Gloves and Jacket

[Mirey]

Hey all,

I did my CBT back in January, but didn't actually ride a bike until last weekend. I rented a bike + helmet/jacket/gloves.

It was awesome, and I'm seriously considering buying a bike - though I'm going to rent different bikes to see what I like the most / save on insurance (I did the maths...)

Anyway, as you probably noticed last Monday it pissed it down. The gloves got drenched and my hands ended up darker than black. The jacket also stunk a little bit of piss... So, to that end, I want to get some gloves that won't dye my skin black, and a jacket that doesn't stink of piss.

My main concern is I don't know any good makes of gloves / jackets. I also don't know what a reasonable amount to spend on either of these are. I don't mind spending £100 on gloves if it's worth it, but if the only reason it costs £90 is for some glitter then I'd rather get £10 ones.

So what are some affordable manufactures? I live in SE London. Does anyone know any decent shops to buy from?

Thanks

[arry]

You have J&S in Eltham which should be relatively close to you.

Gloves wise you shouldn't need to spend more than £50, unless you want bare hardcore carbon armoured pro-gloves with race rep graphics n stuff.

Jacket - all depends on how much you want to spend. You can spend £800 just on a jacket if you want to go really silly.

[grr666]

[Mirey]

[arry]

I'd recommend going to somewhere like J&S and then trying lots of stuff on, so that you get an idea of sizing and fit - then you can look for those brands, second hand, in your size, with a bit of confidence.

In terms of gloves - I have Spada WP's for the winter, they're big and fleecy and water proof. For the summer I have Held Sensato which are light, thin and carbon knuckley

In terms of leathers I have Hein Gericke stuff, which have been really good. I've had Frank Thomas textiles too - they're good. My mate has Richa textiles and they're ok, if a bit sweaty in the summer (if you buy textiles make sure you can remove liners)

It sort of depends on what you want, TBH. If you're riding all winter I'd suggest a decent set of textiles and some winter gloves, for now.

[Hannahguy01]

i was brand new to biking - i went to J&S (Birmingham) and a lovely man helped me find everything i needed and checked the fit for me.

I got mostly Frank Thomas textile stuff - as its decent but not too pricey. I got a pair of 2nd hand Frank Thomas leather trousers off ebay for £23 - as i knew they would fit me

just go and try a laod of stuff on - at least you will know what brands etc fit you properly and then if you want you can get some stuff 2nd hand off ebay etc later

[MC]

Some cheap gear can be good. Got my gloves from Lidl (when they occasionally have bike gear in), £15 and they're still going strong.

Look out for online sales, ghostbikes sometimes have some good offers, like the Spada Dolomite jacket for £30 a little while ago. Only thing about Spada's their quality control seems to be a bit hit and miss.
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Yamaha MT-03 '08 (crashed)
Honda XR-125L '04

[grr666]

The brands and types of gear I have bought, with prices

RST - WP Winter gloves £14, 2 piece Razor leathers £60, Tractech Textile Jacket £17, Hi viz vest £20
Hein Gericke - 2 piece leathers £20.
Richa - Summer gloves long cuff £5 and short cuff £11, 3 way armoured mesh jacket £33,
armoured textile trousers £18, waterproof one piece £40.
Weise - Short cuff summer gloves £70
Spada - Boots £80
Shark - Lid. £280

Been really impressed with the Richa stuff. Value for money over quality is very good I think.

Some of this stuff was bought brand new, all the stuff in italics
was brand new and full price, all the stuff in BOLD
were auction wins.
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Currently enjoying products from Ford, Mazda and Yamaha
Ste wrote: Avatars are fine, it's signatures that need turning off.

[hachi8]

If you want bang for buck in the budget range then you wont go far wrong with RST.
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K7 GSXR 1000 - The Beast!

[janner_10]

[Nobby the Bastard]

What about trousers? Your legs need protection just as much as the rest of your body.

These are what mine looked like after a spill on the M5. I dread to think what my knees would have been like if I hadn't been wearing them.

A replacement set will be £150. They'll be ordered in the next couple of days.

https://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq9/Nobbythechihuahua/057_zps22be8f37.jpg
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Triumph Sprint ST 1050

[Mirey]

[Mirey]

Looking around, I'm not sure the armadillo will offer as much protection as I want...

[faster_than_the_bus]

Have a look in local charity shops for jackets. You can get some solid leather for cheap. But old leather generally has no armour, so you will have to add it yourself if you want it.

If you go this way you will have to use your brain. Look at the stitching. Could your biggest, hardest friend pull it apart? If so it is no good. Fashion leather weighs about the same as a normal jacket. Bike leather will be noticeably heavy.

If in doubt, go for gear that has good reviews but is being sold cheap on ebay. I have Spada Enforcer gloves, about £60 new but cost me less than £20 on ebay, only worn once by previous owner.

[xiaoluo]

Could your biggest, hardest
FIFA 14 Coins friend pull it apart? If so it is no good. Fashion leather weighs about the same as a normal jacket. Bike leather will be noticeably heavy.

[arry]

[Tierbirdy]

As others have said, for beginner budget stuff thats actually really rather good you cant go wrong with RST. I think I paid about £40 for my first RST jacket, lasted me about 4 years - cant really complain about that! Only got rid of it because one of the pockets fell off and its started leaking. Ive got a couple of pairs of RST gloves too, RST Urban for summer use, and Tractech Evo waterproofs for when its pissing it down. Their trousers are good too, but Im a fat fuck and cant fit in them

[thx1138]

100% waterproof gloves that offer decent protection don't exist.

carry spare pairs, cos wet gloves are a sod to get back on when you stop at motorway services

[PattJakk]

[grr666]

Top tip for waterproofing any gloves in a pinch.
Put on some of the plastic gloves found next to petrol pumps first and then your proper gloves over the top.
Jobs a good 'un

Also handy (geddit?) for keeping a few in the car with the spare wheel and tools so you can keep your hands clean
if you have to change a wheel when it's wet, dirty or both.
____________________
Currently enjoying products from Ford, Mazda and Yamaha
Ste wrote: Avatars are fine, it's signatures that need turning off.

[Dannygee]

For what it's worth there's a seller on eBay called Australian Bikers Gear that I used a couple of years back & I got textile jacket, trousers (all armoured), leather gloves & a fleece neck warmer thrown in for £109. All kit is still going strong & I re-waterproofed the jacket with wash in Nikwax this year. I'll definitely go back to them when the times comes. Their stuff does come up quite big tho so order a size down.
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I just wanna ride, that's all...

Honda H100, Honda FX650, Honda NTV 650 Deauville, Suzuki GSX1250 FA Z