Thoughts On Riding Jackets And Pants
 

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Some thoughts on riding jackets and pants...

Like almost everyone else I started out by buying the cheapest available riding jacket and pant, mainly because I didn't know any better. I picked a set from Cramster and used it for a while. Although it did the trick, I found it quite uncomfortable and extremely hot to ride on a sunny day. I decided to upgrade to an expensive Harley-Davidson set which was a lot nicer to wear. But I still got cooked in the sun, in spite of all its air vents.

I concluded that air vents provide only a limited amount of ventilation. So to solve the problem, I decided to buy a full mesh jacket. I chose an extemely lightweight Bilt riding jacket and pant. With the armor, the riding pant was as light as my Levi's jeans. The jacket was extremely light as well and came with a thermal lining. This set up was great for riding my motorcycles on trails where I not only had to deal with the sun, but also needed to exert myself wrestling with my bike or pushing someone else's.

But there was a problem. My rides usually started early in the morning when it was chilly, spread across the hot afternoon and often ended late at night. And then there was the rain to deal with for a few months of the year. I was looking for a set up that would handle all the situations for all days of the year. After giving it some thought I realized that I was trying to solve a very complex problem. As my Mathematics professor in Engineering college used to say, every complex problem can be solved if you break it down into smaller and simpler ones. So that is precisely what I did.

These were my smaller problems
1) Body and joint protection
2) Cold protection
3) Heat protection
4) Light rain protection
5) Heavy rain protection
6) Perspiration reduction
7) Body odor reduction
8) Lightweight design

The solution I came up with was a Leatt body armor set worn under a Bilt full mesh riding jacket with a Quechua down jacket tucked away in my hydration pack and a raincoat in the tank or tail bag.

Starting the ride in the cold morning I wear the down jacket under the riding jacket. Not only does this shield me from the cold, but also from light rain. If it's very cold then I wear the rain coat over everything. As the sun comes up I remove the down jacket, fold it and put it away in my hydration pack to use again when the sun goes down.

The Leatt body armor offers far greater protection than the armor pads in the Bilt riding jacket and pant. Also the armor is so light and flexible, I don't realize that I'm wearing it. The fabric of the armor is made up of a moisture wicking material. So all my sweat is quite literally extracted out of me, keeping me cool in the bargain. A side effect is that body odor reduces drastically.

I leave the armor pads and thermal lining of the Bilt jacket at home, which makes it even more lighter. I need to carry something to keep me warm when riding to cold places. I would look pretty stupid walking the streets wearing just the thermal lining of the riding jacket. The Quechua down jacket works well till -5 degrees Celsius and using it as the thermal lining for the full mesh jacket kills two birds with one stone. Three when you realize that the down jacket is also water repellent and can act as a raincoat for light rain.

This is a long drawn explanation for why I'm doing what I'm doing. I'm sorry if you were looking for me to recommend just one brand or model of riding jacket and pant. I'm convinced that there is no single riding jacket and pant that solves all my problems. If you know of one, I'm all ears.

Bonus Gyaan

1) The Leatt body vest comes with chest and back armor to protect my rib cage. But with the down jacket stored in my hydration pack, along with the water, my back gets an even softer cushion to soften any blow.

2) I never place any hard object, such as a camera, in my hydration pack. People don't realize it, but even a light fall on your back can ruin your spine (and potentially your life) if the hard object happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

3) It is also a good habit to keep the hydration pack filled with water. More water in the pack, more is the cushion for your back. A chest mounted action camera is a bad idea for the same reason.

4) Another advantage of the Leatt armor, specially the knee guards, is that they stick to the part of the body they are supposed to protect. The problem with armor pads in riding pants is that they are in place when you are standing up and walking around. But when you sit on the motorcycle, the pants (and hence the armor pads) twist inwards leaving half the knee unprotected. After falling a few times and taking a beating on my knees, I figured that the best way to protect them was to strap proper knee guards which were free from the twisting riding pants.

Product Links:

Bilt Techno Jacket: https://www.cyclegear.com/gear/bilt-techno-jacket
Bilt Storm Waterproof Overpants: https://www.cyclegear.com/gear/bilt-...roof-overpants
Quechua Down Jacket: Buy Hiking Warm Wear Online In India|Down Jacket Forclaz 300 Anthra|Quechua
Leatt Body Armor:
** Body Tee 3DF Airfit Lite: Body Tee 3DF AirFit Lite - Adult - Upper Body Protection - 3DF Soft Shell - Body Armour | Leatt® | Protective Neck Braces, Body Armour & Sports Gear
** Elbow Guard Airflex: Elbow Guard AirFlex - Adult - Elbow Guards - 3DF Soft Shell - Body Armour | Leatt® | Protective Neck Braces, Body Armour & Sports Gear
** Impact Shorts GPX 5.5 Airflex: Impact Shorts GPX 5.5 Airflex - Off-Road - Impact Shorts - Body Armour | Leatt® | Protective Neck Braces, Body Armour & Sports Gear
** Knee Guard Airflex Pro: Knee Guard AirFlex Pro - Adult - Knee & Leg Guards - 3DF Soft Shell - Body Armour | Leatt® | Protective Neck Braces, Body Armour & Sports Gear

I used a similar setup on all my trips (minus the body armor on upper body, kept the armor in my mesh jacket). This setup works really well, allowed me to be comfortable in all but the coldest weather.


The only downfall for me is that when I spend almost everyday on the road, months after months on big trips, I tend to get lazy and don't want to stop by the side of the road to put on my rain suit. I gamble, tell myself that it's only a light drizzle but it ends up being a big shower and I get all wet or the opposite, I stop on the side of the road and put on the rain suit only to emerge out of the rain 5 minutes later. It's not a major concern and is just part of the game, but I have to admit that I'm kinda envious of those high end jacket like the Rev'it Dominator GTX or the Klim Badland. These jackets are suppose to vent really well while being a proper waterproof shell. When you hit some rain, close the vents and you're protected from the element. Sure sounds good to me ;)


For my next trip on the Trans America Trail, I have modified my setup:


lower body: Sidi Adventure rain GTX boots, Dainese shin/knee pads, Klim Dakar Pants.


Upper body: TLD 7850 Armored shirt, elbow guards, Klim Dakar Pro jersey (provides a bit of abrasion resistance, replace a jacket), PowerXross Pullover GTX (a windproof and waterproof shell to put over everything for protection against the element)


This setup is more lightweight and comfortable, more suited for an off-road oriented trip like the TAT. I still have to test it though...

I think these expensive jackets may work quite well for the first few months in a moderate downpour - until the seams stretch and become porous - but when riding in real wet weather, such as tropical monsoons, only rubber will keep the water out.

I speak from 45 years of riding experience - if you really want to stay dry, rubber is the ONLY material that works.

After a similar length of time riding bikes I tend to agree. If the rain is heavy enough it will get through. Sure, new stuff tends to survive a bit longer and in many cases you may have arrived at your destination (even if that's only a cafe to wait it out) before the water trickles through but if I have to keep going my expectation is I'll eventually get wet.

Before anyone thinks I really ought to spend a bit more money on my riding jacket etc I'd mention that (many years ago) I used a diving dry suit for a while as my waterproof layer and even that started to leak eventually.

If you ride a bike with a decent fairing it will act as another layer of protection but even on my GoldWing and wearing three waterproof layers I've gone from dry to soaked in under five minutes when the rain was so heavy that the traffic came to a standstill.

And of course once the rain gets in you have all that high tech "waterproofing" stopping it getting out again. After a morning of riding through heavy rain in Wyoming a year or so ago we stopped for fuel when the sun eventually came out and the friend I was riding with emptied about 100ml of water out of each sleeve - despite a fairly new big name jacket and a nylon oversuit. Picture below is him draining one of the sleeves.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps3i8xqufp.jpg

I'm a fan of Hein Gericke jackets and trousers. Never had a problem with any of them, always dry and warm when needed and very comfortable to wear. Excellent quality for a much lower price than Klim, Rukka, Bilt etc.
Ultimately it depends what you're using it for and I'm sure the really expensive stuff can back it up to some degree but as mentioned before if the sky wants you to get wet then there isn't really anything you can do to stop it. Damage limitation is the best you can hope for.

My Hein Gericke fell apart. Using Klim mesh now. Awesome gear.

the same if you don't want to have more kids :rofl:

As for the riding jackets and pants I use now three layers RST Adventure set and cannot complain. Personally I am not obsesses with staying completely dry while raining. Few drops may go in fine :thumbup1: Boots are the one I have to have dry 100%.

Good maintenance of your Gore-Tex gear can really help in maintaining the waterproofness and breathability. Gore-Tex gear needs to be washed frequently and dried in the machine for the DWR to rejuvenate.

There's a VERY keenly priced summer suit available from MOTOBOY (China made - but what isn't these days) which is mesh, has built-in armour, and at around £110 for jacket & pants is great value.....https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...f45763e6d.jpeg
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Does anyone have any experience with this brand?
It would seem to be perfect for my riding condition in the tropics!


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