What is in your riding 'Kit'?

[JHKolb]

Just wondering what others wear/carry on their S10 for casual riding?

For me I like to be as protected as I can yet still be comfortable while commuting (my work commute is only 10 miles of local back roads). As much as I do fully believe in ATGATT I generally forgo riding pants when commuting.

Jacket: RevIt Air (warm/hot weather), RevIt Devil (cold weather), Cortech DSX Denim (when I am tired of the RevIt)
Gloves: RevIt H20's that I use year 'round (in cold weather I have a set of liners)
Boots: RevIt Rival H2O's
Pants: RevIt Mistrals

All my gear is over 4 years old and has around 20K miles on it and is starting to look a bit nasty. Especially my RevIt Air jacket which gets used the most, I tried to clean it once but I think it just make the road grim worse :'(

What do you guys wear and any suggestions on new stuff for 2012? Obviously by the above I like the RevIt stuff but am open to other stuff as long as it is well made. I will probably make a run to Philly to RevZilla in the near future to see what they have available on closeouts.

 

[mobyfubar]

My standard outfit is

Darien Jacket or FirstGear mesh when it's hot
Darien pants
Sidi Sympatex On-Road boots
Aerostich Elkskin gauntlets or Held AirStream or some old Olympia insulated winter gloves depending on temperature
Aerostich triple-digit rain covers for gloves
Frog Toggs jacket if I'm wearing the mesh
Shoei RF1100 (mostly) or HJC Sy-Max II modular (occasionally around town)

In the last few years there are some definite competitors for the Aerostich gear. My next jacket may be a Tourmaster or FirstGear, when the Darien wears out.
Sometimes if I'm just riding around town for dinner or something and the chance of rain is 0, I'll wear Draggin' Jeans or Tourmaster Cortech jeans with armor at the knees.

 

[Kidder]

Firstgear Mesh Tex - summer
Tourmaster Cortech 3/4 - rest of the year
Firstgear cordura pants - all year
Joe Rocket Phoenix mesh gloves - summer
Buell Gauntlets for highly spirited rides, rest of the year
Frank Thomas sport touring boots for commuting
Bilt sport boots for everything else
Scorpion 700 helmet for commuting
Shoei X-11 for everything else
Cycling shorts (and Anti-monkey butt powder) for any riding other than commuting/errands

 

[SpeedStar]

Rev-it Defender goretex jacket or Rev-it Tornado jacket
(I have been very happy with my Rev-it gear. Especially if you can find it on clearance.)
BMW Santiago pants with AnnieGS waistband modification
Alpinestars SMX-1 boots
Lee Parks gloves
Shoei RF-1000

 

[JHKolb]

Frog Toggs jacket if I'm wearing the mesh

This is the one thing I have not invested in yet.

Usually I just hide in the garage until it stops raining. But, this weekend I could not take being couped up for over a week because of all the stormy weather here and went out for a ride, and it POURED for nearly a 1/2 hour of my ride. I was surprised how well the bike kept me dry (as long as I was moving) thanks to the MRA screen and the OE side wind deflectors BUT I still got pretty wet. I think it is time to get some good rain gear rather than miss out on riding.

The Frog Toggs look pretty nice, how well do they hold up? How are they when on the highway, get alot of wind slap or any seepage?

 

[keeponriding]

Darien jacket and AD1 pants...rain, sun don't matter...great protection and comfort. I might wear draggin pants when it's real warm with a kevlar sweater.
I usually carry three pairs of gloves: Aerostich deerskin, Vanson leather and Parks summer...my winter gloves are 20 year old Olympia gore-tex, which I'm about to replace.
Boots: Sidi Goretex on road, for longer trips; Piloti moto 800 for around town...good protection and look like running shoes

My big thing is layers; A light breathing t as a base, with a couple of light breathing shirts when it's cold, with a Darien liner and jacket. Long underwear when it's cold....

 

[JHKolb]

My big thing is layers; A light breathing t as a base, with a couple of light breathing shirts when it's cold, with a Darien liner and jacket. Long underwear when it's cold....

Same here, though there have been mornings where I wished for some electric underwear!

 

[mobyfubar]

The Frog Toggs look pretty nice, how well do they hold up? How are they when on the highway, get alot of wind slap or any seepage?

Very well so far. The ones that are designed for motorcycling are fine on the highway; don't know about the others.

Don't let them touch a hot pipe. A friend did while we were in New Brunswick and they melt fast! It was a small hole in the sleeve that he was able to patch when he got home.

 

[bloke]

this time of year riding to work and back, dickies shorts a t shirt and my work shirt, shorty socks and black nike monarchs an arai open face and cheap gloves i got from new enough a year or two back, going to the hills, jeans and either a mesh jacket or my perf vanson a pair of icon super duty boots the same gloves, arai full face bash hat and a smile ::008::

sweat might wash off but who wants to smell like a tramp all the time ::017::

 

[Don in Lodi]

this time of year riding to work and back, dickies shorts a t shirt and my work shirt, shorty socks and black nike monarchs an arai open face and cheap gloves i got from new enough a year or two back, going to the hills, jeans and either a mesh jacket or my perf vanson a pair of icon super duty boots the same gloves, arai full face bash hat and a smile ::008::
Sweat might wash off but who wants to smell like a tramp all the time ::017::

Shorts on a bike! You're one of thoosssee kind of riders.

My apparel hasn't changed in decades. My big boy pants, as apposed to shorts, high top light hikers, and a T. As things cool I just get layered, denim jacket first, then a long sleeve under that later, then thermals later yet, and various gloves and liners as the seasons progress. I've ridden in blowing snow and been fine. I'm thinking something electrified might be in the works this year though. Would make those 30 degree ??? mornings much more tolerable.

 

[bloke]

Shorts on a bike! You're one of thoosssee kind of riders.

yep the kind of guy who wears shorts to work and rides a bike to work

 

[JHKolb]

yep the kind of guy who wears shorts to work and rides a bike to work

LOL - In my mind not much difference in wearing shorts than wearing a T shirt, either way if you go down MAJOR road rash! To each his own, I live in a No Helmet state but will STILL wear one anyway. I fell completely naked if I don't have a Jacket (w/armor), gloves, long pants, and over ankle shoes. I'll deal with the sweat when its hot, not dealing with the rash anytime (all IMHO of course).

 

[bloke]

LOL - In my mind not much difference in wearing shorts than wearing a T shirt, either way if you go down MAJOR road rash! To each his own, I live in a No Helmet state but will STILL wear one anyway. I fell completely naked if I don't have a Jacket (w/armor), gloves, long pants, and over ankle shoes. I'll deal with the sweat when its hot, not dealing with the rash anytime (all IMHO of course).

people access the risks and possible loss's and get to choose that's whats so great "let the rider decide" but having said that i never ride without a helmet or gloves ::008::

 

[JHKolb]

people access the risks and possible loss's and get to choose that's whats so great "let the rider decide" but having said that i never ride without a helmet or gloves ::008::

True, I poke fun at my neighbor often, he falls into that social stigma urban biker, he often rides his GSX-R1K around town in flip-flops, shorts, wife beater tank and his helmet either strapped to his pillion seat or popped up on the back of his noggin'. Sometimes he may even wear his colors (leather vest with his bike club airbrushed on back) ::025::

 

[Twisties]

The Frog Toggs look pretty nice, how well do they hold up? How are they when on the highway, get alot of wind slap or any seepage?

Mine are 4 years old. I don't think they've shown any wear. Seepage is possible in extended wet weather. I got wet in a full day of heavy downpour on the Blue Ridge Parkway, but this May I rode 6 hours in wet and cold conditions and stayed warm and dry. When I got wet it was seepage from water pooled in my crotch area. I use them a lot in the winter as an extra wind block layer, which they are very good at.

I have two complaints regards the FT's:

Mine are black, and I prefer hi-viz. I believe they now have that option however.
The leg zippers don't come up far enough. It's very difficult to put them on roadside, or get them over a boot. You might need to sit down, and if it is wet and muddy - yuck! Best to get the pants on at a hotel or restaurant if any need is even suspected, rather than to wait for it. They are comfy enough that it shouldn't be an issue to wear them needlessly.

You need a boot with a reasonably high cut, say mid-calf or higher with them so they have something for the elastic cuff to hang on. A boot that is just over the ankle won't seal, DAMHIK. I have never noticed any wind slap.

Overall for the price I feel they are a good value.

 

[jajpko]

Here's a tip, not only for frog togs, but all rain gear pants.
Use a plastic bag( I use Home Depot bags as they are a little bigger and stouter). Slip your boot into them and step into your rain gear pant. The pants slide right on. Turn the bags inside out, until you can wash the dirt off.
No sitting in the water or mud.

 

[Buckeye56]

Shoei RF1100
First Gear Kilimajaro IV
Klim Traverse pants
Teknic racer style gloves
Olympia winter gloves
Gerbing electric gloves
Sidi Gore-Tex On The Road boots
First Gear mesh jacket
Joe Rocket mesh pants

I am looking real hard at the Klim jacket. My experiene with the Kilimanjaro is you will get wet eventually. I replaced the TPG pants with the Klim for just that reason. Their stuff is not cheap, but they guarantee that you will not get wet.

 

[bloke]

sometimes i over dress

 

[maddog5150]

sometimes i over dress

holy f@#$..... I did not expect to see that today!!! ::025::

 

[bloke]

I remember last year i was riding some bike or other from the store and got a lecturing from two dudes on the cherohala about ATGATT and how in my jeans and mesh jacket i was taking my life in my hands "sweat washes off" blah blah i just sat there and pretended i was listening

20 mins later i come up on the same two dudes wobbling their way back down to tellico and i thought to myself if i rode like that id wear all the gear all the time too maybe these two dudes should invest in some training ::025::