Set of gear for the Mrs

[someotherguy]

tl;dr: should my Mrs get leather, jeans or textiles for the odd summer tour and the odd (sometimes wet) commute, and is Goretex too hot/necessary?

Might have been better suited to Touring & Exploration, but it'll get more views here I need to get the Mrs a set of gear. We're going to do a little tour around Europe soon, and she joins me on the odd commute if the trains are fucked (in trainers and jeans )

She'll be a pillion in mostly hot/dry conditions, so the main criteria are to get something safe and comfortable that isn't overly warm. However, I'm thinking it might be sensible to have gear that can deal with the odd downpour? I guess if it's really wet we're getting soaked in whatever gear she has though. It will also need to be fairly comfortable off the bike.

Budget isn't really an issue, but as she won't use the gear all that much I'd rather not spend a fortune. Value for money is more important to me than absolute cost in £s. I also don't really want to buy more than one set of stuff - I'd like a "do everything" set of kit.

She has a helmet already, but she'll need:

- Gloves - not sure whether a pair of summer/vented gloves are the way to go here, or whether to go for Goretex? I have a pair of Goretex winter gloves, but they'd be way too hot in summer. Do Goretex/waterproof summer gloves exist? If so, are they worth it? Or should I just go for normal non-Goretex summer/vented gloves? The ones I've seen don't look like they'd crash well...

Which gloves would you buy for the odd summer tour and the occasional (possibly wet) commute? Should she go for a "touring" type of glove or something else?

- Boots - similar question to the gloves. Is it worth going for Goretex? Or should she just get some shorty touring boots and be done with it? We looked at some of the "trainer" type shoes today, and they look like they'd offer fuck-all protection. I have some Daytona-type boots, and they're great in winter, totally waterproof - but they're a bit sweaty in summer. I wear them all year round, but I find myself wishing I had something less hot sometimes. What would you buy if you were her? She'll need a pair that are fairly comfortable to wander about in too if possible.

- Top - leather or textile? Leather looks sexier (obvs), and I reckon it would crash better. But would leather be comfortable over long distances? And which would be cooler, temperature-wise? I suppose the leather would be a pain in the rain if it started chucking it down on a commute. What would you buy? Ideally it would need to be comfortable off the bike, but less so than the boots/bottoms - she can always take it off if needs be (smirk.jpg)

- Bottoms - leather or textile or kevlar jeans? The jeans look like they'd be more comfortable and less sweaty, but I'm not sure whether they'll give better protection than leather. I guess both of them are going to be shit if it rains though... what would you suggest? As before, they'll need to be fairly comfortable for just walking about in.

I appreciate it's a massive broad question, but any thoughts would be appreciated.

(No, you do not require photos of my Mrs to help )

[Ariel Badger]

Photo of Mrs, photo of what you want her to look like after crash. Buy the best gear you can.
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[someotherguy]

Define "best" for her needs please

[ScaredyCat]

This might help.
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[someotherguy]

[ScaredyCat]

Get something that's comfortable in the hot/dry and then get a rain suit for her. That way 99% of the time she'll be comfortable and 1% of the time you can point ant laugh... but she'll be dry.

In the heat something like Becka coolware or equivalent will help wick away sweaty moisture..
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[someotherguy]

[bamt]

For summer use, I'd definitely go for a set of waterproofs that go over something more comfortable. We are using kevlar jeans in the summer; supposedly reasonable abrasion protection (untested) but more comfortable and OK to walk around in. However, their quality is very variable. I bought a pair of Hood to replace a cheaper pair I got from J&S. They are very noticeably better made - better quality denim, full kevlar, infinite up/down adjustment of the pads etc. When I bought my son a pair of jeans last week I looked at everything in the shop in Infinity and J&S, then bought another pair of Hood. The only problem (other than expense and buying blind off the net - though they do provide a pre-paid return slip if you need to exchange) is the the full kevlar is noticeably warmer than the partial coverage of others.

The other thing Mrs Bamt does on very hot days is wear a skirt. Not whilst riding, but jeans on the bike are OK temperature wise, then when we stop she can put a skirt on over the top, then pull down her jeans whilst remaining decent in public (can be done in a car park rather than finding a loo), and reverse when getting back on the bike. It also means she can wear summer shoes for wandering around our destination rather than boots (obviously we have panniers to store kit in).

[Alpineandy]

You'll have to stand in J&S (or another place) saying "No your bum doesn't look big in those" for a couple of hours....

No matter what you go there to buy (eg textiles), she'll only buy what she likes (eg Jeans). It'll be one of the most annoying experiences of the year.

BUT whatever happens walk away knowing what sizes she is so she can then buy and return 'on-line' anything she didn't get in the shop.

She'll then be looking at the Dainese web-site while you keep directing her towards the Bike wear direct web-site...

Unless you do lots of motorway stuff I'd try to aim her at jeans, mid-lightweight textile jacket and waterproofs.

Good Luck.
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[pja8]

Wife only rides when weather is good and can be predicted to a point plus it's warm. Lol

On that bases not many days, with that in mind, bull-it jeans, they look when on like any regular jeans and feedback is very comfortable, mesh gloves and wife did have a textile spada jacket but even with vents open, very hot and potentially sweaty.

So just got wife a spidi summer jacket, its mesh with protection and is also tailored, she is very pleased and cool in every sense

Boots she wears TRAINERS TCX BOOTS X SQUARE LADY, good price, good protection but above all fine to wear off bike and no one would think anything of them, again feedback very comfortable.

We cruise along at 50-60 so happy enough with protection level and I got myself a torano wax motorbike jacket so we are both cool as you like
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[Tracey Suntan-King]

To date I've only been pillion in the UK and never in the rain. Even on a moderate UK summers day leathers were too hot especially in the trouser department

I'm in the process of getting gear for Cyprus and leathers are out of the question. So, it's going to be textiles and I'm looking at jeans-style jacket and trousers.

For Mrs Timmy, this might be the answer with the addition of a rain suit coverall thingy for your euro tour. It might be to much to expect one set of gear to do everything.
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[bamt]

[someotherguy]

Thanks for the responses. It seems like jeans and a textile top is the way to go then? What does everyone think about options for gloves/boots?

[pja8]

[quote="pja8"]spidi summer jacket, its mesh with protection... TCX BOOTS X SQUARE LADY... good protection[/quote]

Thanks - I had a look at those. They do look like they'd be cool. Do you think the protection would be adequate?

The boots I have no concerns about, very well made, stylish and yes protection is bang on for a short boot.

The mesh well its a compromise no doubt, but it has good reviews and you can get a waterproof membrane for it.

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/spidi-womens-summer-net-jacket#reviews_tab
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Current - Triumph America LT Previous - Honda VT750S, Kymco Pulse S 125cc, Suzuki GS500e, Kawasaki KH100ex & Suzuki TS50er

[someotherguy]

Mrs Timmy is grateful.

[andyscooter]

Seems a good swap to me

Set of bike gear for the mrs
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[grr666]

Mrs grr usually wears leathers. RST do a range cut for lady shape (apparently???) with let outs at the hips
on the jacket. She also has a mesh Jacket For those very hot days and a textile jacket for somewhere in between.
All have armour in. But I always insist she wears her leather trousers though... Babys got back.

The reality is you are asking a woman to choose one all purpose outfit....







Good luck with that my friend.
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[bamt]

[talkToTheHat]

Textiles are more practical, it's an arse stopping to apply plastic onesies with a pillion. Waterproof with vents or mesh panels is nice in the summer. One certainty is you will get caught out by the weather and if you have a fussy pillion they are likely to be put off by damp leather.

My regular pillion whines less than I do about getting wet/cold. On her first long trip with me it chucked it down for the last 2 hours to the point where we both found the limitations of shelltex/sinaqua or the zips/seams of our kit and were a bit damp, but no way near as wet and cold as I got when the rain hit on the A1M leaving squires and didn't quit to doncaster when I had my leathers on and no waterproofs. My pillion may have spent some time mocking me.
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[Doink]

Waterproof textiles are gonna be too hot for the summer, kev jeans and a set of waterproof over trousers is what I'd recommend with a vented waterproof textile jacket.

I've recently bought some waterproof textiles as I was getting hot in my kev jeans with waterproof overs in this recent hot but rainy weather that we've been having and the textiles are just as hot and the sweat doesn't get wicked away. Consequently I have to wear thin leggings underneath to combat the sweat and it's just made them hotter.

[Shinigami]

My mrs has been having a nightmare finding gear that fits right and comfortably, she's presently using my old textile overtrousers and eventually found a textile jacket that fits for rainy days (tried about 10 different jackets in various stores until she found an RST one that fit properly)

Basically i'd recommend textile for any touring as you don't know what the weather will be and it's better to look less sexy in textiles and be dry than be soaked piss wet through in nice looking leather

Personal experience from getting caught 75 miles from home in a torrential downpour for the whole journey wearing leather and bike jeans...it was not pleasant
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