Cordura v leather?

**LBD** · 18th September 2009, 02:21

Originally Posted by MaxCannon

Leather gear offers better protection - textile gear offers greater convienience.

I ride to work everyday. Textile is lightweight, breathable and waterproof.
I don't have to try and put on a rain suit when it starts raining half way to work.
If I do get wet my gear gear dries during the day.
On hot days I can unzip the vents to get some air moving through.

When I go to the track I pull out my leathers.
If I wear then in the rain - I get wet.
They also stay soggy for days.
They don't breath very well - no vents.
.

Originally Posted by TerminalAddict

both.

leather for the weekends and hooning
cordura for communtering to work every day

These two sum it up for me...In predicted weather conditions its the leathers...

Where there is a question about the weather, or when multiday touring or when warmth is an issue its textile....

**James Deuce** · 18th September 2009, 08:15

Originally Posted by nallac

Yip,

Here he is......

Use the search function, particularly for THIS subject as the anti-Quasi/pro-Quasi shouting gets fucking tedious.

**Swoop** · 18th September 2009, 09:04

Cordura in summer = sweating like a rapist.

I've reverted to all leather with rainshell when required. It has served extremely well this winter.

I do have a cordura jacket though, for when wearing bulkier clothing underneath.

**vifferman** · 18th September 2009, 09:42

Originally Posted by Swoop

Cordura in summer = sweating like a rapist.

Leather in summer = sweating like a rapist draught horse.

I think the heat in summer has more to do with what ventilation a garment has. My cordura/leather jacket has two zips in each sleeve, two zips on the chest, and two on the back. It's pretty cool when moving.
My leather jacket has a zip on each sleeve, but they're at the bottom, so are partly protected from the airflow around the fairing. However, the whole front of the jacket zips off, up around behind the neck, so it has superb airflow through it, even if the rest of the jacket doesn't.
Leather pants have no ventilation at all, and the silk linings tend to stick to my legs.
My cordura pants have vent zips on the top of the thighs, with tabs to hold them open, but the goretex lining tends to negate that a bit. They're looser-fitting than the leather pants, so not quite so hot.

Overall, I'd say my gear is all equally uncomfortable in stop/start traffic. Once on the move, the leather jacket and cordura pants get the nod.

**Elysium** · 18th September 2009, 10:12

If I had the spare money I would love to have leather gear. I'm still using my first Cordura jacket and so far it has held up to wear and tear after about six or seven years I've owned it.

**Okey Dokey** · 18th September 2009, 10:36

Well, the short answer is that leather offers the better protection. But it won't work if you are not prepared to wear it. Many find cordura gear a good compromise, for them, between comfort and safety.

Me, I wear a set of leathers that I find comfy.