riding gear

[weymouth399]

You guys were so helpfull on helmets
What riding gear is best, there are a bunch of choices.
brand names, leather or not?
just getting back into it, already put the miles on than I expected for the season. 
TIA Bob

[andyb]

No gear helps against broken bones, and the best defense is not falling off the bike.

As for what's best, you pretty much have to go with what fits again.  If you're shaped funny, a custom suit may be the way to go, but they aren't cheap.

You get what you pay for for the most part.  There's still deals out there though.  Newenough is almost always the first place I look for gear personally, but there's others as well.

Gear that's comfy and appropriate for the riding is important, because otherwise you're less likely to wear it, and it does no good in a closet at home when you're on the pavement.

In order of strength, kangaroo leather is best against abrasion, followed by thick cowhide, then thinner cowhide, then textiles, then mesh.  Construction matters too, if a seam falls apart you can get hurt.  Having pants that zip into the jacket is a great idea (a 1 piece suit is a better idea), because otherwise if you slide feet-first the jacket rides up and you end up with loss of skin on your flank and belly.

It's a good idea to have a couple options depending on the weather, too.  A decent rainsuit makes all the difference between hating life and enjoying a ride in the rain.  If you're wearing monochromatic black leather with no venting on a 100F day, you're going to run into problems; if you're wearing light mesh on a sub-freezing day, you're going to run into problems.  

For actual brands, the only ones that I routinely hear no evil about include Held gloves and Sidi boots, other than the price.  Aerostitch makes a horribly ugly snowman suit thing that owners swear by.  Vanson and Bates are commonly worn by drag racers on bikes with a tendancy to explode at 200mph.  Avoid the super-cheap ebay stuff (unless that's all you can afford, it beats nothing)... as I said, you're going to get what you pay for to an extent.

[racerman_27410]

i ride with the motoport kevlar jacket and pants.    Nice and breathable.... very tough... superior high tech armor.


custom made to fit perfect.


http://www.motoport.com/_catalog/Kevlar_Products


Kookaloo!

[jamesearthdrum]

Definitely get gear that fits and is comfortable. Get the best you can afford. Find stuff you can try on at local bike shops. Then look for the stuff online for a better deal. There is a very good gear store in Acton, MA called Moto Market, http://www.motomkt.com/. They carry a lot of stuff. I chose textile over leather because of the New England weather. I remember the day I bought my gear it was chucking it down with rain. I commute everyday possible, so being able to wash my gear was important. I've had my Hein Gericke jacket and First Gear over pants for 8 years, also First Gear mesh jacket and over pants for the few really hot days in August. Think about your riding habits and when you choose to ride or not. How cold does it have to get before you won't ride, how hot? Do you ride in the rain? Most importantly, what ever you choose, WEAR IT!

[mst3kguy]

i've been happy with aerostich, i've been wearing their gear for about 12 years now, since i bought my first fj.

www.aerostich.com

they make one-piece and two-piece suits and they offer alterations to them.

they come in even sizes, as well as short, regular, and long (like suit coat sizing).

super easy to put on and off, lots of pockets, great armor system.

buy one and keep it for 5 years, that's $13/month in skin insurance.  ( :

[Klavdy]

Vanson.
Black leather Vanson.