Inexperienced rider: What's best?

[Guest]

So I'm going to be getting a motorbike soon and obviously I want to be protected when I'm sitting on it. I've never ridden before, and I'm confused as to what's best to wear. My dad (a biker from years and years ago) said that a helmet, gloves and leather jacket are all I'm going to need, but I'm thinking that boots and trousers are going to be a good buy too.

However, I don't particularly like the idea of getting full leathers since I'll cook like a turkey during the summer, and I don't fancy spending hours sliding in and out of the leathers every time I want to go riding. I've been looking at fabric/waterproofs, but I don't really want to compromise my safety on the bike.

I'm thinking that the best bet for me is to get a Waterproof/Fabric jacket/trousers and then proper boots/gloves (since the smaller bones break easier... Although I have no intentions of falling off or crashing).

Basically, I want some experienced opinions of what's more comfortable to wear.

[TC]

Although I have no intentions of falling off or crashing).

 

Don't we all mate

Its personal choice really what your comfy wearing.

For me i like 2 peice leathers unless i'm wearing work clothes or something underneath then its textiles. However i find i tend to slide around on the seat more in textiles.

Most clothing nowadays have vents that you can open on hot days Some are better than others.

[Guest]

Although I have no intentions of falling off or crashing).

However i find i tend to slide around on the seat more in textiles.

 

I never thought of that, actually... Would you say leathers are better for that reason?

[Stu]

what sort of riding will you be doing?

if its just a toy for ride outs you may find leathers your best option

if your commuting everyday then i would opt for textiles

or if you can afford it buy both

[Remy]

I have textiles and leathers but find I usually use my textile jacket and leather trousers which have stretch panels and very comfortable. I also have a summer weight airmesh jacket which is brilliant for really hot days (not that we get many) as it's very light but has got full armour. I find the textile trousers make me sweat too much, and the leather jacket is too cold in winter and too hot in summer!

[nman1]

I asked this same question about 5 years ago when I started riding, from biker friends and another forum.

Basically my response was, leather is better for abrasion resistance in case you go sliding down the road. Textile was possibly cooler in hot weather.

I opted for leather and I`ve found that with a good "wicking" base layer, even on hot days I can still feel reasonably comfortable, and mentally feel safer.

At the end of the day, entirely up to you.

[dimmers]

if you've got the money, then buy a set of leathers and some textiles.

if you can only afford one set, then go with textiles, as in my opinion they are much more versatile.

i think this is something all new bikers ask when they start out... you want to get the best protection, at the best price, and for it to be warm on cold days, and cool on hot days

unfortunately, there isn't really one set of riding gear that will cope with every condition. So in the end it becomes quite expensive, as you will end up buying all sorts of gear

[Colin the Bear]

Leather Jacket, leather gloves, Leather over ankle boots, Various under jacket layers for varying temps. Leather trousers if it's cold. Don't forget the neck area. Scarf , bandanna, neck warmer. Sun glasses

[Throttled]

I have found many textile trousers have a leather insert on the backside to stop you sliding on your seat.

I went textile over leather as has been said it is more versatile. I have also found the textile trousers a bit warm at times. so I als have armoured jeans.

My main recommendation is to get a helmet with a built in sun visor, I have found that invaluable.

[Ingah]

If you're not a pleasure rider, i'd strongly recommend textiles over leathers.

And further training whenever you can - as 'the gear' doesn't keep you alive nearly so well as good defensive riding techniques do!

[RiffmasterII]

Hein Gericke have recently started selling textiles that are tougher than leather, they are lined on the outside with Kevlar so you get the best of both worlds, only problem the whole suit is £900. Im waiting for it to come down in price next year then will get one.

[Colin the Bear]

It's not about tough. Track racers wear leather for a reason, even in the wet. Leather slides in a spill , textiles snag and make you roll or spin causing limb damage.

A leather jacket can be made weather proof with regular treatment of oils and wax, keeps the wind out, looks cool on and off the bike and smells great. It's a no brainer for me.

[RiffmasterII]

This doenst snag Col, the outside feels like it has a coating on it making it very smooth, you would slide down the road at a fair rate of knots.

http://www.hein-gericke.co.uk/clothing/ ... hwarz.html

They also have a water proof leather suit for the same money, money well spent in my opinion but Id rather wait for it to come down in price and spend the rest on fuel!

[Guest]

My opinion...

Textiles offer more versatility. They can be warm though... you don't mention your budget, this will have a huge effect. A trip to you local bike shop will give you a fair idea,

I have both, in this weather I favour leathers.

[Guest]

Ahh I see that this isn't a straight-forward question haha. Well I don't really have a budget, nor do I actually have any money. I'd sooner save up and splurge a grand on safety equipment to be safe than spend £200 and run the risk of needing skin grafts.

I'm looking somewhere in the region of £600 though including helmet. :/ I've seen a few stores online and most of them are quoting around £160 for the jacket, £130 for trousers and then the boots/gloves seem standard.

I think I'm going to go with Leather since sliding sounds like more fun than rolling and bouncing. Although I don't know about the "armoured jeans" that were mentioned. Are they worth the money over leather?

Thank you for the advice!

Edit: Also I saw that somebody mentioned a sun-visor on my helmet? Is it not illegal to have a visor that's darkened? Plus I need to wear glasses all the time so unless I buy special sunglasses, taking them off isn't a question.

Also, I can't wait to wear a balaclava under the helmet!

[cypek]

(...)Although I don't know about the "armoured jeans" that were mentioned. Are they worth the money over leather?

Thank you for the advice!

Edit: Also I saw that somebody mentioned a sun-visor on my helmet? Is it not illegal to have a visor that's darkened? Plus I need to wear glasses all the time so unless I buy special sunglasses, taking them off isn't a question. (...)

Armoured jeans should be cheaper than leathers but they offer even less protection that textiles. They are great in hot weather. They are just generally like standard jeans but a bit thicker and reinforced with kevlar. Many also have CE armour on knees.

Darkened visors are not illegal. At least not during the day time Also some helmets have built-in sun visor which is perfectly legal

And can't you get a contact lenses? I got them over a year ago and I feel almost completely free now

[Ingah]

Personally i'd view a pair of Hood jeans (Hood being the brand) to be at least the equal of textiles, due to the coverage of para-aramid being nearly complete. A pair of Draggin's though, i do agree with the idea of them being inferior to textiles, simply on the basis of them having "patches" of kevlar coverage.

I wouldn't have kevlar jeans over textiles though, because they're not waterproof!

(Please note, i own kevlar, leathers, and textiles).

With regards to those prices, you can get new gear much cheaper if you shop around. But at rock bottom prices, i would buy textiles, as there's many more places they can easily cut costs with leathers to make the cheap cheap stuff... by making them weaker and less protective.

[Colin the Bear]

I tried contacts but couldn't get on with them on the bike. Any little draught makes my eyes water with the resulting loss of vision. Prescription sunglasses are my preference. I got reactive lenses this time so no need to carry the spare pair with clear lenses.

Another thing to keep in mind is that more expensive doesn't mean more safe. There's a lot of label and fashion snobbery with bike gear.

You'll find me in every bargain bin in the shop whereas some wouldn't be seen dead in it

[Roadtorque]

You've got better dress sense than your dad & fabric gear is in someways better than leather, it dries out a lot quicker than leather after a soaking,,

[Guest]

That's very true... I still think I'm sort of leaning towards leather, though. Not entirely sure why. :/ I think it's just a safety thing, but as I said before I don't really plan on spending much time doing 40mph without the bike between my legs.

Also contact lenses work out more expensive than the bike would for me since I have eyesight that's bad enough to require me needing a very specific type of contact lense, and they're really expensive. :/ I may have to look at how much a pair of sunglasses are going to cost me at some point, but for now I think I'll just have to make-do with my glasses.

Could anybody recommend some reputable brands to me? For helmets and clothing alike.

Edit: For both textiles and leathers.

[Colin the Bear]

http://www.glassescrafter.com/en-US/Def ... rrency=USD

[nman1]

A few brands of reasonably priced leathers. RST, Richa, BKS. These are the ones of used so I can`t really advise on any others. Helmet wise you could go for HGV.

[Throttled]

The flip down sun visor is not illegal at all. I ride a lot in the mornings and evenings when the sun is low in the sky and find them essential.

http://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/product_images/v2-407_gunmetal.jpg

There is a slider on the top of the helmet and it is easy to wipe your hand across the helemt to get the visor up and down.

[Guest]

Is there much difference between a flip helmet or a full-face helmet? The only noticeable differences that I've read are that there's a lot more noise from wind in a flip helmet which I'm guessing could easily be overcome by using earplugs.

[Ingah]

Hinges can fail, causing front to flip up when you smack your face into road, instantly turning the helmet into an open face...

Hearsay suggests metal hinges are better than plastic hinges, but the only objective measure i'm aware of is the government SHARP testing http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/ , in which i believe they do 5 different "tests" with frontal impacts on flip fronts, and record the number of times which the helmet stayed closed (and present the results on that website). Personally, i'd feel a little dubious about buying any flip front that didn't stay closed all 5 times...