monkeyjim Posted January 26, 2013 Posted January 26, 2013 Hi all, I am thinking about some new winter riding gear . It's starting to get a bit cold and damp on my XJ6 recently. I have had Frank Thomas textiles for nearly 4 years and they are getting past it . Got a 3 layer jacket : outer , so called windproof/waterproof and thermal antifreeze linings . but the inner lining zips have gone and this is drafty in the winter , the outer zip pull has broken and I now have a key ring on it. Plus my balls get wet when it rains despite the 3 piece construction of the trousers , you have all been there I am sure . Taken to using a plastic throw away car seat cover from workshop stuffed down my waterproof rain over trousers like a bloody nappy . Yes my waterproofs leak too. The textiles were my first set when I started riding so suppose I can't complain too much. The waterproofs are just out of warranty , don't buy frank Thomas water proof rain trousers . What do you guys recommend ? That is a silly question really as one persons rst pants will leak the other guys won't etc etc so I am leaving myself open to contradicting reviews I guess . Who rides all year round and in the weather we are experiencing in the uk now , ie. cold and wet . Budget is £300 max for jacket and trozzies . I also have a Street Triple and whilst looking through there website at the new version I came across triumph adventure jacket and trousers . I thought they looked just the ticket and spec seams reasonable at the price . It is the style of gear you would ride a tiger or a BMW gs in and that to me implies all weathers and climates . Cannot be worse than my Ft stuff and that was to my newbie riders eyes up to the job when I first bought them. It's a bargain price at the moment and a email from Triumph tells me they are year round garments but can I find a review of the stuff by someone who uses it all year round and does not live in California or Sydney , nope . Tiger forum won't let me register for some reason so no joy there. Look forward to hearing what you have to say. Cheers .
Moderator Cynic Posted January 26, 2013 Moderator Posted January 26, 2013 Year round on a dt with rst jacket. Getting its pension soon and some ft trousers. Neither are perfect but at the money you cant argue. If i'm looking at a longer trip i have some old fasioned hi viz polysomething waterproofs that dont leak and my leathers fit underneath.
monkeyjim Posted January 26, 2013 Author Posted January 26, 2013 I know what you mean about hi-viz stuff , occasionally when it is really cold I wear a large hi-viz jacket over all my gear . Just had a look at the RST Paragon 3 jacket and the spec is good .
shambles1980 Posted January 27, 2013 Posted January 27, 2013 nothing seems to keep me dry and warm ever lol. So i am watching this thread with interest.
kenDAWG Posted January 27, 2013 Posted January 27, 2013 All I got is regatta water proof over trousers and a mac in the sac for when it rains lol, there small and fit in there own little bags then I have some cheap asse armoured trousers and jacket that offer no water proof values but are warm (I think most jackets that offer full waterproof protection don't keep the water out for very long) If it rains I gotta pull over and get my water proofs out so I'm also interested in seeing if anyone has found a waterproof setup Ken
bippo Posted January 27, 2013 Posted January 27, 2013 For those cold days: I wear a long sleeve Helly Hanson base layer which is good for wicking any sweat away from my body, thus helping to keep you warm. It's also fast drying and doesn't smell. I then wear a bigger long sleeve HH t-shirt which complements the base layer. Then it's just on with some cheap bike jacket (thermal zipper liner included). That combo keeps my top half warm (but not dry). My hands get cold, but then again I only have 80 quid winter gloves. That doesn't bother me though. However, once I have my full licence and a more long term bike I will be getting hand guards and heated grips to try and help on longer journeys. I will also eventually try buying some more expensive gloves that have greater waterproof properties, which I personal favour over the warmth properties. For my feet I have forked out for bike socks - Alpinestars ones. For 18 quid a go they aren't the cheapest but their winter socks pull up to my knees and keep everything warm down there. I also have touring boots which are completely waterproof. For my legs, I bought thermal leggings which I pop on under my trousers on particularly cold days. They do the job, however longer term I will be saving up for some proper winter bike trousers. For my head I wear a balaclava. I look like a pillock when I take my helmet off at a petrol station, but it keeps my cheeks, chin and neck warm. I also wear a Buff which I love. Understand you can get Buffs with a waterproof outer which may be worth investigating as mine would get wet in rain. Anyway with the Buff pulled over my nose I can ride in cold weather with my visor fully open on an unfaired bike at a constant 60mph which is quite refreshing - so that gives you an idea of how warm the balaclava / Buff / full face visor combo is. In terms of keeping dry, none of the above does that. So just like Ken, I have waterproof pull overs that I carry around. Even with the most expensive waterproof bike gear I believe I would still use these as they dry much faster, plus help to keep the road spray crap off your more expensive gear. Mine are a mid range Alpinestars set and cost me about 80 quid in total. The longest rainy trip I've done in these was 220 miles in one go. The weather was horrible - loads of spray, traffic and heavy rain. However when I got to my destination I'm pleased to say they didn't have any leaky seams or 'weak' spots. The ONLY wet part were my hands and about an inch of my cuffs as I hadn't sealed the jacket around the gloves properly. It tucked up well around my neck too so I didn't get and nasty cold drips down my back. As a result, only the gloves spent the night drying on the radiator. Winner! Sorry for the long post! But hopefully the above will give you some idea. At the end of the day, one persons solution may not entirely work for another person. For me, my priority is keeping dry. With regards to warmth, I'm not a person who feels the cold, so I don't need to wrap up excessively, but I have purchased enough stuff, that, when worn together will keep me comfortable. Out of all the 'warm' clothing I mentioned above, the thermal leggings are the least used in my collection as the long socks mean only my thighs get cold which personally doesn't bother me. Certainly though on long trips, or trips where you won't be able to get warm at the end of it, I'd say prepare yourself as best as possible and don't cut corners.
monkeyjim Posted January 27, 2013 Author Posted January 27, 2013 To be honest I will still have a waterproof rain jacket and trousers in my rucksack if rain is forecast . I am annoyed the frank Thomas waterproof overtrousers let water in around my crutch already, meaning the water goes through 6 layers of fabric before the old man gets damp, 2 layers are waterproof supposedly . Why is it so hard for the manufacturers to make something that does not leak even in light rain without having to spend £800 plus on it all . I would love to know how much of the gear is actually given to riders to evaluate on the road . The RST paragon jacket has a 150g fleece lining , some only have 75 and most do not say what they are . I have goretex Dianese boots and I think boots with goretex or one of the many goretex alternatives is a must. I had a new pair of RST waterproof boots and found feet getting damp 20 miles into my 25 mile commute. I swapped them for another pair and they did the same . Gave them back and bought the Dianese pair , a little bit more, think they cost nearly £130 but had dry feet for just over 2 years now. I had a cheap pair before that as my first riding boots , Oxford or a similar brand , they were also goretex and kept me dry until they just worn out . I also have a balaclava of the windstopper variety , worked fine but its performance seems to reduce after being washed . Going back to goretex I believe that i read something about it should be left to dry naturally , so instead of putting your gloves on the rad to dry out, let them dry naturally . You will have to look that up to get the lowdown on that one . My bikers goretex gloves are not as good as they used to be , unfortunately I read about drying them out naturally long after i first got them and they had been on the rad a few times to dry. Any views on new jacket and trousers ?
kenDAWG Posted January 27, 2013 Posted January 27, 2013 I do believe that these manufacturers should state clearly if they are water proof or splash proof... Maybe like a grading system of how long they would stay waterproof 1hr 2hr etc etc but they wouldn't do that would they there happy for us to buy there shit to bin it for another.... Ken
neversaydie Posted January 27, 2013 Posted January 27, 2013 I've got the same as Ken for wet riding, Regatta overtrousers and a Regatta mac for the top half, £30 for both if I recall. I reckon the branded name biker stuff is way overpriced, paying extra for the name
monkeyjim Posted January 27, 2013 Author Posted January 27, 2013 I have emailed RST and Moto direct who are the parent company to RST and other well known brands to see what they say about waterproof clothing that is not waterproof and fit for the purpose it was purchased for and also mentioned the suggestion of waterproof ratings . Doubt will get anywhere but you never know , might get a reply .
kenDAWG Posted January 27, 2013 Posted January 27, 2013 they will just say something like "we have taken aboard your suggestions but we would need to test out all our clothing and we dont have the time/employee's so therfore we rely on our customers feedback" you know the kind of shit they pull.... how about something like this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Grangers-Fabsil-Waterproofing-Spray-600ml/dp/B0017RKDF2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359309494&sr=8-1 ken
blackhat250 Posted January 27, 2013 Posted January 27, 2013 I also wear a Buff Aye bippo" could you post up a photo of you in the Buff , before we buy one,,, 1
bippo Posted January 27, 2013 Posted January 27, 2013 Aye bippo" could you post up a photo of you in the Buff , before we buy one,,, Cheeky swine...
slice Posted January 29, 2013 Posted January 29, 2013 For my sins when I was but a lad I used my sailing trousers they were bright yellow and had braces and rubber cuff thingys on the bottom of each leg, they were'nt cool looking and people used to squint when I went by but by christ they were waterproof, all the seams were sealed and even when the boat tipped over I never got wet, so if you don't mind looking like total prat and you want something cheap give nautical/sailing kit a try. As for me when it rains I go in the car, yes I know boo hisss and other comments but I'm OLD. 1
monkeyjim Posted February 1, 2013 Author Posted February 1, 2013 they will just say something like "we have taken aboard your suggestions but we would need to test out all our clothing and we dont have the time/employee's so therfore we rely on our customers feedback" you know the kind of shit they pull.... how about something like thishttp://www.amazon.co.uk/Grangers-Fabsil-Waterproofing-Spray-600ml/dp/B0017RKDF2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359309494&sr=8-1 ken Or they will not reply at all .............. Which is the case it seems. I read about the RST Paragon jacket on MCN way down in the clothing review section . The tester reckoned a sieve would be better at keeping water out . It would seam though that one mans sieve is another man's ( or women's , sorry bippo ) never let water in waterproof jacket. The sailor gear is not so daft . I work in the motor trade and have been given a fluorescent quilted jacket by my local Unipart dealer . I actually use it when it is cold over my FT bike jacket . It keeps the wind out , keeps me warm because its quilt lined and it keeps me dry , it does not even leak through to my normal bike jacket underneath. . Ok It's not a bike garment on its own but it bloody works . I will ask if they can find some trousers to match. As for looking daft wearing it all , I rate a race rep bike and logo'd one piece leathers higher in the looking like a wally department .
slice Posted February 2, 2013 Posted February 2, 2013 Thank you Monkeyjim It seems I'm not so daft after all and your right just the thought of trying to get into one of those one piece leather race outfits gives me the creeps, plus I would look like a badly stuffed duvet.
monkeyjim Posted February 2, 2013 Author Posted February 2, 2013 I bought one piece waterproofs when I started riding , they were such a nightmare I would not entertain a one piece ever again . My Mate at work also got given a jacket from Unipart and up until he stopped riding for the winter he used to wear his when it was raining . I think I will buy new jacket and trousers because my current ones are worn out and invest in some good waterproof over-trousers rather than trying to find textile jacket and trozzies that will keep me dry and that would cost me hundreds and hundreds so I would much rather look like a trawlerman for £15 . Will give Unipart a call Monday , if they can't get matching ones to their jacket it's off to Screwfix .
Campaman Posted February 4, 2013 Posted February 4, 2013 I was given some gear including a one piece Weiss waterproof oversuit, and a pair of Hein Gericke leather trousers. Althought the Weiss appears to be pretty much 99.9% waterproof I prefer my standard over trousers that I picked up from an outdoor gear shop and are basically hiking over trousers, as they are so much easier to get in and out off. The Hein Gericke trousers were black with silver writing and a couple of silver stripes, and as much as I don't really care what I look like, I didn't feel comfortable in wearing them on the Dragstar, so I hit the silver parts with black spray paint, now with a pair of longjohns under them, the over trousers on top my bottom half is warm and dry, my top is just a basic Akito textile jacket with thermal lining that so far has proven to be waterproof.
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