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All the gear all the time?
- Thread starter Mighty Mike
- Start date
Dresden
Well-known member
In my singular experience on a gravel low slide doing 50 km/h. Same gloves had a hole through the palm. Jeans just rashed lightly on the hip & knee.
Levis 1
Rev-it 0
Prior to this, I had sung high praises of the gloves being the most comfortable I've ever worn. For $150ish, I expected them to hold up much better... I still have them if you want some picture proof.
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Zoodles95 - very similar gear and mindset tho I will go shirt and Tshirt on a hot day riding casually.
Does mesh work? It has for me off road. Some falls felt like landing on a pillow - usually near zero speed on a muddy hill. Certainly was fine on the faster come off last spring - the impact left me with a persistently sore shoulder to date but the jacket took it all fine.
Nylon pants wore through but the hard armor stopped all.
Here is a good article with pics
the one that seemed clearest....same brand of JR Jacket as mine but mesh does not look quite as substantial as mine.
http://dontai.com/wp/2010/06/03/does-motorcycle-mesh-gear-melt-in-a-crash/
My only issue with mesh jackets is the armor does not always sit tight to the body depending on your layering so I've got an armored shirt now that always fits close to the protection areas and wear it either alone or under the JR Mesh.
It's one reason I prefer knee armor separate from pants armor. It protects the joint and stays tight to it....I can also vary my riding pants from light nylon which I will ride in tomorrow to stay cool to full mesh overpants which are "okay" as far as cool goes but a bit heavy/bulky even with the knee armor out and using the Fox knee armor.
Mesh aint' a sweater and in my view is the only option in the heat here in tropical Australia where 80% of the riders on road are in shorts.....a few with motorcycle jackets.
I like that mesh can be layered so with a liner and a rain jacket I'm good as low as 8 degrees in the rain ( was a miserable ride back from PA )
Past 30, humid and riding in low or no traffic - I'll lose all but helmet and ride in shorts and shirt - my skin...still intact 45 years of riding tho a few winter storms in university provided some inadvertent tobogganing with the bike on ice.
The knee armor is so light I don't really feel it on under light pants so why not and it take seconds on and off.
Mesh JR jacket was $50 used and held up for last 6 years. Wear a ballistic long jacket with a full liner for under 10 degrees but just got a battery powered vest I like better.
I have mesh gloves for Aus but the knuckles are full hard armor and some protection on the palm tho I'd not want to trust it for a road spill....it's designed for dirt.
Riding in the GTA???....Sherman tank might suffice....results may vary.
Buy what you will wear.
Kid goes mesh armor shirt and knee armor and very good gloves most times - jacket and pants are just for warmth.
In my view helmet, gloves, boots, joint armor that stays in place, are the areas to concentrate on in that order.
Jacket and pants material??...what you will tolerate.
Hell there are lots of us still riding that could legally do and did the QEW in swim gear and sunglasses.....barefoot.
That was a while back.
Does mesh work? It has for me off road. Some falls felt like landing on a pillow - usually near zero speed on a muddy hill. Certainly was fine on the faster come off last spring - the impact left me with a persistently sore shoulder to date but the jacket took it all fine.
Nylon pants wore through but the hard armor stopped all.
Here is a good article with pics
the one that seemed clearest....same brand of JR Jacket as mine but mesh does not look quite as substantial as mine.
http://dontai.com/wp/2010/06/03/does-motorcycle-mesh-gear-melt-in-a-crash/
My only issue with mesh jackets is the armor does not always sit tight to the body depending on your layering so I've got an armored shirt now that always fits close to the protection areas and wear it either alone or under the JR Mesh.
It's one reason I prefer knee armor separate from pants armor. It protects the joint and stays tight to it....I can also vary my riding pants from light nylon which I will ride in tomorrow to stay cool to full mesh overpants which are "okay" as far as cool goes but a bit heavy/bulky even with the knee armor out and using the Fox knee armor.
Mesh aint' a sweater and in my view is the only option in the heat here in tropical Australia where 80% of the riders on road are in shorts.....a few with motorcycle jackets.
I like that mesh can be layered so with a liner and a rain jacket I'm good as low as 8 degrees in the rain ( was a miserable ride back from PA )
Past 30, humid and riding in low or no traffic - I'll lose all but helmet and ride in shorts and shirt - my skin...still intact 45 years of riding tho a few winter storms in university provided some inadvertent tobogganing with the bike on ice.
The knee armor is so light I don't really feel it on under light pants so why not and it take seconds on and off.
Mesh JR jacket was $50 used and held up for last 6 years. Wear a ballistic long jacket with a full liner for under 10 degrees but just got a battery powered vest I like better.
I have mesh gloves for Aus but the knuckles are full hard armor and some protection on the palm tho I'd not want to trust it for a road spill....it's designed for dirt.
Riding in the GTA???....Sherman tank might suffice....results may vary.
Buy what you will wear.
Kid goes mesh armor shirt and knee armor and very good gloves most times - jacket and pants are just for warmth.
In my view helmet, gloves, boots, joint armor that stays in place, are the areas to concentrate on in that order.
Jacket and pants material??...what you will tolerate.
Hell there are lots of us still riding that could legally do and did the QEW in swim gear and sunglasses.....barefoot.
That was a while back.
Great post MacDoc,
This is some of the other "optional" gear I wear from time to time and for similar reasons that you like armor which does not move.
The knee guards are pretty much a staple and while they make my legs a bit warmer I feel much safer knowing there is at least something between my knees/shins and a curb or whatever else I might run into.
I stopped wearing the squid/****** vest when I upgraded the crappy foam "armor" in my mesh jacket to a really nice CE rated one that fits in the other Icon jackets:
I also sometimes wear these armored shorts on more spirited rides which gives my hips some extra protection and there is some aramid fibres in the shorts which is supposed to provide some extra abrasion protection.
The next plan is to get Olympia Airglide 3 pants and I will probably put the D3O armor from the shorts into the Airglides in addition to the foam in the hip area of pants. Not sure what will happen with the knee guards at that point. The Airglide pants zip all the way up to the hip so it is super easy to put my existing knee guards on and off and zip the pants back down. There are CE rated knee guards in the pants but I do not know how well they would stay in place in an off. Again, it might depend on the ride and circumstances with what I do with the knee guards.
These Forcefield items seem like the ultimate things to wear under one's existing gear:
I cannot see commuting with these items or going for a casual ride with them but for someone who track rides or does sport touring, adventure riding etc they seem like a great idea.
This is some of the other "optional" gear I wear from time to time and for similar reasons that you like armor which does not move.
The knee guards are pretty much a staple and while they make my legs a bit warmer I feel much safer knowing there is at least something between my knees/shins and a curb or whatever else I might run into.
I stopped wearing the squid/****** vest when I upgraded the crappy foam "armor" in my mesh jacket to a really nice CE rated one that fits in the other Icon jackets:
I also sometimes wear these armored shorts on more spirited rides which gives my hips some extra protection and there is some aramid fibres in the shorts which is supposed to provide some extra abrasion protection.
The next plan is to get Olympia Airglide 3 pants and I will probably put the D3O armor from the shorts into the Airglides in addition to the foam in the hip area of pants. Not sure what will happen with the knee guards at that point. The Airglide pants zip all the way up to the hip so it is super easy to put my existing knee guards on and off and zip the pants back down. There are CE rated knee guards in the pants but I do not know how well they would stay in place in an off. Again, it might depend on the ride and circumstances with what I do with the knee guards.
These Forcefield items seem like the ultimate things to wear under one's existing gear:
I cannot see commuting with these items or going for a casual ride with them but for someone who track rides or does sport touring, adventure riding etc they seem like a great idea.
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I guess we will agree to disagree on this point. Please just do not wear these silly things; they are SO 2013.
Now that we have some insight on your gears situation I need to know what you are using for lube.
With your dirt background is there a better chain lube I should be using?
I just clicked on the link from MacDoc's post. I highly recommend MM and anyone else reading this check it out.
This pic reminded me why I want some Velocity VR Pro gloves on the group buy:
My current gloves have some decent armor on the backside of them but there is not much to protect me on the palm. Sure, these are WAY better than nothing and certainly better than the $20-$30 pairs I see but I am not confident that if I fall and slide on my palms that these will hold up at all.
Racegloves seem like a no brainer to me. Other than adapting to the bridged pinkie (which could save me a broken or severed finger) these should be easy to adapt to and give me enough protection to not lose any skin on my hands in an off.
So, MM... I highly recommend you pick up a pair of these in the current group buy. Could save your hands one day.
This pic reminded me why I want some Velocity VR Pro gloves on the group buy:
My current gloves have some decent armor on the backside of them but there is not much to protect me on the palm. Sure, these are WAY better than nothing and certainly better than the $20-$30 pairs I see but I am not confident that if I fall and slide on my palms that these will hold up at all.
Racegloves seem like a no brainer to me. Other than adapting to the bridged pinkie (which could save me a broken or severed finger) these should be easy to adapt to and give me enough protection to not lose any skin on my hands in an off.
So, MM... I highly recommend you pick up a pair of these in the current group buy. Could save your hands one day.
#yeahbuddy
Wowsa! You weren't kidding.
Out of curiosity... How do you like the Suomy lid? How does it compare to Shoei, Arai, and other higher end helmets?
Wowsa! You weren't kidding.
Out of curiosity... How do you like the Suomy lid? How does it compare to Shoei, Arai, and other higher end helmets?
I ended up selling it cause I couldn't make it stay down at high speeds, it would want to lift off my head at about 90+. Other than that it was a cheap alternative that was light, very comfortable, vented pretty well and was an otherwise great helmet. Shield sucked. It was gummy, didn't seal well and was a HUGE PITA to change. Suomy also has gorgeous graphics.
The Bell Vortex was my "highway helmet" cause it was heavier, vented better, was more streamlined and it stayed down! at 199.99 or less you won't do better.
After that I got a Shoei RF-1100 that was an amazing helmet that combined the best of both but regrettably it didn't fit my head. Wouldn't hesitate to buy a new one.
My new Vector 2 (yet to be mohawked) is more plush and comfy, seals nicely, is more quiet, vents great and I'll have a shield and highway opinion when the season really starts.
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Well... That sums that up then... Did the gree
n mohawk make it over to the Bell?
I am using an Icon Alliance right now (which seems to be on the way out in favor of the Airframe and Airmada models) and I have been really happy with it. Flows a ton of air and it fits me perfectly. It is loud though but frankly, I am a proponent of using earplugs on long/longer highway rides anyways. The shields on the alliance are a PITA to change over. I can do it quickly now but from what I have heard Shoei shields are a cinch to swap.
I almost bit on a RF1100 last year when Tyler at Two Wheel brought some in (and some RF1000s as well) on killer deals. I already had two lids so I thought it made more sense to spend that money at that point on some other gear and parts. I will be curious to where I migrate to when my helmets get to the 5 year mark and probably should be retired/semi-retired.
The new RF 1200 seems nice and the GT air seems like it would be a nice option as well.
Like you would know....
Perhaps if you stopped making foolish statements and listened to people who have been riding twice as long as you've been alive you might actually get your questions answered with less noise and more signal and earn some respect instead of laughter.
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The thing with independent armour as opposed to all or nothing you can pick and choose depending on riding conditions and mood.
Aggressive and pumped...gear up......lazy and mellow on a hot day...cool minimal works.
It was nice today to have my lightest riding pants on so decided even off road tomorrow that's what I will wear but with the knee armor which is so light I really don't feel it.
I've fallen enough off road ( couple times a season here ) I trust the gear will work.
It's one reason riding off road for new riders and taking a course will give you confidence in falls and you'll learn how to ride and fall.....and then maybe you'll be a better a rider and never need it on pavement when the front end slips on gravel or you lock your rear brake up.
You'll know what happens when the bike goes unstable and how to recover.
The time to learn that is not on pavement. No better gear choice than off road training in my view.
I tell you another gear tip I learned here.in Aus....change out iffy tires.
I swear I could avoided just about every come off if my tires had been up to snuff.
As could Eamonn yesterday
40 years riding, instructor, open licence and over he goes in the mud on his KLR with VERY marginal tires....exactly what happened to me first year here.
Guess what happens in those unexpected construction zones in the rain on a road bike.....the dirt training comes in very handy.
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I guess that is subjective. I have both the vortex & the vandal. The vandal never lifts on highway at any speeds. Depends on headshape & size. My vandal is really snug
XenoVibe
Well-known member
Theres Kevlar jeans that have padding in the knee front and back as well as upper thigh and crotch area but hey if you want to risk permanent damage, nobody cares. literally. nobody.
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