Leather vs Textile

[JackDaniels]

Hi guys,
basically i want to know the pros/cons of both...

I have found a nice set of textiles, Jacket and trousers with pads, for £250

but my mum is saying leathers are safer but would cost about £100 more. i'm only going to be on a 125 at first until I've passed my A2 where i will be looking for something bigger, What would you say is the best option to go for.
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[duhawkz]

I suppose its down to personal preference

I have both

Textiles are warmer and waterproof for winter

Leathers for summer, leathers provide better abraison protection should you find yourself siding down the road on yer arse
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[JackDaniels]

hmm... i went down to the local bike shop today and the guy was sayig that its sometimes difficult to walk in leathers :S
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THEORY TEST - PASSED! - 02-08-11 CBT Passed - 09-08-10 MOD 1 - 09-08-2011 - MOD 2 - 28-09-2011
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[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

[JackDaniels]

What are leathers like in the rain ? i really like the look/feel of the leathers but they were also saying that the textiles are better in the rain
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[Gerrard]

Textile's are great for everyday use but should you want to do track days at a later date, leathers are a must..
I've got both but I have been riding for yonk's
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[dogbot]

I wear leather trousers all the time, rain or otherwise. They're actually a bit more water resistant than the (frankly shitty) Oxford "Bone Dry" textile trousers I have. The riding position of my bike seems to make it so they don't catch much direct water anyway, but anything that does run off the top immediately soaks through the textiles.

If it's raining, I'll usually combine those with a textile jacket with a waterproof liner, and if it's really coming down, a waterproof over suit.

But given the choice, leathers all the way, personally. Tbh, though, it's down to what you feel most comfortable with, really.

[duhawkz]

in light raining there not to bad, if its full on pissing it down then you get wet. i have a set of water proofs for over the leathers if it rains which i just slung in the top box.

no i dont have a top box i just avoid rain were ever possible

i dont find walking in leathers problem, i switched back to a 2 piece recently though as i prefer to be able take my jacket off if its warm, rather than having it tied round my waist or flobbing about round my arse
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"The guy is a worthless cunt and I honestly believe I would be a slightly happier person if he died." - Chris-Red

[njd27]

[SirEdward]

I have a Dainese perforated leather jacket - still too warm to ride in during Summer. Textiles usually have several removable layers, making them the choice for 24/7 riding. And I have another jacket - a no-name textile with 3 layers: some 'perforated' rubberised skin for rainy days, a cold weather mesh, and the jacket itself, which is very comfortable in the hot & humid.

Don't even think about leather pants, tho.
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[DrDonnyBrago]

Leathers typically are worn instead of jeans, textiles typically are worn over jeans. Depends what you want them for, tight leathers with sliders and loads of armour is great for summer leisure riding but pretty shit for winter and day to day commuting. Textiles on the other hand are usually more comfortable and waterproof, warmer in winter and often have linings which can be removed and zips that open up vents for some airflow.


If I had to choose I'd get one good set of textiles.

[doggone]

[dogbot]

Innit.

The day they make a bike jacket of any sort that you can keep your cheap sunnies in without having to have them in an uncomfortable hard case them getting crushed when you lean forwards, leather or textile, I will dance a jig...

[iooi]

Now a question for you.

What riding do you intend to do ?

If its to and from work/collage, then its easier to wear normal clothing under textiles.
If you have leathers you will need to have somewhere to change and keep your normal clothing at the other end.
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[Rogerborg]

Yup, very much a matter of personal opinion and intended use.

I wore leather trousers for a while, but had to go up a full 4" in the waist to get ones that fitted over my, uh, robust buttocks, and I couldn't really get on with them. Now I'm textile all the way. RST top and bottom, fairly water resistant but they could do with a re-proofing. I went up a size on the trousers so that I could wear them over my office trousers.

If I were ever going on a track, I'd spent on a serious set of leathers, and then I'd pay a professional clothes alteration place to check over all the stitching. You won't get more than you pay for, but you might get less.

But for a single set of gear for year round road use, I personally am sticking to textiles.

And don't feel that you have to buy new. eBay is swimming in "worn once, realised I was a porker" gear, leather and textile, that you can grab at a decent discount from new, if you're prepared to be patient.
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[pinkyfloyd]

Can I? Please? I mean someone has to? Right?

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3NrzKklYDVU/S7VLk141bkI/AAAAAAAAAUo/_yKSojjffnQ/s1600/not_again_cat.jpg

I have both though.
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[Livefast123]

I bought a set of these from Fowlers - https://www.fowlersonlineshop.co.uk/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductLineID=84267&CatID=1017

I find that textiles are far more comfortable to wear than leathers but obviously leathers do give more abrasion portection. I bought the above as cheap kit for my commuting and they've lasted well over a year with no mishaps. I also find my set really waterproof and survived a 3 hr ride to Northampton in the rain over the weekend without a leak.
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[keggyhander]

One thing to bear in mind is this:

If, for you, part of being a biker is looking cool, then stay away from textiles.

[open]

Do a good set of textiles give you abrasion resistance?

Considering all the armour you have in arms/shoulders/back/elbows/etc...?
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[Clanger]

I have leather jeans and textile jacket/textile trousers.
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[Rogerborg]

[The Tot]

They're all equally good as each other in the same crash situations i.e. falling off on a roundabout. Kevlar jeans didn't abrade through one bit at 20-30mph... My textile jacket and trousers under the same scenario wore through in non-critical areas such as the pockets. Needless to say, the bits which touch down, elbows and hips were fine.

I USED to love wearing my 1 piece everywhere... until I realised wearing a bag to carry your change of clothes completely ruins the point of the mobility of a 1 piece suit.

Winning combination for me -leather racing jacket + kevlar jeans = practical in summer, protective, and looks pretty damn cool.

In terms of wetness, you'd only be fully waterproof if you wear gortex kit. In leathers, you'd wish you had a wetsuit. Perforated leathers make things worse, but in my case, if you're already wet, there isn't really a saying of "you'll get wetter"... only saturated.
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[parkmoy]

In one store's online advert the guy was talking about leathers v textiles. He said the great advantage of leathers was that they slide well unlike textiles.

Now, I can see the advantage of sliding on a track where there is no street furniture to hit but on ordinary roads?

[pinkyfloyd]

[multijoy]

A better question would be "what type of crash am I most likely to be involved in?"

This 2004 DFT study suggests that the most common type of accident was a ROWV, or 'right of way violation', at 34%, followed by overtaking accidents, which don't appear to have the 'sliding for miles' component. (page 41)

Whilst abrasion is always an issue when you find yourself sliding down the road (even a 20mph off made me glad that the outer cordura got a bit of a roughing up rather than my skin), chances are you're not talking about the 100mph slides that you'd see on a racetrack.

It didn't break the type of accidents down into speeds (that I saw, on a quick skim), but it's quite interesting, especially the bit about ROWVs and hi-vis/running lights.
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