ian@cbosgd.UUCP (Neil Kirby) (03/05/86)
A few years ago, I bought a leather jacket _before_ my current one wore out. The new one was medium brown in color, and rather heavy. The old one was black, and not very heavy. The difference was amazing, the new jakcet was much cooler in the day and warmer at night. Do any of you on the net have any experience with gore-tex riding gear? I saw an add in this issue of Cycle for one and two part riding suits in gore-tex and cordura and I wondered if anybody out there has any good words or bad about them? I ride a BMW twin (ankle roaster) and so I need something that will breathe. Thanks, Neil Kirby ...cbosgd!ian
pweiss@sun.uucp (Paul Weiss) (03/10/86)
Just a quick comment on non-leather riding gear. The stuff is very attractive in some respects, given leather's expense and sweaty summer rides. But, please avoid nylon materials like a plague. When you hit the ground at speed, it melts. Getting your ass rubbed off by the pavement is bad enough, but spending days picking tiny globes of re-hardened nylon from the wound considerably dampens one's enthusiasm for the miracles of modern chemistry. One alternative to leather which is still OK in even really hot weather is heavy canvas. I'm not talking about blue jeans, here, though they are better than normal dress slacks. The stuff I mean is like the padded Carhart stuff, or the canvas stuff which is made for gas welders. There is also some GI surplus canvas stuff around. I bought two pairs of aircraft carrier deck overalls in the early 60's, and dumped it at 65 m.p.h in 1970 wearing one pair. They got trashed, but they saved my hindquarters, and didn't melt or burn. It's got to get above 100 degrees nowadays before I bag my leathers and drop back to second best. Second best is lots worse. You'll almost always get hurt somehow when you fall down, even if it's only getting banged up. Losing skin is almost always avoidable.
donch@teklabs.UUCP (Don Chitwood) (03/11/86)
A friend of mine was a volunteer fireman and in that capacity attended to numerous auto accidents. He told me of a motorcyclist who had gone down for some reason and was wearing a nylon jacket. The nylon melted as he was sliding along on the pavement, contributing to his pavement rash thereby, and the melted nylon had to be scraped out of the wound in the E.R. at the hospital. That's why I wear 100% cotton/wool jeans/slacks when I ride, along with(a sturdy leather jacket and ALWAYS leather gloves (helmet, too, of course.) Don Chitwood Tektronix, Inc.
gadfly@ihuxn.UUCP (Gadfly) (03/11/86)
-- > Do any of you on the net have any experience with gore-tex > riding gear? I saw an add in this issue of Cycle for one and two > part riding suits in gore-tex and cordura and I wondered if anybody > out there has any good words or bad about them? I ride a BMW twin > (ankle roaster) and so I need something that will breathe. > > Neil Kirby I had a 2-piecer tailor made of Gore-tex (that was back when you could buy it by the yard, which you can't any more because the Gore Co. got too many complaints of leaky garments that were really the fault of the makers, so they supply it to approved makers only now) and I swear by the stuff. It does breathe, and it is water-resistant enough to be the best damned windbreaker I've ever worn (and thus very warm even in a cold wind). It probably is waterproof if you're just sitting at a light, but even a 30 mph wind will push the osmotic pressure over what the fabric will stand and some moisture (not much) always gets in if you're out long enough. You have to watch out for (a) poorly sealed seams, and (b) poorly designed closures. It's best to have as few closures as possible (my suit is a pullover with none), and check the seams carefully. Happiness is a dry crotch. -- *** *** JE MAINTIENDRAI ***** ***** ****** ****** 10 Mar 86 [20 Ventose An CXCIV] ken perlow ***** ***** (312)979-7753 ** ** ** ** ..ihnp4!iwsl8!ken *** ***
fbr@utastro.UUCP (Frank Ray) (03/14/86)
In article <1362@ihuxn.UUCP>, gadfly@ihuxn.UUCP (Gadfly) writes: > Happiness is a dry crotch. Actually, gadfly, that depends on the circumstances. fbr