The old saying goes "buy the best gear you can afford at the time".
I have been slowly trying to buy better gear over the years. Most folks who have been riding for a few years, have multiple sets of jackets, pants, gloves, helmets and boots (all for different purposes). It's a never ending process. I have come across amazing deals online where people buy some gear, and realize it's the wrong size and sell it super cheap... or the brand new gear sits in their closet for a couple years after they gave up riding, so they sell it super cheap.
That said, this is not a thread about ATTGATT or criticizing other people's choices of gear. I was more hoping to help others read some first hand accounts of the gear people wear to better inform them of the choices out there - since there are so many choices out there it can be overwhelming. That sort of help is how I have come to own all the gear I love to wear right now. Since all my gear is now black, I also have a good quality hi-viz vest to wear when it's raining out.
So post up what you have and maybe it helps a newer rider or someone looking to upgrade
Jacket/Pants: I just picked up the Klim Latitiude and it feels amazing on and there's lots of pockets! It's Gore-Tex clothing, which hopefully means no more external rain gear to take on trips, but I'll have to test this stuff out to see for sure. The idea I like about the Gore-Tex is keeping the outer shell dry, while still allowing some degree of breathability. It's very well made gear with clear attention to detail. It's heavy on the hanger, but feels snug and comfortable to wear. It has the D30 armour in the higher impact zones, which allows for a more fitted design while providing excellent protection for the street. One thing I really like about this set is that there is a lot of adjustment that can be done, depending on how I decide to layer underneath. So from wearing t-shirts and shorts to wearing my heated gear underneath, this gear can always fit snug.
Helmet: Currently using a Shoei GT Air 2 helmet and absolutely love it. The shorty windscreen on my bike causes a full wind blast to the helmet and this feels excellent moving at speed with very little resistance. The internal sun visor is really smooth to operate and overall it's a very quiet helmet. It's a bit heavy compared to some of the helmets without internal sun visors, but I don't get a sore neck/shoulders after a full day of riding, so it's still just fine for me in this regard. The speaker cut outs are perfect for the bluetooth communicator and the ventilation is really good in the helmet. The build quality feels excellent.
Boots: I was wearing the Daytona Evo Sports boots for some time, but they weren't waterproof. So I picked up a pair of the Daytona Roadstar GTX boots (GoreTex again). These offer slightly less protection than my previous boots, but are better suited to how I ride, since the Roadstar GTX are waterproof and super comfortable to walk around in. Very good build quality with these boots and truly waterproof.
Gloves: And finally, for my primary riding gloves I bought some Dainese 4 Stroke Long gloves. They feel like a second skin when on and are by far the most comfortable gloves I have owned, next to some of my old pairs made by Held. I always want gauntlet gloves that fully cover my wrists. They have just the right amount of protection for the riding I do and do not feel bulky at all. I really like the tactile feeling these gloves give me of my levers and throttle. Gloves seem to wear pretty fast, and these are currently holding up extremely well, so I think I will buy them again when they wear away.
Happy Riding
I have been slowly trying to buy better gear over the years. Most folks who have been riding for a few years, have multiple sets of jackets, pants, gloves, helmets and boots (all for different purposes). It's a never ending process. I have come across amazing deals online where people buy some gear, and realize it's the wrong size and sell it super cheap... or the brand new gear sits in their closet for a couple years after they gave up riding, so they sell it super cheap.
That said, this is not a thread about ATTGATT or criticizing other people's choices of gear. I was more hoping to help others read some first hand accounts of the gear people wear to better inform them of the choices out there - since there are so many choices out there it can be overwhelming. That sort of help is how I have come to own all the gear I love to wear right now. Since all my gear is now black, I also have a good quality hi-viz vest to wear when it's raining out.
So post up what you have and maybe it helps a newer rider or someone looking to upgrade
Jacket/Pants: I just picked up the Klim Latitiude and it feels amazing on and there's lots of pockets! It's Gore-Tex clothing, which hopefully means no more external rain gear to take on trips, but I'll have to test this stuff out to see for sure. The idea I like about the Gore-Tex is keeping the outer shell dry, while still allowing some degree of breathability. It's very well made gear with clear attention to detail. It's heavy on the hanger, but feels snug and comfortable to wear. It has the D30 armour in the higher impact zones, which allows for a more fitted design while providing excellent protection for the street. One thing I really like about this set is that there is a lot of adjustment that can be done, depending on how I decide to layer underneath. So from wearing t-shirts and shorts to wearing my heated gear underneath, this gear can always fit snug.
Helmet: Currently using a Shoei GT Air 2 helmet and absolutely love it. The shorty windscreen on my bike causes a full wind blast to the helmet and this feels excellent moving at speed with very little resistance. The internal sun visor is really smooth to operate and overall it's a very quiet helmet. It's a bit heavy compared to some of the helmets without internal sun visors, but I don't get a sore neck/shoulders after a full day of riding, so it's still just fine for me in this regard. The speaker cut outs are perfect for the bluetooth communicator and the ventilation is really good in the helmet. The build quality feels excellent.
Boots: I was wearing the Daytona Evo Sports boots for some time, but they weren't waterproof. So I picked up a pair of the Daytona Roadstar GTX boots (GoreTex again). These offer slightly less protection than my previous boots, but are better suited to how I ride, since the Roadstar GTX are waterproof and super comfortable to walk around in. Very good build quality with these boots and truly waterproof.
Gloves: And finally, for my primary riding gloves I bought some Dainese 4 Stroke Long gloves. They feel like a second skin when on and are by far the most comfortable gloves I have owned, next to some of my old pairs made by Held. I always want gauntlet gloves that fully cover my wrists. They have just the right amount of protection for the riding I do and do not feel bulky at all. I really like the tactile feeling these gloves give me of my levers and throttle. Gloves seem to wear pretty fast, and these are currently holding up extremely well, so I think I will buy them again when they wear away.
Happy Riding
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