Riding attire?

[Bcsmith]

Hello NC riders. Just a few questions about riding gear. I have been wearing a fieldsheer mesh jacket with built in protective pieces. That with some thick black denim pants, leather boots and gloves. This worked well in the warmer weather but now that it is getting cooler I have been gifted a rugged leather jacket as well as some leather chaps. This seems to be warmer I am wondering what other riders prefer to wear? Although I do get off the main paved roads on occasion I mostly ride remote paved roads. The leather is physically much heavier I am not sure which would provide the better protection.

 

[melensdad]

Just in general terms there are padded jackets and there are jackets with armor. Those are 2 different things. Motorcycle clothes are designed to protect you more in skids and slides which typically protect you also when you roll. Armor (which commonly comes in CE Level 1 and CE Level 2) is designed to absorb and spread impact to reduce damage to your joints/bones. Padding offers far less protection. Armor is typically removable and adjustable, while padding is frequently sewn into the garment. I'm not sure what your Fieldshear jacket has, it may have armor or padding or a combination of both.

Even a mesh jacket is designed to protect you from road rash in a slide/skid. Leather also, typically protects in a slide/skid. But much of it depends upon the type of the leather and its thickness, how it was tanned, if it is split leather, etc. Generally thin leather is worthless. Generally split leather is worthless. There are exceptions! If the Fieldshear has "armor" instead of padding and if the leather jacket has no padding or armor, then the Fieldshear would be more protective.

For whatever it is worth, regular denim blue jeans (Wrangler, Levis, or even Carhartt) offer virtually zero protection and will shred almost upon impact with asphalt if you slide. Moto jeans typically are reinforced with Kevlar or some similar fiber to prevent them from shredding and will minimize road rash.

If you are looking for warmth in cooler weather, then anything other than mesh is going to be good.

I'm big fan of FirstGear brand moto clothing. Its modestly priced, typically well designed and typically protective. Olympia brand gear, as well as several others are similar. There are lower priced brands and higher priced brands. Typically higher prices offer better grade materials and more features but not always better protection.

For whatever it is worth, many of us here are ATGATT (All the Gear, All the Time) riders who don't go out without wearing full armor pants, jackets, motorcycle gloves, helmets, and even motorcycle specific protective boots.

 

[Bcsmith]

Just in general terms there are padded jackets and there are jackets with armor. Those are 2 different things. Motorcycle clothes are designed to protect you more in skids and slides which typically protect you also when you roll. Armor (which commonly comes in CE Level 1 and CE Level 2) is designed to absorb and spread impact to reduce damage to your joints/bones. Padding offers far less protection. Armor is typically removable and adjustable, while padding is frequently sewn into the garment. I'm not sure what your Fieldshear jacket has, it may have armor or padding or a combination of both.

Even a mesh jacket is designed to protect you from road rash in a slide/skid. Leather also, typically protects in a slide/skid. But much of it depends upon the type of the leather and its thickness, how it was tanned, if it is split leather, etc. Generally thin leather is worthless. Generally split leather is worthless. There are exceptions! If the Fieldshear has "armor" instead of padding and if the leather jacket has no padding or armor, then the Fieldshear would be more protective.

For whatever it is worth, regular denim blue jeans (Wrangler, Levis, or even Carhartt) offer virtually zero protection and will shred almost upon impact with asphalt if you slide. Moto jeans typically are reinforced with Kevlar or some similar fiber to prevent them from shredding and will minimize road rash.

If you are looking for warmth in cooler weather, then anything other than mesh is going to be good.

I'm big fan of FirstGear brand moto clothing. Its modestly priced, typically well designed and typically protective. Olympia brand gear, as well as several others are similar. There are lower priced brands and higher priced brands. Typically higher prices offer better grade materials and more features but not always better protection.

For whatever it is worth, many of us here are ATGATT (All the Gear, All the Time) riders who don't go out without wearing full armor pants, jackets, motorcycle gloves, helmets, and even motorcycle specific protective boots.

Melonsdad thank you for the very informative reply. I will need to do more research but you have made some very good points. Definitely sending me in the right direction. I have been having a little trouble getting proper gear with all the COVID restrictions this summer. I like to try gear on rather than trying to order online. I like the acronym ATGATT makes sense to me as when I ride it’s not just a quick commute but usually a full day of riding.

 

[melensdad]

I’ve unfortunately found the local shops near me have very limited offerings. Most of my clothing has been via mail order. My exposure to actually trying before buying FirstGear and Klim was at a well stocked shop 200 miles from my home! I’m not sure who the big on-line suppliers are in Canada. I think FortNine is one of them?

Good luck with your searching.

 

[potter0o]

GP Bikes in Whitby, ON has a pretty good online presence. Blackfoot online would be a lesser known version of FortNine.

 

[melensdad]

Some people find this guy annoying, some find him informative. I personally appreciate his geekness and his technical information. But you may want to dig through some of the reviews because, even if you find him annoying, he does provide some serious insight into motorcycle gear.

LINK --> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNSMdQtn1SuFzCZjfK2C7dQ

 

[PNW-J6]

Melonsdad thank you for the very informative reply. I will need to do more research but you have made some very good points. Definitely sending me in the right direction. I have been having a little trouble getting proper gear with all the COVID restrictions this summer. I like to try gear on rather than trying to order online. I like the acronym ATGATT makes sense to me as when I ride it’s not just a quick commute but usually a full day of riding.

I went for an armored mesh jacket knowing it would be best in summer and have been very happy with it even in the cold when layered with a down jacket underneath and a rain jacket over the top. I know there are purpose built layering systems but the diy method works for me. I think you'd be better off investing in riding pants, boots and gloves.

 

[Deleted member 8387]

Joe Rocket. I have their mesh jacket for the summer, then their textile jacket, black, with the high-viz yellow shoulders for cooler weather.

 

[LeeInMpls]

I found a Joe Rocket mesh jacket at the St. Vincent's thrift store a couple years ago.. The jacket was in new condition but the pads were disintigrating. I paid $20.00 for the jacket and it was pretty cheap to replace the pads. I found a Joe Rocket "Military" yellow reflective mesh vest I wear over the jacket. That only cost $18.00 My leather jacket can fit over the mesh for cold weather. I have Joe Rocket mesh pants. Tailor altered to give more waist room. I have an HJC cl-17 full helmet with a transition pinlock anti-fog insert. I mail ordered Fox motocross boots, but they were the wrong size and too bulky, so I sent those back and got Joe Rocket touring boots. For commuting, instead of the mesh pants, I wear jeans and some velcro-ed on knee and shin guards. The boots over pants help keep the leg guards from slipping down.

Nothing like wearing the right gear to enhance the ride. You feel like a knight suiting up to get on your Iron Horse.

 

[GregC]

For hot weather I have both a FirstGear Mesh Tex jacket and a Klim Induction (the Klim is much better, and a lot more expensive). Both have D30 armor (I upgraded the FirstGear with separate armor). For colder weather, I have a FirstGear Kilimanjaro jacket -- awesome, easily layered under, great armor. I've worn that down below 32F on multiple occasions with the right base layer and a Columbia OmniHeat fleece underneath.

Pants are primarily Rev'It Sand (for hot weather) and FirstGear TGP pants (no longer made). Again, great abrasion and armor.

It's a bit breathtaking how expensive good motorcycle jackets and pants are, and upgrading armor when necessary ... however, I line that up with what a trip to the ED, ortho, surgery/skin grafts, PT/OT, and time out of work would cost. Puts the investment in perspective.

I too am ATGATT.

 

[Bcsmith]

Some people find this guy annoying, some find him informative. I personally appreciate his geekness and his technical information. But you may want to dig through some of the reviews because, even if you find him annoying, he does provide some serious insight into motorcycle gear.

LINK --> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNSMdQtn1SuFzCZjfK2C7dQ

Hahahaha I can see why he might be annoying but I watched several of his videos

 

[LeeInMpls]

Hahahaha I can see why he might be annoying but I watched several of his videos

I like this Vlog Canuck. (I subscribe to him) But then, I live in Minnesota, You Betcha!

 

[melensdad]

Bcsmith, I want to echo what GregC said about some things.

For hot weather I have both a FirstGear Mesh Tex jacket and a Klim Induction (the Klim is much better, and a lot more expensive). Both have D30 armor (I upgraded the FirstGear with separate armor). For colder weather, I have a FirstGear Kilimanjaro jacket -- awesome, easily layered under, great armor. I've worn that down below 32F on multiple occasions with the right base layer and a Columbia OmniHeat fleece underneath.

Pants are primarily Rev'It Sand (for hot weather) and FirstGear TGP pants (no longer made). Again, great abrasion and armor.

It's a bit breathtaking how expensive good motorcycle jackets and pants are, and upgrading armor when necessary ... however, I line that up with what a trip to the ED, ortho, surgery/skin grafts, PT/OT, and time out of work would cost. Puts the investment in perspective.

I too am ATGATT.

I've also got a FirstGear Mesh (RUSH AIR) jacket and a Klim (APEX AIR) for summer weather. Klim equipment is so darn expensive but so well made. FirstGear, on the other hand is a mid-priced brand, but with many details that are not found on the lowest priced gear.

My winter jacket, just like GregC has, is also a FirstGear KILIMANJARO jacket and I love it. It is not actually a winter jacket, rather it is a weatherproof SHELL jacket that can be layered under for warmth or worn with the vents open for spring and mild summer days. I found it too hot to use on hot/humid days, also too hot for low speed community above 70 degrees. But for cool weather, rainy weather, crappy weather, spring riding, fall riding, layer under it and it is my absolute favorite jacket. FirstGear uses their own brand of a Gore-Tex like material that works very well at a much lower price.

I have a minor nit-pick about the Kilimanjaro regarding the shoulder vents. But after a couple years it is actually a stellar jacket. I generally like my FirstGear RUSH AIR jacket but have a couple nit-picks about that one. I'd prefer a zip pocket at the cuff, it has none, and the collar could be slightly better. Neither are deal killers. I bought both on sale at substantial discounts.

Here is my personal review of the FirstGear Kilimanjaro --> https://www.nc700-forum.com/threads/first-gear-37-5-kilimanjaro-jacket.14637/

My personal review of the FirstGear RUSH AIR jacket --> https://www.nc700-forum.com/threads/review-firstgear-rush-air-mesh-riding-jacket.17037/#post-222758

I'm honestly surprised nobody mentioned any of the OLYMPIA gear, I think we have several members using it and it seems to me to be very similar to FirstGear. (there are other brands in the same category too) Mid-priced, full featured. Neither brand uses the high level materials that you find on KLIM, Rev'it and several others, but sometimes I think you pay more for the Gore-Tex name when an off brand using nearly identical technology will offer a far better value for many people.

 

[MZ5]

Hello NC riders. Just a few questions about riding gear. I have been wearing a fieldsheer mesh jacket with built in protective pieces. That with some thick black denim pants, leather boots and gloves. This worked well in the warmer weather but now that it is getting cooler I have been gifted a rugged leather jacket as well as some leather chaps. This seems to be warmer I am wondering what other riders prefer to wear? Although I do get off the main paved roads on occasion I mostly ride remote paved roads. The leather is physically much heavier I am not sure which would provide the better protection.

Well done wearing gear at all! So many riders (around here) don't...

Statistically speaking (data from the Hurt report in the USA, Schuller et al in Germany, and Australian crash data), the lower body (feet, ankles, & legs all together) is most frequently injured in motorcycle crashes, so it makes sense to protect that area first or best. Head injuries are sufficiently serious that wearing a helmet is critical.

According to Schuller, et al (1986, Munich), those who wore leather protective clothing spent an average of 7 fewer days in the hospital than those who didn't. That's not compared to textiles specifically, just all non-leather-wearing crashed riders. So, you're getting better protection from your leather jacket than from the mesh. I think most everyone realizes that, but again the mesh is definitely better than nothing, and is often the only bearable way to ride.

For cooler or cold weather, I find I prefer a wind barrier out near the 'top' of my clothing. If I can stop the wind early, then I need less insulation underneath. Non-perforated leather does a pretty darn good job of that. So can a rain overcoat, if it doesn't flap around too much. I wear a solid textile jacket with a waterproof liner, then an insulated liner under that if it's cool enough. Similar strategy for pants for me. My jacket is CE Level 2 certified, and my pants are Kevlar, so I have confidence in their ability to hold together and protect against abrasion. The armor is there for impact protection.

P.S. I've watched several of the FortNine guy's YouTube videos. They're generally entertaining, and although frequently factually inaccurate, hopefully they help people think about things.

 

[LeeInMpls]

Well done wearing gear at all! So many riders (around here) don't...

Statistically speaking (data from the Hurt report in the USA, Schuller et al in Germany, and Australian crash data), the lower body (feet, ankles, & legs all together) is most frequently injured in motorcycle crashes, so it makes sense to protect that area first or best. Head injuries are sufficiently serious that wearing a helmet is critical.

P.S. I've watched several of the FortNine guy's YouTube videos. They're generally entertaining, and although frequently factually inaccurate, hopefully they help people think about things.

FortNine does a pretty good video on protection, and the stats on limbs being our most vulnerable places for injury.

 

[MZ5]

Yeah, that's one of the not-better ones re: factual info.

 

[dduelin]

I'm not that good about writing gear reviews but I'll try here in generalities. Helmet, boots, gloves without a doubt.

When I first started riding again I first bought Tourmaster, Cortech, or Joe Rocket apparel. Three season mesh jackets and pants sold with both a thermal liner and a rain liner worked well for me in the southeast USA but I quickly learned the zip-in rain liners were not the way to go for rain in warm weather and I never used the thermal liners. So if I was buying a new mesh jacket now it would not include the thermal liner. Layering with a wicking underlayer, a fleece or insulated or heated layer over wicking takes care of warmth as long as I can cut the wind coming into the mesh with the rain liner in cold weather or a pair of Frogg Toggs worn over all as wind cutting shell. All I needed then was to add a pair of full textile pants for cold weather. As my trips increased in distance, time, and riding season became 24/7/365 eastern USA I invested in gear that combined wind and rain protection and was more versatile. This made a one piece riding suit like an Aerostich Roadcrafter more practical. It cut down on apparel required to cover 30 to 100 degrees temperature swings on multi-day trips. This was an expensive move but my first suit was a lightly used one that lasted 10 years or $45 a year and I still sold it for half of the cost to acquire. It was hands down the best investment over time.

 

[LeeInMpls]

Yeah, that's one of the not-better ones re: factual info.

The stats are quoted by MCRider (that's how I found it.)
New riders are most likely to have leg/foot injury from slow speed drops.
That's just the numbers, but it encouraged be to get something better to replace my Merrill Boots.

 

[melensdad]

those who wore leather protective clothing spent an average of 7 fewer days in the hospital than those who didn't.

While I wholeheartedly agree with this statement I want to add a huge caution. Many leathers, especially on the modern lower price range riding are very thin. There are actually many types of leather including suede, nubuck, rough out, top grain, etc. Some are actually "bonded leather" products which is essentially a thin layer of leather scraps, that have been shredded and glued together over some sort of fabric.

Each type of leather has its own wear resistance properties. For example, suede leather, like denim, tends to shred almost immediately upon impact with asphalt.

I would also point out that the studies conducted were done in the 1970's and 80's. Kevlar, Cordura and other protective textiles are now common in moto-gear, and where effectively non-existent in moto gear at that time. So quality textile fabrics can offer a tremendous amount of wear/abrasion resistance that was unavailable at the time of those test and rivals quality protective leather.

 

[dduelin]

I dunno, there have been more recent studies than 30 years ago but I don't have documentation at the ready.

Where good leather resists abrasion, synthetics melt from the friction after sufficient time which is in single digit seconds.