| Author | Message | ||
     Buckeye86 |
So after a nightmare with the DOT, I've finally gotten my title/registration squared away, and its time for gear! I've been perusing forums and online stores, as well as stopping in a few myself, and think I have a pretty good idea of what I want, but wanted to get some feedback from people who know more about this than I do. Helmet: http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=5000&L2=1&L3= 101&L4=&item=SCE_01100-12-XS_G Or something similar... This is about the best I can afford atm (poor college student), but if somebody knows of something as good/better, please let me know. Jacket: http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=5000&L2=2&L3= 108&L4=109&item=PAR_1533-3002_G Same deal as the helmet. Key for this is that I'm going to be riding around Ohio, so I want something thats going to be very flexible as far as temperature goes, and this had the most vents/best lining for the buck. It also fit the best and had armor on the shoulders/elbows. I got a pair of Buell gloves when I got the bike, so I'm covered there. Boots: http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=5000&L2=2&L3= 119&L4=120&item=FTL_SEB079-BZ-7_G Seems like good bang for my buck, and since I'm doing a lot of commuting, I want something that I can wear around with a pair of jeans once I get to class/work/wherever. Pants: OK, little trickier here. I'd like something that I could wear over/under a pair of jeans, so that when I get where I'm going it's easier to change out of my riding gear. My 2 thoughts are: http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=5000&L2=2&L3= 112&L4=114&item=PAR_2704-0062 + http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=5000&L2=2&L3= 112&L4=114&item=PAR_2840-0040_G I could get these two items, and wear them under a pair of jeans, and take off the shin armor when I get where I'm going, and just chill in the shorts... Might get a bit smelly tho, and I'm leary of how much protection these things would have. OR http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=5000&L2=2&L3= 112&L4=114&item=SUL_8054-0002_G Buy these a size too big, and just wear them over my jeans, and pull em off when I get where I'm going. Thanks in advance for any advice. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Jacket looks nice, but for that kind of coin, you are approaching aerostitch space. I've done the commuting thing for a few years under a lot of different circumstances, and settled on this: 1) First Gear Kilamanjaro Air jacket (or any other decent armored ventilated jacket that includes a good zip out insulating liner). 2) First Gear armored textile pants (or any other decent armored ventilated pants that include a good zip out insulating liner). 3) Spine protector. 4) Decent gloves. 5) Decent over the ankle motorcycle boots. 6) Decent helmet. 7) Polly grip heaters. I just get an extra pair of "work shoes", and leave them at work. The armored pants go over my work clothes as well. So even if I get good and goo'd from gunk on the road, I just walk in, peel off the protective gear, change from the boots to shoes, spray my hair with an old windex bottle filled with water and comb it in about the right places again, then go to work looking like a normal human. That works for a pretty long riding season here in southern Ohio... The aerostitch would be even better, it would go on and off very quickly, will last an insanely long time, and protects really well in a crash. Of course, you look like one of those aerostitch guys... but like me, you probably look like them anyway, if you want too or not  | ||
| Buckeye86 |
I suppose I should have mentioned this earlier, but part of the reason that I like the gear above was that it was all at my local Cycle Gear, which gives a 15% discount on everything if you have an MSF card (which I do), so that adds up to a pretty solid chunk of change over the whole set. I'd like to keep the jacket leather, pants not so much since I'm going to try to wear them over my jeans. The pants you mentioned look pretty solid, and my riding conditions are going to be similar to yours... I'm going to be in/around Columbus for the next 6 months, after then who knows. | ||
| Reepicheep |
I'm not a brand snob, I'll buy any quality gear at a fair price. I do really like the liners on the first gear stuff... it's some sort of metalized mylar or something, incredibly thin, but almost supernaturally warm, and it's holding up great. Long after my current jacket and pants dissolve (and after 8 years, the jacket is starting too) I'll probably still be using those liners. Don't know what Iron Pony has, but if I was going to be around columbus, I would stop there... | ||
| L8_br8ker |
Some might not like what this guy has to say, and there is nothing about scientific proof here, anyone that thinks it of significant importance would not find it difficult to google up the facts on what is stated here. "If you want to buy a textile motorcycle jacket and you are concerned about safety (i.e. how the jacket will perform in a crash), then you need to pay careful attention to the material the jacket is made of. Many of the textile jackets that are so popular today are made from polyester. But Cordura and Kevlar are the only fabrics that are comparable to leather in abrasion resistance. Leather has always been considered the safest thing to wear on a motorcycle. It isn't waterproof, it's not quite warm enough in the winter, and it's a little too hot in the summer. But leather is still the safest thing you can wear if it's saving your hide that you're worried about. Motorcycle racers wear leather for a reason. Even if it's unbearably hot, you won't see them riding with anything else. However, 1000 denier Cordura is actually better than leather for abrasion resistance, and Kevlar is even better than that. Both Cordura and Kevlar are available in a "mesh" fabric for hot weather, and they are also available with or without chemical coatings like polyurethane and gore-tex for waterproofness. But most of the import textile jackets on the market today are not made of either material. The last time I looked, the top selling jackets from Tourmaster, Cortech and Fieldsheer were all made from polyester. Tourmaster's calls the fabric they use "Carbolex," but if you read the fine print you will see Carbolex is made from polyester. In my opinion, buying one of those jackets is like buying a "leather-like" (i.e. vinyl) jacket thinking it will protect you like leather would. It's not as good a deal as it sounds. I've noticed that, as textile jackets have grown in popularity, I've heard more and more of people getting into crashes and having the polyester and polyurethane coatings in their jackets melt into their skin. Polyester may feel soft and be more comfortable to wear, but what good is that if it can do more harm than good if you fall off? You might as well wear something really comfortable like cotton or denim. Those fabrics may not be very abrasion resistant or waterproof, but at least they won't melt into your skin. If you want a textile jacket, you should pay careful attention to the material it's made out of. 500 denier Cordura has good abrasion resistance, and 1000 denier Cordura is even better than leather. Don't buy a jacket made of something that sounds like protective Cordura; insist on the real thing. I'd even go for generic nylon over anthing made out of polyester. Both fabrics can burn and melt when they get really hot, but polyester is different since "the burning ash from polyester can bond quickly to any surface it drips on including skin" (see Fabric Identification "burn test" for Polyester). Aerostitch and Olympia jackets are made from 500 and 1000 denier Cordura, like the Aerostitch Roadcrafter and Darien jacket, and the Olympia AST jacket. Vanson also has jackets made from 1000 denier Cordura, like the new Odyssey Scooter jacket. And Vanson has Cordura mesh jackets like the Vent Max and Ventilator. When it comes to protection, I think these are some of the best jackets you can buy. If the Aerostitch jackets are too expensive, the Olympia apparel is an excellent alternative. If that's still too much, you can get the Vanson Odyssey Scooter jacket for as little as $150. There is another less well known company called Motoport/ Cycleport that sells uncoated Cordura jackets in 620 and 1000 denier weights that are reasonably priced. Cordura jackets usually don't breath well, but that is because the fabric is usually coated. Uncoated Cordura is different and can actually breath better than denim. And if money is no object, Motoport also sells Kevlar jackets that are probably the best you can get for abrasion resistance; and they sell Kevlar mesh apparel that is likely the safest thing you can wear in hot weather. Of course, you can find all of these jackets used on Ebay for bargain prices. If you want to buy a textile jacket and you are concerned about safety, here are some things to remember. 1.Figure out what the jacket is made of, whethet the fabric is solid or mesh. If the answer is a tradename like Carbolex, find out whether that fabric is made from nylon or polyester (if the manufactuer doesn't say, try Googling the name). 2.Nylon is better than Polyester for protecting you on a motorycle; the higher the denier the better the protection ("Ballistic Nylon" is probably the best). 3.Cordura is better than regular Nylon; again, the higher the denier the better. 4.And Kevlar is the best you can get. If you are willing to spend the money, Kevlar solid or mesh will give you the best protection. 5.Also remember coated fabrics may be better if it rains, but uncoated fabrics are better for safety (if you do get the coated version of the fabric, be sure to wear something else between the coating and your skin). By remembering those five things, you should be able to make a better decision about which textile jacket to buy. Textiles are not like leather, where you can just figure the thicker the skin the better the jacket. It's harder to figure out what your buying because of the tradenames manufacturers give to the fabric they use, but if you are concerned about safety (and presumably that is the reason you are considering buying the item), then that's really what you have to do." I didn't write whats in the quotes, I just felt it kinda sums up something that isn't rocket science, but might be important to some  . | ||
| Prior |
I've had a few Scorpion EX700 helmets. Good price, comfortable and visors etc are very reasonable. I've seen a number of them on clearance, depending on color and graphics. Many are right around $100 if you look around. I'd go with a pair of overpants with decent armor, much easier to get in and out of than separate armor and riding shorts, especially if you are commuting. Shop around, you can often find great deals on clearance stuff or last year's models/colors, and always keep in mind second hand stuff you can find in the classifieds here or on other sites. Congrats on getting the bike squared away and good luck! Prior | ||
| Shadyplace20 |
Buckeye, did you try on the Seven Zero Seven helmet at Cycle Gear? It's their brand. Might be worth a try if the fit is good for you. The price is definitely better. Also, take a look at the Frank Thomas Xti leather jacket. It's on sale now too. | ||
| Delta_one |
I know of two places with scorpion exo's on sale or clearance... its the old graphics but they are cheaper. pm me for details (I just don't want to violate any sponsor stuff) | ||
| Buckeye86 |
Delta-already got the helmet, but thanks anyways. | ||
| Iamarchangel |
Seems to me that you could get better prices even after their discount. Newenough.com does better and their closeout prices rock. Buell does better for their jackets. I'm doing a review of their Turbulent jacket. There's a thread on here somewhere that shows bike injuries. I'd never wear short boots, my choice, your call after that. I have Sidi's. Joe Rocket mesh pants are good for easy on/off over jeans. Buell Adventure pants are good too but you have to take your boots off to get them off. | ||
| Delta_one |
+1 newenough.com good deals on clearance stuff. some of it is non production gear too so shop wisely. but the return is easy and no hassle so still shop no worries. | ||
| Delta_one |
ok the field armor legs SUCK I ordered and subsequently returned a pair of them because they couldn't wrap around my legs without cutting off circulation. (granted I have a large calf from biking soccer and kickboxing) I tried them for a little while anyway and as soon as I took a step they shifted out of place and the knee cup was constantly wandering. but the idea is solid. I wear Knox cross max guards and they double for mountain biking. icon is good stuff too save money on the shorts because they are just padded and not abrasion resistant and buy soccer Keeper shorts for 35 bucks or less. I don't know Frank Thomas boots but I love Alpinestars boots. if you want boots to walk in after you stop riding then check out the SMX-1 I love mine. As for boots they are narrow, if you can wear puma then sidi will be fine but I can't, there are a lot of moving parts on those boots and it make me leery, that and all kinds of replacement parts are available. is that because they break? Reepicheep hit the nail on the gloves. helmets aside I would put them on the most important gear to have. your hands are delicate instruments and will be the first thing you fling forward as the asphalt approaches you. and most good jackets will have a pocket for a CE rated spine protector. they are fairly inexpensive and typically more comfortable than the dual density foam they replace. | ||
| Phelan |
If you do your research, eBay can be a great tool for gear. I got my Carbon Fiber Joe Rocket helmet brand new for $102.50. Vindramini (I think?) makes some awesome sport-touring boots, but I have yet to find a deal on a pair. Gaerne has some nice boots too. (Message edited by Phelan on August 19, 2009) |
