1 pc leathers, fit and comfort?!

[You Know]

Looking to get a one piece suit(for track days). I've tried on several, although they feel good in the upper body they are quite uncomfortable in the crotch area. Also the legs seem like they might be a touch too long. Where exactly should the knee pucks be? Does it matter if they are directly above my boot or what? Also is this crotch discomfort the norm for leathers? How much will the suit stretch or break in? I apologize for my ignorance but before I spend a paycheck for a suit I wanna' get the right fit. I have heard of local vendors doing custom suits for under 1500$ but my local Royal has a Joe rocket GPX suit blowout for $450!!! Obviously I'd prefer the latter and spend my other dough on tires. That said I'm not gonna' sacrifice comfort for $$$. All advice appreciated thanks. I've gotten the impression at stores they are just trying to push a sale so I'm here for unbias(sp?) opinions!

[You Know]

Also the suits I tried on I needed someone to tug on the arms to get me out, is this normal? Sign of a snug fit? Thanks

[C L O N E]

There is a lot of difference in fit between the different brands so if one isn't comfortable try another and another. If you happen to be strangely proportioned a custom suit may be the way to go, but i would guess most people can find a good fit off the rack. As for fit, it should be a very snug fit (with a back protector on). You don't want it loose because it will move on you when you crash which relocates the armour and can give you rash, so needing help to get out of the leathers is pretty common.

Cheap leathers tend to be cheap for a reason (beyond a blowout price)- spending more on decent leathers will be worth it in the long run in crash protection and comfort.

At this point your best bet would be to go to the upcoming bike show - there's many brands for comparison and usually good deals to be had.

[Seoul Man]

Definitely check out the next bike show in TO in January. It's the best one to find deals and GP Bikes and Riders Choice usually have suits for sale at their booths, along with others.

If your suits giving you abit of camel toe when you try and stand straight in it, it's usually ok, because alot of suits are designed with the riders position on the bike in mind. BUT, some people, like me, have long torsos, and short legs, and my back starts to cramp up if I don't take the suit off when I'm in the pits. The legs on my suit are a bit long by 2 -3 inches, but it's fine after I put my boots on and am sitting on the bike.
In my experience, my suit broke in a fair bit, but not alot. For sure make sure the armor is not loose, an will stay in place in a crash.
It's not unusual to need some help getting the arms off, when the suit isn't broke in yet. Wearing a base layer, like Performance Under Gear (PUG), or Under Armor, etc., will help alot with making it easier to get the arms off.

[john bickle]

Firts off, Any good fitting one piece suit will not fit you standing. If you want comfort standing up get a two piece.
You can not tell how it fits unless you sit in the riding position on a bike. And wear it for more then 15 minutes. A well made/cut one piece is designed to fit you on the bike.
You should not be able to relocate or move the armour. You should have a back protector and you can take out the foam piece in some suits.
The legs will be long standing, or they'll be too tight on the bike.
Sliders should be , center line of the knee, down[on the bike] and to the outside of center.
Most suits have or use roughly the same quality of leather. The quality of the suit comes in the assmbly. So a cheaper suit means it's assembled cheaper. ie: thick seams mean cheaper suit because the labour was not spent to shave the hide thin[skived] on the seam area.
A good fitting suit will need some help to get off or you can call/e-mail me and I can point you toward some alternatives solutions.
Spending less on a suit and more on tires will only allow you to go faster and find the faults in your suit sooner.

John

[Teal]

I have owned several articles of Joe Rocket gear and I really don't have anything good to say about them... the quality of the stitching and zippers are very poor, with an emphasis on zippers.

Good luck finding a suit that will fit you perfectly, cause it probably won't happen. But it should be somewhat comfortable, hard to get in and out of, and keep in mind that you need to allow for some margin of error due to body changes and temperature (if you tend to pack on a few lbs now and then and/or ride in cold temps. you may want some extra room).

A cheap alternative to buying a new suit is to buy used. I bought my first and only 1pc track suit off this forum, a Spidi suit for $400.

[havin_fun]

Ya, a custom-fit one piece is on everyone's X-mas list. But unless you are planning on a racing career or doing a LOT of trackdays in the fast group, a two-piece set of leathers should be fine. A two piece is much more convenient for the 20-minute on, 40 minute off routine of the standard 3-group trackday schedule. Plus, you can use the jacket for street riding.

Unless you are a "perfect size-xx", any off-the-shelf suit is likely to be a compromise, so you have to balance the cost/risk factor yourself. Definitely leave enough space for a back protector of your choice.

I've used a basic Joe Rocket GPS two-piece for four seasons. Fit/comfort is acceptable, and for between 6 to 8 trackdays per year is OK cost/use. It came with a foam back-insert, which I take out so I can use a separate back protector at trackdays.

Never crash-tested, which is the best-case scenario, but no leathers/armour are going to protect you 100%. The crash situation and your own reactions dictate a lot. The trick is to get material and seams strong enough least likely to burst open on impact. I've seen both cheap and expensive leathers almost randomly amazingly survive or fail catastrophically.

John Bickle has seen more leather failures and successes is probably the one of the best source of advise you'll get on the subject. Like so many other aspects of track riding, cheapest is seldom adequate, but most expensive is not always best.

[TBK]

one thing I always look for in a set of leathers is: crouch down, now spread your knees, if there is anything in the way of binding across the crotch, you don't want them. They will prevent you from getting your knee out when on the bike, and if you are hugging the tank, it will be that much worse. I have a set of Spike leathers that are fantastic. No binding at all. But I recently rented a bike and leathers, they gave me a set of RST leathers. Hated them, my legs cramped by the end of the day and I could get me knee out far enough to act as a feeler.

I find it is normal for a set of one pieces to tug on the shoulder and crotch when standing. As far as the pulling the arm to get out, that is fairly normal, a set of under armour or something similar that is slippery will help that a lot.

[kneedragger88]

I have owned
#1 IM Custom (heavy and a liner stitched from crazy glue, hard armour (kids shin pads actually) that I just had my second surgury from. Good side they were durable must have had at least 50 crashes on em and they are still being used.
#2 Teknic Silverstone. Nice fit only two crashes but solid. God awful purple and yellow.
#3 Spyke top of the line. Nice fit great ventalation but weak. Crashed a few times they always came apart. didnt get hurt from them but for the dough I expected better.
#4 Tecknic mid grade. One crash no problems.
#5 Hien Gerike. Great suit but no ventalation. Crashed twice no issues other than a broken collarbone thats not the suits fault.
#6 Joe Rocket (current) one crash so far with no issue and no repairs

Ranking in fit.
#1 IM
#2 Spyke
#3 Hien Gericke
#4 Teknic Silverstone
#5 Joe Rocket
#6 Teknic

Ranking in crashability
#1 Hien Gericke
#2 IM (but with hard armour replaced eith soft)
#3 Teknic Silverstone
#4 Joe Rocket
#5 Tecknic
#6 Spyke

Listen to whatever Bic tells you. Nobody knows more about leathers than him. He has worked on/repaired everyone of my suits. Some many times. All have good and bad points.
IMO

[john bickle]

I won't say what is a good suit or what isn't. People usually make their own call on that. If you are on a budget ,well figure on coming to see me if you crash. So factor that in.
Hard armour is more damaging to the suit and protects you less in a crash.
Getting a suit to fit cloths under is really asking for a bigger problem. The armour can rotat and casue compounded injuries. So it should fit snug. If you wear the suit at the store for 15-30 minutes you should feel it loosening up.
Thick seams wear away quicker, so that's not good. Thinner/flusher seams in lower impact areas are better. A better suit has less or no seams in hi impact areas.
Leathers are like insurance,, you don't know how good their are until you crash. As well as crash at Calabogie is harder on a suit then Shannonville so,, one person experience is not to say the suit will do the same for you.
Salesmen are exactly that. And no I can't make a size 48 into a 42.
So if it doesn't fit don't buy it! Becasue a good suit that doesn't fit is worse then a cheap suit that does.

John

[ppawlows]

Ya, a custom-fit one piece is on everyone's X-mas list. But unless you are planning on a racing career or doing a LOT of trackdays in the fast group, a two-piece set of leathers should be fine. A two piece is much more convenient for the 20-minute on, 40 minute off routine of the standard 3-group trackday schedule. Plus, you can use the jacket for street riding.

I have to agree with this guy. It sounds like you are just starting out and a two piece is the best for trackdays. You can take the jacket off to cool off and walk around the pit in more comfort. With one piece you need someone to help you take it off and when you walk around you have got a lot of leather hanging behind you. I have seen guys crashing at 150 km/hr in a two piece and walk away laughing. Unless you are planning to enter races, two piece is the way to go.

[john bickle]

I have to agree with this guy. It sounds like you are just starting out and a two piece is the best for trackdays. You can take the jacket off to cool off and walk around the pit in more comfort. With one piece you need someone to help you take it off and when you walk around you have got a lot of leather hanging behind you. I have seen guys crashing at 150 km/hr in a two piece and walk away laughing. Unless you are planning to enter races, two piece is the way to go.

Well,, can't agree on that one. Yes some two piece suits are pretty good. But it's a suit designed to ride to the mall and have dinner in. They fit baggier and that is a danger aspect if you crash not to mention the flapping. The zipper is a built in failure point. There is no way around it.
When you ride the track you accept you may be going down.It's a given. So settling for something more comfortable when you are in the pits isn't something one should consider.
Consider one crashes and has a "hard armour" back protector. You can grind through a zipper in no time. With a one piece you just grind a hole. Once the zipper is comprimised you are in a very bad situation.
Personally, it's a crap shoot,will it work or won't it. I prefer not to gamble when I hit the ground.
Yes, people walk away with two piece suits on. BUt some don't.
Some people like the two piece and that I understand. I'm not sure one should be basing a purchase on your pit comfort.
Sorry if I seem a bit negative but I have seen some nasty stuff and safety is somewhat a thing of mine.

John

[Sacrilicious]

I crashed in a Dainese 2-piece last season. It wasn't a very fast crash (60?,) and it still managed to rip the part where the zipper attaches to the jacket.

It left me with a small spot of rash on my "oblique-area", which isn't much to whine about... although when it comes to it, I'm sure you'll agree how much it sucks to spend any amount of time picking the dirt out of your rash with tweezers. Especially in an area as sensitive as your tickly-bits.

It also wore a hole on the thickly-seemed shoulder of the jacket (which, interestingly, was repaired by none other than one John Bickle!)

At the top of my list for next year is a 1-piece suit.

Depending on how modest of a rider you are, the boost in confidence may arguably help your laptimes, too.

[john bickle]

A two piece is nice and conveinient until you have an issue.
Not to say you can't have an issue with a one piece.
BUt the lack of materials around your middle and the streamlining it makes you feel is not only safer but feels better.

[Kevin Vandevenne]

I had a 160kph or so get off at TMP in a JR 2pc GPX suit this season. The pants held up ok, no holes, and 1 busted seam but the jacket was destroyed. Every seam on it opened up, and I would have to get pretty much the entire jacket resown to fix it. In the end it did its job though, no rash except where the suit pulled out of my boot. I paid $600 for it a few years ago. I suspect a higher quality suit would have held up a little better.

[caboose483]

I had a 160kph or so get off at TMP in a JR 2pc GPX suit this season. The pants held up ok, no holes, and 1 busted seam but the jacket was destroyed. Every seam on it opened up, and I would have to get pretty much the entire jacket resown to fix it. In the end it did its job though, no rash except where the suit pulled out of my boot. I paid $600 for it a few years ago. I suspect a higher quality suit would have held up a little better.

I crashed in your new suit twice and it held up reasonably well.

I've heard some people say that the JR stuff doesnt hold up well against the pavement but after a 120kph slide across an offramp into the gravel and then a post they held up well. my 60kph lowside at TMP didn't do much to em either.

I've got an Arlen Ness 1-piece now. I hear they're well made, lets hope i dont find out all that soon.

[Grimmy]

I personally wear Spyke, and have crash tested it a few times. Each time it might need small repairs here and there, which were completed by John Bickle.

After each crash I was fine except for general being banged up (all highsides - no lowsides yet) and only once did I get fairly injured, but more by how I landed (hand first) then by lack of suit protection.

Fits well, works well. I'd actually give it a good score for comfort, crashability, weight, and durability. I've been wearing it for over 3 years now.

I have a near top of the line Spyke Golem2 1pc w/ kangaroo. It would be the equivalent of the current Spyke Cyber 2.0

-Grimmy

[You Know]

Thanks to all for your repsonses. Much appreciated. I already have two jackets for street riding so I am only interested in a 1 piece. All of my questions have been answered, thanks again.