what kind of gear would you recommend for all year riding?

beasty6

beasty6

beasty6

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hey guys,

i went to J&S factory outlet today, tried on a few helmets and jackets.

i tried on a RST helmet (cheapo) then a HJC (not cheap and not expensive) then a AGV helmet (top of my budget)

the AGV helmet fit me the best.

now thats the helmet sorted, what kind of jacket/jeans are the best for all year riding?

it will be used for commuting in the week to work and back then a blast on thr weekends and bank holidays etc

now im prepared to spend up to £250 for jacket+jeans+gloves, black/red would be better (the AGV helmet it while/red/black :D

do you guys have another set of gear for certain time of the year? is it something worth doing?

any help would be great, totally new to this stuff so be easy on me please :)
 
I have winter, spring/autumn and summer gear. Buy what you're going to need over the spring, summer & autumn then worry about winter later.

One thing I always say in this kind of post is buy last years gear at discounted prices. My winter jacket was something like £200 when it first came out but I got it for £99 a year or so later.

Sportsbikeshop is a good site and I've bought a few things from them.
 
my local J&S is a factory outlet, so its all last year stuff, the AGV helmet is £119.99 when it should have been £179.99

plus i can try it on before i buy.
i just want an idea of what to go for, i dont want a rull race leather suit, im on a 125 for about a year maybe two lol
 
For all year riding you probably want to avoid leather and look at textiles, unless you are happy to carry a waterproof suit and stop and put it on when it rains (major PITA).

Leathers aren't waterproof (they can be mildly water resistant with suitable leather treatments, but they will let water through sooner rather than later), and once they get wet through they are really horrible to wear.

If you don't fancy a full length "touring" textile jacket, you can get ones that are styled like leather jackets and still have the removable thermal liner e.g. RST Blade. They won't be as good in wet weather though.
 
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i was looking at the RST blade jacket tbh.

can toy get better jackets for that price range?
i also need gloves and textile jeans to match (they seem to stock a lot or RST stuff)

will textile get stuffy in the summer?
 
For commuting in all weathers, all seasons, the only answer is textile. Get matching jacket and trousers, they'll zip together. If they do a lot of RST stuff at cheaper prices, have a look at the Paragon and Raptor stuff, decently priced and they seem pretty good from when I tried them on.

Of course it all comes down to fit, I'm lanky as hell with long arms, RST stuff fits me whereas other stuff just, well, doesn't. Same with boots, Sidi and Dainese boots I tried on, and got massive amounts heel lift which would mean walking any further than 30ft would result in blisters on blisters. Alpinestars boots however fit like a glove!

For gloves, you'll need a couple of pairs, a summery pair with no insulation, waterproof/leather, and a winter/cold morning pair with some insulation. Wouldn't want to be wearing a set of lightweight vented summer gloves when it's 3 degrees on a cold spring morning, which then turns into 18 degrees and your thermal gloves are massive overkill :D

Decent textile jackets/trousers will have removable thermal layers that you zip out, and a multitude of vents to open for when it's really warm :)

For weekend riding when it's nice and warm you can pick up a leather jacket and leather trousers or a pair of kevlar jeans at a later date, get the essentials first.
 
thanks for the help, the RST textile jacket i tried on fit perfect!

i did not have a time to try on the textile jeans boots or gloves unfortunately, but i shall do on my next visit.

now this is going to sound silly but, im going to have to wear my helmet, jacket and gloves with my work trousers and steel toe cap boots to work and back (4-5mile each way) for a month, just simply cant afford it all in one go :(

anyway, when you pay say £160 for boots instead of £120, what do you get? is it just the name on the boot?
 
I commute 10 miles each way every day and do it in full leathers with a rain suit if needed. Rst leathers, alpine boots and an arai helmet. Winter gets a bit cold but when we are riding at near 1 degrees it's gonna get cold ;)
 
i may get a leather suit when i get my first 600cc sports bike, most probs this time next year (2005 ZX6R)

i will get the RST Blade stuff and the tractech boots then upgrade from there :)
 
I've got Rst textiles and commute in the rain. Just to warn you, they are not waterproof...

Shower yes, but I ride for 45mins so if it's raining for that time you will get wet! If it's just a 10min commute you'll be fine.

Warmth wise they're great, never felt the need for anything other than a t shirt on underneath with the lining it over winter.
 
TripleT said:
I've got Rst textiles and commute in the rain. Just to warn you, they are not waterproof...

Shower yes, but I ride for 45mins so if it's raining for that time you will get wet! If it's just a 10min commute you'll be fine.

Warmth wise they're great, never felt the need for anything other than a t shirt on underneath with the lining it over winter.
Click to expand...

may i ask what RST textile jacket you have?

atm im sold on the RST stuff :)
 
RST is good quality.

I tend to commute (15 mikes rack way) in a textile jacket with Held Kevlar lined jeans then chuck waterproof trousers in the top box. Saves getting changed at work!
 
I have the RST Pro Series Ventilator III 2 piece suit which has removable thermal layer and a separate removal waterproof layer. Through winter I wear both layers, then in summer none of them, or just waterproof if necessary. The 2 pieces zip together so you're sealed from the wet. The only time I haven't been perfectly dry is when I left a slight gap at the front (my fault) and the rain was crazy anyway.

I then have the Spada Predator boots which have never, ever leaked and are holding up really well.

And some cheap winter gloves which are rubbish when it gets really wet, but do the job most of the timw (I need to get some new ones really).

I commute about an hour total a day and am really happy with all my kit.

Oh and a Shoei XR-1100 with the whisper kit and ear pad inserts.
 
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I had rst boots they lasted 2months,Idk how good their jackets last

I use weise neck tube and trousers and jacket all year round,spada boots,

Longest lasting boots I've owned were sidi black rain,they lasted 5 years,you want a jacket with a tallish collar to keep out the draughts and one with removable lining for when its hot
 
beasty6 said:
may i ask what RST textile jacket you have?

atm im sold on the RST stuff :)
Click to expand...

I have slice jacket and jeans. Stomach and crotch gets wet as the water hits you and pools. In the crotch the material is more stretchy for movement but it seems to be the reason it gets wet.

I wear my normal jeans underneath but if it rains I don't - and take spare duds! I wear a high viz jacket in rain and that helps too.
 
Leather Frank Thomas Jacket, leather Halvarssons trousers, leather gloves, leather combat boots. For Summer, I switch to another leather FT jacket with vented panels.

I chose a size/model that lets me fit layers beneath, can fit under waterproofs and can be altered to match the weather/temperatures.
I've ridden in -7ºC standing temperatures (which means around -35ºC at 70mph) fairly happily with just appropriate underlayers on.


+1 for 'last season' kit. I picked up a pair of £200 jackets for about £30 each, brand new, zero defects, just 'last season'!!

I don't care how hot or cold it gets, leather still gives the best protection against sliding, bar none.
Sweat, or bleed - Your choice.
 
I had the same dilemma and wanted something comfy, suitable for all year round commuting and for a nice summers day ride.

I ended up settling on a Halvarssons Panzar textile. Absolutely love it. Super damn comfy, armor + back protection. Vents for air flow, removable zip in and zip out high vis tabard, inner linings and neck warmer.

Not cheap at £340 but worth every penny in my eyes. Armor stays where it is supposed to, is waterproof, cool when needed and warm when not.

For trousers I wear Halvarssons Abrasion resistant Jeans, a little thick in the main protection zones and tend to fall off your arse without a decent belt but otherwise fine. Better than 0 protection.
 
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