Casual protective clothes?
Discussion
New to this section, but have wanted to begin my journey to a full A license for a while now.
Friend of mine donated his old Furygan jacket to me some years back, and its the only appropriate thing I have (other than a helmet
) for riding.
Don't want full leathers (not least because I'd look a bit keen on a 125 ), and liking the idea of some of these armoured hoodys and jeans as well as the casual trainers. The cost effective stuff seems to be on Amazon, but not sure about quality/safety/longevity.
Any recommendations? Are waterproof hoodys/jeans a thing?
Friend of mine donated his old Furygan jacket to me some years back, and its the only appropriate thing I have (other than a helmet
) for riding. Don't want full leathers (not least because I'd look a bit keen on a 125
), and liking the idea of some of these armoured hoodys and jeans as well as the casual trainers. The cost effective stuff seems to be on Amazon, but not sure about quality/safety/longevity. Any recommendations? Are waterproof hoodys/jeans a thing?
I've been riding bikes for forty years, only recently owned any bike kit. My advice would be, don't bother with cheap bike kit from Amazon, if you are at all concerned about safety, buy decent kit. Labels will show if it up to the job. That said, I managed well enough without (tho' I do have to admit to dying in an accident many, many years back), but my recent purchase of a £250 Merlin jacket (budget crap according to a lot of folk!) is an eye opener and I could have done with something similar when I was younger. Being designed for bike use, the sleeves aren't too short when you reach for the bars, pockets don't fill with water, it doesn't flap about at speed, and there are loads of pockets (tho' quite who would need so many, beats me). In the main, I tend to use work trousers (dry out quickly once the rain stops), walking boots, an old leather jacket and a cheap pair of gloves - none of which will give much protection in an accident, but you know what they say about choice... Much more pleasant for lounging around in the pub or walking the hills tho'.
Here you go:
https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/...
They also have a filter for CE Rating; AAA being the most abrasion resistant.
https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/...
They also have a filter for CE Rating; AAA being the most abrasion resistant.
Get yourself to your local SportBikkeShop, J&S or whatever you have close to you and have a look, you can check their website or ebay shop to see what's available then try on in store.
£300 will easily get you a decent jacket, jeans and boots combo from reputable brands, much of it with D3O armour which is nice.
£300 will easily get you a decent jacket, jeans and boots combo from reputable brands, much of it with D3O armour which is nice.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing//topic.asp?h=0...
have a look through here, the xlmoto stuff seems to be popular when the offers are on,
have a look through here, the xlmoto stuff seems to be popular when the offers are on,
benjipeg said:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing//topic.asp?h=0...
have a look through here, the xlmoto stuff seems to be popular when the offers are on,
The jeans from there are good. The leather jackets though, at least the one I had, are proper rubbish. have a look through here, the xlmoto stuff seems to be popular when the offers are on,
Firstly good luck with getting your full licence.
It's worth having a look at Bennetts website, they don't sell clothes but you'll find a lot of useful research as to what's good and what's not so good.
https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial
It's worth having a look at Bennetts website, they don't sell clothes but you'll find a lot of useful research as to what's good and what's not so good.
https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial
Avoid the stuff off Amazon.
Like others have said already. Get yourself along to somewhere like SportsbikeShop or J&S if you have one local to you.
Sportsbikeshop also has a great returns policy, so you could order a whole load of stuff online if you wish, keep what you want and return what you don’t.
If you’re doing it on a budget and want new quality gear then take a look at the likes of RST, Oxford, Richa.
Protective ratings range from A rated which is the lowest rating, through to AAA rating at the highest end.
And to repeat, stay away from the Amazon stuff.
Like others have said already. Get yourself along to somewhere like SportsbikeShop or J&S if you have one local to you.
Sportsbikeshop also has a great returns policy, so you could order a whole load of stuff online if you wish, keep what you want and return what you don’t.
If you’re doing it on a budget and want new quality gear then take a look at the likes of RST, Oxford, Richa.
Protective ratings range from A rated which is the lowest rating, through to AAA rating at the highest end.
And to repeat, stay away from the Amazon stuff.
KTMsm said:
If you want cheap and good - buy used
Just browse ebay / FB see what comes up
This is the way to go when on a budget. I have recently sold a lot of biking gear on Facebook market place which included Alpinestars boots, jacket and gloves. My last lot I put on this weekend , currently a RST TracTech Evo 3 jacket and a pair of Alpinestars Drystar gloves. All in very good condition with no signs of wear. Just browse ebay / FB see what comes up
There is a lot of hardly used biking gear out there for sale and bargains waiting to be had.
Just never buy a crash helmet this way !
The Roadskin hoodie in this link is protective and very comfortable.
https://roadskin.co.uk/
I also have a pair of their jeans. In general, I find it more comfortable just to wear normal pants (long or short depending on season) and have armored bike pants over the top. When I arrive, I take the over pants off and leave them in the bike (required top box or panniers). The hoodie is the only motorcycle clothing I have which is genuinely as comfortable as a non-protective, non-bike equivalent when wearing it. The jeans you will still notice as they have knee or knee and hip armor.
I would not wear trainers. You can get ankle length short motorcycle boots which are comfortable to walk in off the bike.
https://roadskin.co.uk/
I also have a pair of their jeans. In general, I find it more comfortable just to wear normal pants (long or short depending on season) and have armored bike pants over the top. When I arrive, I take the over pants off and leave them in the bike (required top box or panniers). The hoodie is the only motorcycle clothing I have which is genuinely as comfortable as a non-protective, non-bike equivalent when wearing it. The jeans you will still notice as they have knee or knee and hip armor.
I would not wear trainers. You can get ankle length short motorcycle boots which are comfortable to walk in off the bike.
Biker 1 said:
I understand that foot injuries are very common from even minor bike mishaps & can be extremely complicated & time consuming to sort out, so avoid trainers etc.
“The most common injuries I see in my job are below the knee.”https://www.whitedalton.co.uk/motorbike-blog/2017/...
First jeans I bought were roadskin AAA jeans https://roadskin.co.uk/
I got TCX dartwood boots
and a jacket that had full back elbow and shoulder protection from a reputable shop
It can be a little minefield to be honest, it made my head hurt at certain points trying to decide what to get but I thought the above was a really good starting point.
https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/...
https://roadskin.co.uk/collections/motorcycle-jean...
of course don't forget gloves!
I got TCX dartwood boots
and a jacket that had full back elbow and shoulder protection from a reputable shop
It can be a little minefield to be honest, it made my head hurt at certain points trying to decide what to get but I thought the above was a really good starting point.
https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/...
https://roadskin.co.uk/collections/motorcycle-jean...
of course don't forget gloves!
Edited by Chamon_Lee on Thursday 17th August 09:46
Biker 1 said:
Lots of good advice above.
However: I understand that foot injuries are very common from even minor bike mishaps & can be extremely complicated & time consuming to sort out, so avoid trainers etc.
Yep, some strong boots that cover the ankles are a must have, a low speed off around town wearing trainers and your feet can be messed up for life.However: I understand that foot injuries are very common from even minor bike mishaps & can be extremely complicated & time consuming to sort out, so avoid trainers etc.
In 2008 I shattered my feet and ankles in a car accident in a 50mph impact, thankfully the surgeon on duty in A&E was a foot specialist and he saved my feet, after multiple operations and 6 months in a wheel chair I could learn to walk again. I still have nerve damage pain, and limited walking endurance 15 years later.
Bike gear can be expensive for quality stuff. Just remember that it's the only thing between you and a very hard and unforgiving road should you and your bike become strangers at speed.
I've had jackets and jeans from XL moto's Course brand. The jeans have a hole in the pocket and I had to trim off some prickly plastic thread when I first got them but otherwise they're comfortable, have a fair amount of protective cushioning all over and seem to be coping well with use. I have another pair of biker jeans from a brand called Hood. They're just tougher jeans with an inner lining. Comfortable but not protective. The Course leather jacket I've got is quite nice and still smells strongly of leather over a year on. No major criticisms on it. My only observation is that the leather on the very edge of the cuff seems to be wearing faster than the rest of the jacket but I suppose it takes a fair amount of abuse when putting gloves on. Otherwise it's pretty comfortable and I've used it loads without any foibles.
I've looked at the Alpinestars hoodies a fair few times but can't justify close to £200 in some cases for a hoodie that won't keep me dry when the weather gets typically British. I'm led to believe they're good quality though. Alpinestars do the trainer style shoes too, but proper biker ones. They're also closing in on £200 if memory serves but XL Moto do cheaper alternatives that I'd be interested in trying next time I need some boots.
All this chat has made me want to look into some new kit. My bank account just started sweating.
I've had jackets and jeans from XL moto's Course brand. The jeans have a hole in the pocket and I had to trim off some prickly plastic thread when I first got them but otherwise they're comfortable, have a fair amount of protective cushioning all over and seem to be coping well with use. I have another pair of biker jeans from a brand called Hood. They're just tougher jeans with an inner lining. Comfortable but not protective. The Course leather jacket I've got is quite nice and still smells strongly of leather over a year on. No major criticisms on it. My only observation is that the leather on the very edge of the cuff seems to be wearing faster than the rest of the jacket but I suppose it takes a fair amount of abuse when putting gloves on. Otherwise it's pretty comfortable and I've used it loads without any foibles.
I've looked at the Alpinestars hoodies a fair few times but can't justify close to £200 in some cases for a hoodie that won't keep me dry when the weather gets typically British. I'm led to believe they're good quality though. Alpinestars do the trainer style shoes too, but proper biker ones. They're also closing in on £200 if memory serves but XL Moto do cheaper alternatives that I'd be interested in trying next time I need some boots.
All this chat has made me want to look into some new kit. My bank account just started sweating.
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