and still doesn't have a thermal liner. Maybe if I was doing a lot of miles in hot places. But that's maybe 10 days of the year here.
Dainese
The d-cyclone was a very nice jacket. Fitted well, looks nice, plenty of features etc. A few niggles (the duvet style removable inner collar which would get soaked didn't make much sense to me) but the biggest issue is the lack of matching trousers. Apparently they have been promised for some time but haven't appeared. So while I like the jacket a lot there aren't any matching trousers or any kind of Pro Shell stuff from Dainese (according to the sales guy). It also uses a double zip combination on the front (one inner and one outer) which I think would irritate me.
I'm not averse to mixing and matching but the zip together part of it needs to work.
Conclusion
So after a few hours online and and couple of hours in the shops I think that I'm down to one - the Revit Poseidon. Hopefully this blurb will be of use to some others. It's all very subjective of course due to my very specific set of criteria and preferences which won't fit everyone.
I just need to pay for it now...
Rukka:
I got the full sales pitch from Infinity which was actually a bit more off-putting than not.
The Rukka gear does feel pretty good - typically much lighter than the equivalent jacket. The styling is typically very plain and while there are some nice touches there are an equal number of irritating design areas. They are another manufacturer that use poppers to resize sleeves which bunches the material in an uncomfortable way. The pockets were awkward to get into in places too. The "cheap" jacket at £700 doesn't come with a back protector (£60-70) and the trousers then take it up to £1250. Due to the premium price, it needed to be perfect to be in the frame and it wasn't. I'd need to go to the £1000 jacket to get the functions that I wanted in a style that I liked and I refuse to pay that much for a jacket.
So while I'm sure they are good bits of kit I don't see the value other than the five year warranty. But my understanding is that goretex provide a 5 year warranty anyway so I'm a bit stuck as to what it is I'm paying for, particularly as they're all made in the same factories.
Klim:
Another well put together jacket and trouser set. It's obviously designed with hotter climates in mind as the vents are all over the place. They again rely on 'waterproof' zips for their vents which I'm very wary of. They also don't come with any kind of thermal liner. I tried on the jacket that Vara2NC kindly suggested (the Blade) but I couldn't get over how insubstantial it feels. It really is a waterproof shell with some armoured areas. Good value though at £300. The Badlands is a bit more substantial but is in Rukka price territory and still doesn't have a thermal liner. Maybe if I was doing a lot of miles in hot places. But that's maybe 10 days of the year here.
Dainese
The d-cyclone was a very nice jacket. Fitted well, looks nice, plenty of features etc. A few niggles (the duvet style removable inner collar which would get soaked didn't make much sense to me) but the biggest issue is the lack of matching trousers. Apparently they have been promised for some time but haven't appeared. So while I like the jacket a lot there aren't any matching trousers or any kind of Pro Shell stuff from Dainese (according to the sales guy). It also uses a double zip combination on the front (one inner and one outer) which I think would irritate me.
I'm not averse to mixing and matching but the zip together part of it needs to work.
Conclusion
So after a few hours online and and couple of hours in the shops I think that I'm down to one - the Revit Poseidon. Hopefully this blurb will be of use to some others. It's all very subjective of course due to my very specific set of criteria and preferences which won't fit everyone.
I just need to pay for it now...
I was trying to think of trousers to go with the D-Cyclone and couldn't think of anything. Doesn't surprise me that they aren't available, Dainese are very hit and miss with both producing the whole catalogue and after sales. We still have back orders from last year!
Drop me a PM if you want and I can see what I can do on the price of a Poseidon suit.
Drop me a PM if you want and I can see what I can do on the price of a Poseidon suit.
Prof Prolapse said:
I think it, because I know it's true. The huge majority do not wear CE marked protective gear. The selection is minuscule, and the price prohibitively expense.
You'll have looked at it two hundred times a you glanced around the shop, so that cannot be true you've never seen it. "CE marked armour" is often where the confusion lies.
What do you wear that is CE marked?
I've just checked both my Rukka jackets, and both pairs of trousers, and all four items have a CE mark inside them. I don't consider them prohibitively expensive either.You'll have looked at it two hundred times a you glanced around the shop, so that cannot be true you've never seen it. "CE marked armour" is often where the confusion lies.
What do you wear that is CE marked?
Rukka's CE mark is a marketing con 
Rukka might make great gear, and it's certainly well made, but it's not passed the CE testing for Personal Protective Equipment. Rukka found a different CE test to pass - but not a PPE test - to get away with adding "CE" to some of its textiles. There's been a couple of threads on AdvRider about it.
Rukka might make great gear, and it's certainly well made, but it's not passed the CE testing for Personal Protective Equipment. Rukka found a different CE test to pass - but not a PPE test - to get away with adding "CE" to some of its textiles. There's been a couple of threads on AdvRider about it.
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