Riding Gear

[Gremlin]

Everyone has different experiences. Finding truly waterproof gear at a low pricepoint is almost impossible.

For commuting, I have a Neo jacket (~$200-300) and it's not too bad, but you can feel how the fit isn't great compared compared to ~$600-1000 jackets. Draggin jeans as I'm going between places all day, and DriRider over pants. They wear out every 1-2 years, and ~$100, much cheaper and easier to replace regularly.

Country, I use adventure jackets which may not be waterproof, so the DriRider jacket for the same ~$100 is a regular replacement over the top of other gear. The only problem with it is that you don't breathe underneath it, so often the jacket is wetter on the inside from condensation that the outside.

[rambaldi]

Those pants are good. Until you slide down the road, they they fall apart.

They seem okay after both my trips, although neither were at a high speed.

[avimistry]

If you want the certainty of staying dry at modest expense, look at either one piece or two piece plastic oversuits over the top of normal riding gear.

+100%

Real easy to get on (the higher end brands, which are still cheaper than that DriRider combo). Best part is when you reach your destination you just pop it off, give it a good dusting, roll it up and stuff it somewhere, and you're still dry underneath to move around. And another added bonus is you don't have to worry about washing your gear as often.

[Jeff Sichoe]

I wore the shit out of my nordic 2 jacket and replaced with a nordic 3 about 2 weeks ago.

Cons -
Won't be waterproof for long in any intense rain. It has zippered mesh panels on the front and arms which WILL leak eventually.
No hand-warmer pockets
All velcro with only a couple of button fasteners, The velcro will jam up with shit after a while or simply pull all the hoops out.
no way to fasten back the neck strap so the little fucker catches my beard all the time and fuck me it's annoying

Pros -
cheap, was like $315 and should do me a summer or two
cool, will be REAL good in warmer weather with the aforementioned mesh panels
comfy enough

so, basically, for the price it's alright.

If I wanted a proper winter waterproof jacket i'd go for something with a specific waterproof liner and be looking to spend $600 ish

[buggerit]

Kaiwaka rain coat and leggings from your farm supply store, never get wet, coat zips from top and bottom , easier to put on
than 1 piece suit and around the $200 mark.

[KoroJ]

I've got a Dri-Rider jacket that cost about $400. It's got zips down the arms and back with a couple of zippable mesh panels in the front. Bloody marvelous in summer. For wet, it has a removable liner but I never use it. It's quite styley, or form fitting as opposed to my old Spool jacket and after I bought it, I realised that even if I unzip the lower portion of the sleeves around my wrists, it's still a bit tight to get winter weight gloves inside the sleeves, and definitely won't take the Rain-Offs. Hence it's easier to just slip my favoured Warehouse wet gear over the top. ($20 for the jacket and $25 for the pants ...or vice versa. I think it's the blue Rivet brand?) Been keeping me dry for nearly 10 years ...and as a Distance Rider doing GC's, TT2000's and NI1600's ...I've been out in some pretty crappy weather for extended periods.

[local]

LOL

Neo Mugello pants: $249


1Tonne sport pants: $139


I figure there are 3 factors to waterproofness:
1. The ability of the membrane to effectively block/divert all of the water that's landing on the various outer layers (appropriate garment design)
2. The ability of the membrane to reject the volume of water without allowing any through (decent membrane and properly assembled)
3. The design of the garment so that membrane seams are not stressed by movements over time

Jackets tend to leak through issues with 1 & 2
Pants tend to leak through issues with 2 & 3

I have the original Dririder Nordic 1 jacket, it's 2.5yrs old and hasn't let me down yet, although my longest wet rides would be about an hour.

Nordic pants leaked through the seat area after about 12 months, due to issues with number 3. Dririder were happy to replace them even after that time.

[Jeff Sichoe]

I wore the shit out of my nordic 2 jacket and replaced with a nordic 3 about 2 weeks ago.

Cons -
Won't be waterproof for long in any intense rain. It has zippered mesh panels on the front and arms which WILL leak eventually.
No hand-warmer pockets
All velcro with only a couple of button fasteners, The velcro will jam up with shit after a while or simply pull all the hoops out.
no way to fasten back the neck strap so the little fucker catches my beard all the time and fuck me it's annoying

Pros -
cheap, was like $315 and should do me a summer or two
cool, will be REAL good in warmer weather with the aforementioned mesh panels
comfy enough

so, basically, for the price it's alright.

If I wanted a proper winter waterproof jacket i'd go for something with a specific waterproof liner and be looking to spend $600 ish

actually i've now been soaked a few times while wearing this, and as of yet, the front panels HAVEN'T leaked at all, so disregard my comment on that!

[MrMarko]

LOL

Neo Mugello pants: $249


1Tonne sport pants: $139


I figure there are 3 factors to waterproofness:
1. The ability of the membrane to effectively block/divert all of the water that's landing on the various outer layers (appropriate garment design)
2. The ability of the membrane to reject the volume of water without allowing any through (decent membrane and properly assembled)
3. The design of the garment so that membrane seams are not stressed by movements over time

Jackets tend to leak through issues with 1 & 2
Pants tend to leak through issues with 2 & 3

I have the original Dririder Nordic 1 jacket, it's 2.5yrs old and hasn't let me down yet, although my longest wet rides would be about an hour.

Nordic pants leaked through the seat area after about 12 months, due to issues with number 3. Dririder were happy to replace them even after that time.

I have the neo's and they havn't leaked a drop and ive washed them at least 20 times.

[dman]

No-one's going to mention the <$20 option?

https://www.bunnings.co.nz/search/pr...8-4d3b5761b2ac

Thanks for suggesting that!

Those pants are good. Until you slide down the road, they they fall apart.

This is why you'd wear it on top of your normal riding pants, not instead of it!

[nzspokes]

This is why you'd wear it on top of your normal riding pants, not instead of it!

How many pairs of riding pants do you wear at a time?

[WristTwister]

It's called Dririder because it's for people who ride in dry weather; if it were waterproof it would be called "Wetrider".


Wearing a water resistant layer over your regular gear might help with water-creep. Touratech gear is pretty good but you do get what you pay for.

[old slider]

It's called Dririder because it's for people who ride in dry weather; if it were waterproof it would be called "Wetrider".


Wearing a water resistant layer over your regular gear might help with water-creep. Touratech gear is pretty good but you do get what you pay for.

True, I really like my Dri-Rider air mesh jacket with removable liner, especially for summer riding, looks pretty good, has some armour and is very comfortable, the Dri rider Pants I got are Blizzard2 with removable thermal pants, they are good for cruising, bit of a mission to put on even with the thermal layer removed, but once on the road are comfortable, They don't like hot exhausts though.