Can anyone suggest any good value budget textile jacket and trousers? I know I could ask on a proper bike forum but I know there are a few on here! 🙂
Cheers.
Always got on well with the Richa gear, survived a slide up the road as well without bursting seams or abrading through.
Aldi have some in this week. Not sure what they're like..
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Aldi! My crane gear has lasted ages so will check it out. Ta!
You might want to check out Ghostbikes.com - they have a budget inhouse range called Black
Not sure how cheap I would go for bike gear though....
I've had an Akito jacket for about seven years now. No complaints.
I got a Pizza Hut delivery bikers jacket off fleabay fr about a tenner. Decent fabric,armour in elbows and shoulders but not spine (and no pocket).
Waterproof and a bit of a laugh (tend to like Italian bikes).
J&s own brand stuff is passable...
I've got a 'proper' IXS suit though and the difference in comfort on longer journeys I over cheaper suits is night and day!
Does Hein Gericke still exist? They always had great value stuff.
I have an akito desert suit. Has stood up to 4-5 years of daily use well. Jacket better than trosers where zips have gone. Will keep you dry over a 30min ride when raining, it will let water in over longer periods or if its a real downpour. Warm enough for winter use with a light fleece underneath. Its cheap and does the job ok, but fidfly to take the various liners out and put back in. Try before you buy though as they are sized very very small.
footflaps - Member
Does Hein Gericke still exist? They always had great value stuff.
Unfortunately not, at least not in the UK anyway, they went bust again last year. A real pity as my HG textiles are excellent and I would happily recommend them to anyone.
Does anyone know of any long legged motorbike trousers for the slimish rider. Trying to find 33/34" leg, 34" waist trousers is proving difficult. It seems everywhere I look, manufacturers are catering for the hobbits of society!
I'm almost at the point of considering a spot of cross dressing as the womens troos seem to be a lot longer for a given waist size.
I'd say take care to get something that is goretex. Cheap brands with made up 'nafftex' layers leak quickly and copiously, IME. My HG goretex kit is still water proof after more than 3 years of ~50 miles a day ride to work use. (You do need to use a wash in waterproofing elixir from time to time.)
My dad's got an aldi jacket, seems to be lasting well, I've got a fairly generic £50 one I picked up form the bike show years ago which has been down the road a few times whilst my brother was wearing it. I've got a full outer suit to wear on top for rainy days though.
Trousers I got off ebay (something Island? sounded Australian) and are crap but I needed something cheep in a hurry.
Spada stuff is decent for the price, really waterproof too (better so than a lot of higher priced stuff).
I'd say take care to get something that is goretex. Cheap brands with made up 'nafftex' layers leak quickly and copiously, IME. My HG goretex kit is still water proof after more than 3 years of ~50 miles a day ride to work use. (You do need to use a wash in waterproofing elixir from time to time.)
Top trick is to get a cheap plastic jacket from somewhere like Decathlon and wear it over the top of your far more expensive motorbike jacket. You obviously need to go up a size or two!
Apart from protecting the better jacket it also keeps you warmer, dries out faster, and provides another layer of waterproofing for those days when it's really chucking it down. Also works with trousers...
I got on really well with Teknics, the last pair of their cordura trousers I had in particular were ace- proper armour pockets, comfy, very nearly waterproof, and tough as old boots. That, and my beloved Belstaff Polar jacket, I lived in that thing for years and it cost me £40 😀
Eventually got a set of Rukka textile trousers which yes are better, but not 3 times better... And still just as easily destroyed. Not that you want to plan for crashing exactly but still.
What's your budget?
I started out with some cheap-o Jofama gear. Properly waterproof (for the first 4 years), tough and well armoured. Think the trousers were £60 and the jacket about £90. Alpinestars drystar-equipped stuff is also very good. Much better made than anything else I've seen at the same sort of price
I'd be really careful with very cheap gear though as the abrasion resistance and waterproofness can be rickety.
Try local charity shops, I gave all my bike kit away to Oxfam a few years back, boots, full leathers and cordura waterproof stuff.
Does anyone know of any long legged motorbike trousers for the slimish rider.
Yep, all the KTM gear is available in long-legged versions. Jofama/Halvarsons/Lindstrands stuff, being built for Swedes, is also quite long legged. My jofama trousers scrape along the floor when the gaiters are undone & I'm a 34" inside leg.
Cheers for the suggestions all. As it is a time factor limiting my budget for the next couple of months at least I have gone down the Aldi route, couldn't knock my Crane stuff and the motorbike clothing is also Crane so fingers crossed.
£130 for jacket and trousers with EN certified armour can't be sniffed at. The jacket has a zip to attach to the trousers too!
Will see how I get on... so excited to pick my bike up!
Cheers for the suggestions all. As it is a time factor limiting my budget for the next couple of months at least I have gone down the Aldi route, couldn't knock my Crane stuff and the motorbike clothing is also Crane so fingers crossed.
One thing which you might not realise / remember is that not all pockets are created equal, and if you're caught in a serious downpour your wallet+phone are at risk. Don't ask me how I know. A ziploc freezer bag is a good idea...
Cheers Mogrim, as a commuter by bicycle, occasional jogger and even more occasional bivvy I am completely sold on the freezer bag trick 😀
Cheers Mogrim, as a commuter by bicycle, occasional jogger and even more occasional bivvy I am completely sold on the freezer bag trick
🙂
I was completely sold on the "your lovely new jacket is 100% waterproof" thing by the salesman, turns out the front pockets aren't 🙁
Weeps.. you found out the hard way? :'(
