Need some gear advice...

[KerrA]

Ok so, I ride to work 5 days out of 7, Rain or shine and on my days off I love to joy ride.

So I currently have at the moment a textile jacket and pants, gloves and boots. Then I start reading on here about leather and how much safer it is etc, and im wondering is this really true? is it that much safer? Possibly worth the upgrade?

If so, How does it fit? Does it have room for work clothes underneath? is it hard to get on? will I look like a douche with my neck warmer sock thing? If I get rained on will I get wet?

For anyone who has had both gear, please advise me.

Cheers.

[CookMySock]

I don't have both, but cordura is widely regarded as much warmer. I ride in cordura, and in the winter its great, and in the summer it's damn hot. I'd like some lighter leather gear for the summer.

Steve

[Katman]

Leather is no safer.

Good quality cordura has all the protection (and possibly more) of leather.

I switched to a cordura jacket a while ago and was amazed at how much warmer it was.

(You'll never get me out of my leather pants though - sometimes image is everything.)

[Taz]

The cordura is what I prefer for the commuting duties. It's warm, waterproof, easy to fit work clothes under and offers a good degree of protection. Your ride to work should not resemble a motogp anyhow. Leather does offer greater abrasion resistance but you then need wets to go over the top and for it to be truly effective it should be a tight (ish) fit making it a chore to get clothes underneath. Quality cordura is the most versatile IMO.
Andy.

[Bend-it]

I have both and have retired the cordura primarily because leather is more awesome... reportedly, it has better abrasion resistance as well.

Mine is weather resistant for light showers, and in heavy downpours, I have a waterproof layer overthe top.

Do a search. This topic's been discussed many times over in the past.

[BMWST?]

i dont think my cordura jacket is any warmer than my leather one.It is with the liner in and that has nothing to do with the jacket.Save some pennies and go and see dusty at leda leathers.He made my jacket and i had it made with two zip positions one for summer and one for winter!

[Quasievil]

Leather is no safer.




Katman ???? is this you or a imposer??

of course leather is safer, it is far less likely to rip and pull apart in a crash situation.

As proof can you point me to a racer who wears textile ?? no is the answer and the reason is it doesnt offer the protection that leather offers, also you aint allowed to race in Textile by rules layed out.

Leather with good thermal liners is as every bit as warm as Textile.

the only advantage Textile has is it is "relatively" waterproof, but nothing a over suit wont fix with a set of leathers.

[kasper]

Ok the reason leather is worn for racing is that over 160mph (need to verify that part) cordura will melt.

Cordura is more versatile for daily riding.

--kasper

[howdamnhard]

I've had both cordura and leather. I agree with Bend-it and Quasievil. Wasn't very impressed with corduras performance when I had a low speed bin in the wet.

[CookMySock]

I forgot to add, I crashed my cordura at 120k's and managed to slightly pull one seam on the arm. Other than that they were unmarked.

There is the other issue, that at any speed over 130-140k's cordura flaps like a bastard, so it is unsuitable for racing.

I would dispute quasis' claim that modern high-denier cordura was weak in comparison to leather, and I would also dispute his logic, but I can't be effed.

Steve

[Quasievil]

I would dispute quasis' claim that modern high-denier cordura was weak in comparison to leather, and I would also dispute his logic, but I can't be effed.

Steve

You can dispute it all you like fact is I wont be racing in textile and neither will anyone else, Race crashes dont always happen over 160kmph and I have seen Textile melt and rip apart at much lower speeds, cordura is a risk, it is hit n miss , leather (assuming a good brand and not cheap crap) is reliable

[sinfull]

Stick my beak in on this one !
I, like Quasi is now, used to be involved in the leather industry, manufacturing bike gear ! What he says is correct 100% with regard to textile possibly melting and or tearing apart at speed (particularly the low quality brands) whereas leather "should" hang in there during a slide !
But it will soak up water unless you keep drowning it in a waterproof wax and the like yeah ikky stikky shit lol or wear good waterproof gear over the top !
But you have to take it in context !
Cordura works, i call it a one hit protective cover, more armour the better !
It is warm, can be worn over your work clothes, where leather should be a snug fit because it will stretch (thank god) and predominantly waterproof !
Depends on how where what your planning on doing !
I (Accidentally) lost the Mrs off the back of my bike at prolly 20/30 kph and the corduras' armour did its job, with her only getting a couple of bruises on back and shoulder, but the seams are half gone and wont hold up to another one, so it's a throw away (that and her helmet)
Soooo it's personal choice really ! 5-6 hundy for corura and be prepared to replace it if shit happens or 6-10 hundy or more, for a leather that will prolly hold up to a couple of hits or more !
My 10c worth

[Highlander]

I have never crash tested my gear, so can't speak from that perspective (long may that trend continue).

However I have two leather jackets, one is a custom jacket done by Leada Leathers about 20 years ago - I have used it most days for the last four years, but prior to that it hung in the wardrobe while I had 12 years off bikes. The other is a Quasi "Rapid Blue" that I aquired over the last summer. I now use it mostly when I'm out for more than a couple of hours.

I have in the last 4 years had 2 pairs of Reasonable quality Cordura pants (read not the cheapest nor most expensive I could find), the warmth factor of both has been great, other than commuting (when I wear my work clothes underneath) it is rare that I wear anything more than running shorts under them.

Weatherproofing of the cordura has been great initially but both pairs have failed miserably in this department after a year or so of daily use. The result is that I admit if I'm riding in the rain for more than about 1/2 an hour, I will get wet and focus on staying warm.

For my jackets I treat them regularly with Snoseal (for showerproofing) and carry a rain jacket if going much further than work - the combination works well.

So if you have to carry waterproof oversuit anyway, ignore the claimed waterproofing function and get what you think will give you the best combination of warmth (for winter), venting (for summer), crash protection (should it become a requirement).

[jono035]

Wonder how difficult it would be to actually test all of this? Get hold of a crash test dummy that is the right weight distribution and doesn't have exposed joints, dress it up in a few different ones of each and make something to launch him at different speeds into a road...

Hell, mount the launcher to a trailer and you wouldn't even need your own piece of road...

Obviously there is a ton of variation in all of this, but this is what I've figured out (through endless amounts of thread trolling on the subject and an impartial view)

Cordura has a major edge in the convenience factor for commuting and good quality cordura would seem equal in protection (anecdotally) at lower speeds to leather, but is also nowhere near as durable and will likely need replacing if you have a decent off. Waterproof and easy to wear over other clothes.

Leather apparently has the edge in durability and higher speed/impact protection and has a definite 'cool factor' going for it too, but is a bit less convenient (underlayers + waterproofing).

I bought cordura for commuting but if I end up doing a lot of open road riding for fun/travel I will buy leather.

Seems like there are a lot of people on either side of the aisle who absolutely swear by one or the other for everything (vested interest or not)...

[sinfull]

Leather apparently has the edge in durability and higher speed/impact protection ...
Impact ? Mehhhhh nah !
If ya look at both leather and cordura it is easier to stuff lots of armour in to cordura and well hey, if it's an impact i know i'd like as much as possible !
But still i wear a basic jacket with no armour on the road !!! Why ? Well i guess my road leather is my road leather, shit i go out for dinner in it !!!

[jono035]

Impact ? Mehhhhh nah !
If ya look at both leather and cordura it is easier to stuff lots of armour in to cordura and well hey, if it's an impact i know i'd like as much as possible !
But still i wear a basic jacket with no armour on the road !!! Why ? Well i guess my road leather is my road leather, shit i go out for dinner in it !!!

I possibly could have worded that better, I meant impact resistance in the sense that I've seen a lot more people mentioning having had seams split during a spill with cordura than leather, so it sounds like the leather gear holds up better when you hit the road, allowing it to protect you better afterwards.

[Laxi]

having seen a mate put a couple of holes in his brand name cordura along with a minor case of road rash in a 45k drop, I serriously wonder how good cordura is, any gear I buy from now on is going to be leather

[cambridgedan]

well i had cordura gear and then i came off and the gear disintegrated basically so i cant imagine what would of happened to it if i had come off at a higher speed, so im in all A-star leathers now, but i guess if you get a really good cordura you would be sweet, one advantage is its easier to get on and off than leather :D but I dont rate it very highly in a sliding along the road situation and im not planning to testing my leather out haha :2thumbsup

[sinfull]

I possibly could have worded that better, I meant impact resistance in the sense that I've seen a lot more people mentioning having had seams split during a spill with cordura than leather, so it sounds like the leather gear holds up better when you hit the road, allowing it to protect you better afterwards.
Yep ! I did realise that and thought of sending ya some bling to that effect but ya would have missed that anyway !
More use of your quote to air my views bro !

[jono035]

Yep ! I did realise that and thought of sending ya some bling to that effect but ya would have missed that anyway !
More use of your quote to air my views bro !

No worries :D

[sinfull]

well i had cordura gear and then i came off and the gear disintegrated basically so i cant imagine what would of happened to it if i had come off at a higher speed, so im in all A-star leathers now, but i guess if you get a really good cordura you would be sweet, one advantage is its easier to get on and off than leather :D but I dont rate it very highly in a sliding along the road situation and im not planning to testing my leather out haha :2thumbsup
So your off was a slide where your gear fell apart ?
Tell ya what i do now if i'm doing any miles in winter is wear my cordura (xxl) with no liner over my leather and by christ i'm warm !
(still wouldn't want to hit nothin as i have to take the armour out for it to all fit !)
But then if i hit sommit it's at speed and i'd pick a slide past it if i could, so would prolly be toast anyway !
Finds a log to touch !

[cs363]

The biggest problem with a textile versus leather thread is that many people don't actually know which materials are which - Cordura is a DuPont brand that many people mistakenly use to describe all textile gear. Unfortunately many of the cheap jackets and pants you see around particularly on Trademe and low end products at bike shops are invariably made from Nylon or Polyester fabric, which whilst light and comfortable is barely better than cotton for abrasion resistance.

Basically if the garment doesn't have DuPont branded hang tags stating that the garment is made with Cordura then it probably isn't. Even with Cordura itself there can be differences as can be seen here: http://www.motoport.com/save-your-hide and the majority of textile gear using Cordura is in the 500-600 denier range so the majority of Cordura gear is close to leather for abrasion resistance but falls behind in tear resistance. 1000 denier Cordura on the other hand equals leather's tear resistance and exceeds it's abrasion resistance, though as it is a heavier weave fabric makes for a less flexible garment and greater weight.

Even with leather there are huge differences in quality, for instance many if not all of the low end jackets on the market are made from Buffalo hide (Water Buffalo as found in India & Pakistan as opposed to those big tough beasties in the US) and whilst no motorcycle gear is made from the full hide thickness (top quality gear is usually made from top or full grain leather (the outer skin) whilst lower quality gear is made from split grain leather (the layers split from below the top grain) buffalo and cow hide have similar abrasion resistance but cow hide has a higher tear resistance, as does top grain over split grain.
Then to add further confusion there is Kangaroo hide which is stronger and more flexible than cowhide for less weight and also offers greater abrasion resistance and therefore a favourite for race leathers etc., deer leather is one of the toughest leathers yet is still very supple, as is pigskin. Sheep leather is soft and supple but tears very easily and so it goes on.
Even the way that leather is tanned can make a difference to it's strength.

Kevlar is probably the toughest 'textile' available, though it is very expensive and not the easiest material to work with, but there are limited numbers of products available made purely from Kevlar cloth.

Anyway, without prattling on for ever, as you can see there are some huge variables that most people seem to gloss over either from ignorance or perhaps because it doesn't suit their argument.
The main thing I would say is that when comparing highly technical products such as motorcycle gear, make sure you compare apples with apples and if buying gear do your homework on the product and what it's made from - don't be scared to ask questions or even get the guy in the shop to ask the manufacturer/distributor etc.

The same arguments apply with waterproof gear - Gore-Tex is a brand that is universally acclaimed as the best in it's field (which is why it usually carries an warranty independent from the garment) and is not a term to describe all waterproof/breathable membrane products, again if the gear doesn't have Gore-Tex branded hang tags then it most likely isn't Gore-Tex. Some companies do a reasonable substitute for Gore-Tex and some work better than others, look for companies that stand behind their gear. In most cases these substitute membrane products are heavier and don't breathe as well as genuine Gore-Tex with the trade off being a lower purchase price.

Hope this helps clear up some of these points for the uninitiated. :)

[jono035]

The biggest problem with a textile versus leather thread...

Thats a ton of info there, thanks. I think for the most part cordura is used to refer to any 800 denier textile, but that is definitely something that should be mentioned to anyone looking to find some gear.

[Quasievil]

I recieved some samples on Friday which is claimed to be Cordura 600 denier blah blah blah its the same shit that is sold on trademe, frankly Im going to bury it as garbage which is what it is, Or I could always sell it as TM members do as a high end high quality Jacket for $135.00.

You get what you pay for always have and always will.

if you want something that will be safe and of quality you need to spend the dollar.

[smoky]

I have a Dry Rider cordura jacket, and a couple of leather ones.

If you come off wearing leather it won't grab the surface as easily as cordura, (apparently), leather allows you to slide, if your gear grabs on the road it can fling you about and result in a bit more damage to limbs.

I bought the Dry Rider jacket for days when it's wet - however I now have a very nice leather jacket that seems to be just as water resistant, warmer and looks better.
It was about $900, but the best jacket I ever had

[discotex]

Possibly worth the upgrade?

Yes for weekend rides/trackdays/etc where you'll be over 50km/h a lot of the time.



If so, How does it fit?

It should fit like a second skin for maximum protection.


Does it have room for work clothes underneath?

Nope, if it did your leathers would be way too loose.


is it hard to get on?

A good set of leathers should be skin tight but not so tight they're hard to get on and off. An undersuit helps get them off when it's hot (sweaty leathers sick to your skin). http://extremeracing.co.uk/ ship to NZ in days.


will I look like a douche with my neck warmer sock thing?

Probably ;)


If I get rained on will I get wet?


Yes, especially if you have perforated leathers (little holes to let the air flow through).


I own a 2pc leather suit and codura gear and I commute in codura over winter. It's just way less hassle. The biggest difference is that I can chuck it over my clothes and then just peel off a layer once I get to work.

In summer I commute in jeans (often kevlar lined ones) and leather jacket.

Always have my gloves and boots on as I like my fingers and toes.

[Sparky Bills]

Come and see me at Motomart in Lower Hutt mate.
Ill put you in both and you can choose which you like best.
Leather is far safer as far as protection goes. They both have their Pros and Cons though.

Cheers
Martin

[cs363]

Thats a ton of info there, thanks. I think for the most part cordura is used to refer to any 800 denier textile, but that is definitely something that should be mentioned to anyone looking to find some gear.

No worries :) Although, you will find that way too many people use the term Cordura for ANY woven nylon fabric of any denier, only a few minutes ago I was looking at a website based in Hamilton that was quoted in another thread (Not Quasi's!) where they were advertising Cordura jackets and pants that were quite obviously not Cordura, in fact at the price quoted I would bet a decent wedge that they were polyester which is nasty stuff if it gets into a sliding/heat generating situation as it will melt into your skin...yuck!


I recieved some samples on Friday which is claimed to be Cordura 600 denier blah blah blah its the same shit that is sold on trademe, frankly Im going to bury it as garbage which is what it is, Or I could always sell it as TM members do as a high end high quality Jacket for $135.00.

You get what you pay for always have and always will.

if you want something that will be safe and of quality you need to spend the dollar.

Yeah, agree totally - any high tech garment purporting to be made out of high tech fabric (that requires expensive R&D, branding and so on) is going to come at a price. Amazing how many Pakistani, Indian and other Asian manufacturers claim to have these high tech products, some even going as far as falsifying labels and hang tags etc. (Bear in mind that copyright and Trade Marks etc are virtually non-existent and extremely hard to enforce in some of these countries).
Update - I see I'm a bit out of date regarding ownership of Cordura, DuPont have since sold the brand to Koch Industries and it is now manufactured by their subsidiary Invista.
If in doubt whether the garment you are buying is using genuine Cordura (or Gore-Tex, 3M etc) probably worth dropping an email to the manufacturer.


I have a Dry Rider cordura jacket, and a couple of leather ones.

If you come off wearing leather it won't grab the surface as easily as cordura, (apparently), leather allows you to slide, if your gear grabs on the road it can fling you about and result in a bit more damage to limbs.

I bought the Dry Rider jacket for days when it's wet - however I now have a very nice leather jacket that seems to be just as water resistant, warmer and looks better.
It was about $900, but the best jacket I ever had

The trouble with DriRider gear is that most if not all of their Cordura gear is 500 denier at best, so as can be seen from the link in my previous post you are correct regarding it's qualities in regard to that brand. Note that 620 or higher denier Cordura has equivalent or better abrasion (sliding) qualities than leather. It should be mentioned that leather needs to be very well cared for to maintain these qualities, old dry, cracked leather for instance will not perform to the same level.
Also, on the subject of safety - if riding in the winter particularly an uninsulated leather jacket is probably more dangerous than a warm textile jacket at least in a passive safety sense because a cold rider will have reduced mental faculties which could lead to a crash (http://www.usc.edu/CSSF/History/2003/Projects/J0312.pdf)

As those that care will see, there is a lot more to buying good, safe gear than meets the eye.

[smoky]

Note that 620 or higher denier Cordura has equivalent or better abrasion (sliding) qualities than leather.
That's why they let you use it on the race track - don't they?
Why don't I believe that


It should be mentioned that leather needs to be very well cared for to maintain these qualities, old dry, cracked leather for instance will not perform to the same level.
It should be mentioned; so does any thing you buy to wear


Also, on the subject of safety - if riding in the winter particularly an uninsulated leather jacket is probably more dangerous than a warm textile jacket
And conversly; riding in the winter in an uninsulated textile jacket is probably more dangerous than a warm leather jacket?

For the record, my leather jacket is warmer and more comfortable than anything I've ever had

And lets face it - leather has way more street cred.
The only reason people don't buy leather is cause they don't have the money or fashion sense and don't like woman looking at them

[jono035]

The only reason people don't buy leather is cause they don't have the money or fashion sense and don't like woman looking at them

Leather would have cost me only slightly more than the textile stuff I bought... I bought it because it was waterproof by itself, would be wearable over clothes allowing me to ride to work/uni, and would be warmer by itself due to both of the above issues. I have the money, I see the appeal in the fashion and I'd enjoy having women (I assume you meant to use the plural?) looking at me as I rode by, but bought cordura.

[smoky]

.... I assume you meant to use the plural?.

Just one at a time

[cs363]

I wasn't trying to get into a leather versus textile argument as both materials have their good and bad points depending on the buyers requirements, I suspect you have not read my earlier post fully otherwise you would have realised that.

My intention was to clear up some of the myths associated with textile fabrics, in particular the widespread mis-usage of the brand name Cordura as an all encompassing term for textile garments, as many of these style garments out in the market use grossly inferior materials.

The abrasion figures quoted are fact, not something I've made up on the spot and anyone with some time on their hands and access to a search engine can easily back this up. You should also be aware that those tests are made on samples of similar size and thicknesses - given that most quality leather motorcycle garments are manufactured from 1.2-1.5mm cowhide, one of the redeeming features of the leather garment is it's ability to endure repeated abrasion.

However, as you rightly point out textile is not used for racing (though full Kevlar suits are approved in many countries), there are many reasons for this that go well beyond a simple difference in materials.

One thing to consider is that road and track are two completely different environments, a road/touring rider has need for a garment that provides protection, but this is not the single focused need of a racer - the touring rider will also encounter varying extremes of weather from hot sun to cold rainy conditions etc., also they will generally want to carry more gear with them and have easy access to wallets, cigarettes, cell phones or whatever.
With textile gear it is far easier and more cost effective to be able to manufacture these requirements into the garment without sacrificing protection or drastically increasing costs.

Leather garments intended for motorcycle use generally do not feature the bulky pockets etc., familiar to textile users, and with good reason - as stated in the link previously posted 'Leather should be worn snug because when leather folds it's tear strength lowers considerably.' This is why most if not all leather jackets have snugger, internal pockets and less of them - with leather fit is an important part of it's ability to provide effective protection.

There is also the fact that good leather can sustain repeated abrasion, something familiar to most racers :) also, the track environment is substantially different to that of the road - in general the rider will endure sliding and tumbling forces for much longer than a road rider due to the nature of a race track, it's run off areas and so on. In fact many modern race leathers feature 'sliders' on their extremities made from Teflon, Polyurethane, Titanium and other such materials to promote sliding in an effort to reduce muscle and ligament tearing or similar damage.

Conversely a road rider generally faces an environment festooned with solid objects, so the requirement is to actually reduce the time spent sliding in an effort to avoid the likelihood of hitting such objects. But, at the same time you don't want materials that will grab the road surface too much otherwise they will induce tumbling or bouncing that could increase injury to the rider.

So it could be argued that the armour in whatever garment you choose (or what you wear under the garment is almost of more importance than the garment itself, especially in the case of a road rider who in most cases will invariably be wearing several layers of clothing that will aid in protection unlike his track counterpart who relies on just his suit and perhaps a comfort liner.

Really the choice of garment largely comes down to your intended use, ideally riders who use their bike as a first mode of transport would ideally have a selection of leather and textile garments (as many do) to suit varying seasons and riding requirements, whereas a touring rider might just decide on a textile outfit. The big thing is to be honest with yourself regarding your intended usage and buying the best product to suit.

Leather undoubtedly looks sharper and may have more 'street cred' whatever that's worth, but I would like to think that sensible motorcyclists would select gear based on more than just narcissism. If your choice based on your needs ends up looking cool, I would view that as a bonus rather than a raison d'être.
Your statement regarding price may be true at the lower end of the market, but with good gear the price difference can be negligible, for good reason - the products and technology that go into these products as opposed to cheap polyester knock-offs with foam 'armour' are poles apart.

You also correctly point out that any garment you buy to wear requires care to keep it in good condition and performing to expectations. This is equally true with products like Gore-Tex and other breathable membrane fabrics - most people are not aware that these garments require special care when washing, for instance using your normal soap powder will actually degrade the performance of the membrane and if repeatedly washed in such product it will eventually clog all the pores in the membrane making the material sweat from condensation giving the illusion that the garment is leaking. There are specialist detergents available for cleaning these products, the one I use is Sportwash, made by the Sno Seal people though Nikwax and others make similar products - usually available from sports outlets as most motorcycle shops unfortunately haven't cottoned onto this. You can also use pure soap such as Lux Flakes. Also, textile garments will require occasionally spraying with a waterproofing agent, again good ones are available from most sports shops. This is because the outer layer of most good textile garments have a water repellent coating from new that eventually wears off through use, repeated washing and so on. Good garments with a membrane liner will remain waterproof of course, but the less that gets past that first layer the better and of course the lighter your gear will be...

Obviously, riding in the winter in an uninsulated textile jacket is as, if not more dangerous as riding in a leather jacket, though if it was a textile jacket with a membrane liner it would be at least be wind and waterproof unlike an unlined leather jacket. You may scoff at that but leather is in fact not windproof in itself, though you would be unlikely to experience that on shorter rides. On longer rides windchill will soon make itself apparent though due to one of leathers natural features, it's breathablity - the very thing that also lets it down on the waterproofing side as well. ask any old school biker that has ridden in NZ winters and stuffed newspapers down the front of their leather jacket in winter for warmth - back in the days when leather bomber jackets were the height of technology. Therefore you should really be looking at leather garments with a removable thermal liner for better all round use. Beeswax based products are preferable for the care of leather as it retains the leathers natural qualities whilst giving it the ability to repel all but the most serious or extended downpours. It also will seal seams without rotting stitching (like animal fat based products such as dubbin) and retain the leathers natural suppleness.

On the subject of race leathers, it's interesting to note that at the top end - as in product currently in use in the likes of MotoGP, WSBK etc., the actual percentage of leather used is dropping all the time. In fact some 'leathers' may have less than 50% actual leather in their make-up, products like stretch Kevlar, Kevlar cloth, Polyurethane and/or Titanium external armour and synthetic leather substitutes like Lorica (widely used in top end race boots) and Clarino (the substance used in the majority of MX gloves and now widely used in the manufacture of gloves and garments) are taking over for reasons of durability, weight, cost and so on.
I expect synthetic leathers to become even more widely used in the future especially as the Green movement affects more and more of the development of products, the farming of bovine animals being high on their hit list due to their apparently large contribution to greenhouse gases. Not only that, the weight advantage of synthetic leather is very real to teams looking for every possible advantage, where even things like sponsor logos are no longer sewn or applied to leathers - the top MotoGP leathers feature laser etched sponsor graphics directly onto the material to save weight!

I don't profess to know all there is to know on the subject of motorcycle garments - far from it, but having been in the industry for over 25 years and having worked closely with two of Europe's biggest and most well known brands specialising in these products for many years my aim here is to impart some of that knowledge to those looking to buy such gear, so that they may make a well informed buying decision on what is a highly important purchase.

And even armed with such knowledge there are still conflicting arguments over which gear is right, especially for those in a position to have to choose one or the other due to budgetary constraints.
The only rule that does seem to hold true as Quasi correctly points out - you get what you pay for. Hopefully with a bit of due diligence it will also be what you expected.

Happy gear buying folks! And apologies for the long winded posts, just hope they are of help to some :)






FYI:

http://www.loricasud.com/english/english/chisiamo.asp

http://www.clarino-am.com/

http://www.atsko.com/index.html

[cs363]

I should also mention that woven polyester fabric is still widely used in textile jackets, but even with this fabric there are varying qualities with resulting varying performance.
Cheaper garments tend to use more polyester, using varying deniers to create the look of Cordura or Ballistic Nylon without the expense or abrasion resistance. Higher quality garments will use polyester on less critical areas and will invariably use a higher quality fabric coated with an anti-abrasion product, usually polyurethane (often referred to as PU in brochure jargon) which also adds water resistance, flame resistance and also improves the feel of the fabric. Some high-tech PU coatings are breathable too, allowing water repellency but allowing perspiration and condensation to escape.
A good textile garment will have panels of Cordura or Ballistic Nylon (or in some cases leather or Kevlar) at the critical areas such as shoulders, elbows, seat, knees and so on to provide optimum abrasion resistance.

It should also have adjustable (and preferably removable, for cleaning purposes) armour at the shoulders, elbows (with good forearm coverage), at least a foam back protector - preferably an armour type or the ability to upgrade to one. Pants should have similar armour in the knee/shin area. Note that hard plastic armour with little padding is not ideal and can be uncomfortable and possibly contribute to an injury. This type of armour is usually found in lower end budget gear.

What you should be looking for is either the high density rubber type or a combination of a hard nylon outer and high density foam or gel inner layer(s).
Also ensure that the armour is CE marked, whilst not foolproof as many Asian knock off products carry fake CE markings it's something to look for when making an overall judgement.

[PrincessBandit]

Ok so, I ride to work 5 days out of 7, Rain or shine and on my days off I love to joy ride.

So I currently have at the moment a textile jacket and pants, gloves and boots. Then I start reading on here about leather and how much safer it is etc, and im wondering is this really true? is it that much safer? Possibly worth the upgrade?

If so, How does it fit? Does it have room for work clothes underneath? is it hard to get on? will I look like a douche with my neck warmer sock thing? If I get rained on will I get wet?

For anyone who has had both gear, please advise me.

Cheers.

I have both Rjays textile gear and leather jacket and pants. The leather looks nice but since it's supposed to fit "tight" I find that thermals are all I can fit underneath them. I've ridden in torrential down pouring rain in my "cordura" and been really warm and dry - big advantage of being able to wear more layers than under the leather for warmth.

When I came off my bike I was about to overtake on the motorway - my leather jacket ripped open at the neck (my zip hadn't been fully closed as I'd tried stuffing a small scarf around my neck) and the summer top I was wearing got ripped right from neckline to elbow. Wasn't wearing my leather pants but my everyday dress jeans got ripped down the seam and across the left thigh - yet miraculously my legs weren't injured at all, apart from bruising.

Obviously I can't say how my other gear would have stood up to the impact and slide (and I've no desire to find out) but suffice to say nothing is bulletproof. Both lots of gear are armoured so personally I'm happy using either.
p.s. although katman has said image is everything :msn-wink: I wouldn't worry about whether you look like a knob or not. Warmth is just as important an issue for safety when you're riding.

[steve_t]

Are many people wearing a textile jacket and leather pants while riding?

[PrincessBandit]

Are many people wearing a textile jacket and leather pants while riding?

Katman does, and I'm sure he's not completely alone in that. However, how many people will own up to it now is debatable ;)

[MaxCannon]

I have sets of both and for commuting I use the textile gear.

It's warm.
It's breathable.
It's waterproof. I can't stop in the middle of the motorway to get out a rain suit in case of sudden downpour.
It has armour in it.
Now I've never slid off - ever, so I can't tell you how good it performs in a crash.

What I will say is that ....
- textile is more convienient because it's lighter and dries easily.
- quality textile gear doesn't leak
- quality textile gear isn't cheap but isn't as expensive as leather.
- If I'm going to the track I wear leather. If I'm going out for a 5 hour ride and it's warm and sunny I wear leather.
- if you can only afford one set then buy textile and buy a back protector to go with it.

[1tonne]

Ok so, I ride to work 5 days out of 7, Rain or shine and on my days off I love to joy ride.

So I currently have at the moment a textile jacket and pants, gloves and boots. Then I start reading on here about leather and how much safer it is etc, and im wondering is this really true? is it that much safer? Possibly worth the upgrade?

If so, How does it fit? Does it have room for work clothes underneath? is it hard to get on? will I look like a douche with my neck warmer sock thing? If I get rained on will I get wet?

For anyone who has had both gear, please advise me.

Cheers.

Hi.

Check out our Black Hawk Suit at $700.00. You will be impressed. Cheers

www.1tonne.co.nz

[Donor]

Fuck me - advertising makes it into everything, even good discussion threads where other retailers have refrained from doing as such.

[1tonne]

of course leather is safer, it is far less likely to rip and pull apart in a crash situation.

I sell cordura and leather and I also wear both. I wear cordura in the winter as it is warmer and leather in the summer when I decide to go like a bat out of hell. Leather is safer in a crash but cordura would be better for the everyday rider who doesn't plan on traveling at 160km+ constantly.

Cheers.
Nathan