Appreciate of course that there isn’t a ‘best’, just different options.

Leather, textile, jeans – what offers the best compromise of crash protection vs comfort vs weather protection?

Boots, jeans and leather jacket would probably be my starting point because it’ll be a middle-aged mid-size non-sporty bike I’ll be riding, so (in my head) that seems to fit the bill 😀

Opinions/advice/expertise always welcome, bullshit too if it’s funny.

Too tight mate, even the inflatable ones. It took me three days to get into a wetsuit once so all in one leathers just won’t do. And I dread to think what happens if you fart in them.

I have a textile jacket and trousers and leather jacket and trousers. I’ve not worn the leather for about 10 years. When it’s hot, leather is too hot, when it’s cold it’s too cold. It’s not waterproof and feels very restrictive.

I do have some kevlar jeans which I occasionally wear but only on warm evenings and short rides as there’s no armour in them.

Decent textile all the way for me.

I dread to think what happens if you fart in them.

Is that why you’re getting a bike?

Banned from every police car north of Carlisle due to your previous farting exploits?

It was inevitable I suppose.

what offers the best compromise of crash protection vs comfort vs weather protection?

Textiles by a mile.  But best compromise doesn’t take into consideration your desire to dress like a power ranger, pirate or whatever goes with the bike you fancy

I’ve gone from leathers to textiles over the years and have even ditched leather jeans now for full textiles. Pros are better waterproofing, more pockets for all the crap I end up carrying, good ventilation with loads of zip openings built in. Definitely get a jacket and trousers that will zip together as well.

Used Rukka (good but spends) Hein Gerick (good but may have gone bust now) and using Oxford stuff at the moment which I really rate and isn’t expensive.

Have a look at Adventure Spec, trail bike orientated but if it can stand up to the Dakar, it will last a long time in normal use..

https://www.adventure-spec.com/default/

Banned from every police car north of Carlisle due to your previous farting exploits?

It was inevitable I suppose.

I think everyone except me could see it coming. Probably due to the very localised fog.

Sounds like textile may well he the way forward then. Especially if they’re best in inclement weather – it has been known to rain occasionally up here!

Thanks

As above: textile.

For a newbie, be aware that it is generally the norm that motorbike textile jackets and trousers are not, in themselves, waterproof. Most rely on a separate inner layer that is waterproof (z-liner). As a result the outer gets soaked and can become heavy, cold & a right pain to deal with.

I’ve recently moved to a jacket where the waterproofing is bonded to the outer abrasion layer, like every other smegging outdoor jacket, ever. Now I don’t freeze when it rains, don’t leave litres of traffic film saturated water everywhere I stand and don’t have to suspend my riding jacket and trousers over hotel baths while they purge themselves of whatever they’ve soaked up the previous day. One set that I used even had connector zips on the trousers and jacket. The jacket z-liner having to go inside the trouser’s z-liner. So water dribbled down the jacket liner straight into the top of your trousers. It was like the designer had heard about riding in the rain, but never actually attempted it.

I have always been a leather fan … mainly beacuse of the abrasion aspect ( and having been down the road on my fore-arms.. it hurt).
However, having got caught out with the rain yesterday, I can now see that textile could be the way to go.

For bang for bucks, RST seem to have a good reputation
Expensive is Rukka, Lindstrands, etc
Cost effect – Buffalo, I guess.

I am not sure why so many motorcycyle jackest have seperate liners … it means the outer jack gets completly sodden… and very, very heavy …

I am not sure why so many motorcycyle jackest have seperate liners … it means the outer jack gets completly sodden… and very, very heavy

‘s cheap innit?

Me and a mate have run into issues with Rukka kit: my argosaurus glove’s wrist impact protectors turned into a thousand plastic shards when I stood on them. Rukka didn’t want to know. My mate’s exegal jacket and trousers are incredibly cold. The removable thermal lining doesn’t extend to the base of what is already a short jacket. It leaves a 5cm uninsulated gap between the top of the trousers and the jacket. There’s no drawstring either!.

Textiles for me. As always, you get what you pay for. Being a tall and big lad, I find Rev-it gear particularly good. Proper 4 season clothing available in their line and super super comfortable as well as having good in built protection.

After commuting every day for almost a year, in all weathers, I found I chose the textiles 99.9% of the time. They’re just so much more usable than leathers.
I don’t think any are 100% waterproof but I’ve not done bad with Oxford trousers and Weise jacket & gloves. Decent quality and decent price. Oxford waterproof overs for when it’s truly pissing down.

I agree with most of the other posts – I’ve got textiles (Alpinestars) and 2 piece leathers and I wear the textiles most of the time. However, I’ve also got a pair of Hood jeans with kevlar linings and knee armour and I like wearing them with my leather jacket on a nice day (rare occasion, then!).
Get textiles. The Wolf stuff looks good.

I like to mix it up with a je ne sais quoi. Leather strides and re-inforced and armoured waxed cotton jacket. I cut quite the figure displaying a certain elan everytime I ride my bike.

I wince every time I see someone riding with trainers and or denims.

@Merak You are Henry Cole and I claim my £5

🙂

After commuting every day for almost a year, in all weathers, I found I chose the textiles 99.9% of the time

For commuting I found an Aerostich Roadcrafter most convenient for simply wearing over normal clothes whilst still offering protection.  The Aerostitch is excellent for commuting but not stylish in any way whatsoever.

My Barbour waxed, protected (Triumph Branded) “cotton” jacket leaked like a sieve yesterday. I might have been drier if I had taken it off…. 🙁

You need to reproof mrmoofo.

Textiles – I’ve just recently made the switch to Goretex/Bonded waterproof gear rather than stuff with an inner liner. Admittedly I have yet to do a summer where I suspect I may be rather warm but in this horrible shitty miserable wet weather we’ve been having it’s been a revelation.

I wince every time I see someone riding with trainers and or denims

Not quite so cut and dried nowdays

These are my jeans
https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/239819

And these are my boots
https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/318926

Looks like jeans and trainers but not.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

How does that armoured denim with Kevlar compare to armoured textile with Kevlar? I assume the latter is more waterproof but beyond that?

I find it much nicer if the jacket attaches to the trousers, don’t know if it stops drafts on the lower back, might not be possible with denims.

You started looking at leathers and now denims are you buying some sort of middle aged bloke’s Harley rep, if so you can go for leather jacket with tassels 😉

Textile, leather is probably better if you have an off on track, and slide without rolling or hitting anything, but unfortunately that rarely happens for road riders. Textile will take scrapes and the armour provide a degree of impact protection. Leather is useless in the wet; think of an old car wash leather, and once wet its heavy and cold.
Textile depending on how much you want to spend can be 100% waterproof, warm, you have pockets and is more flattering than tight leathers!!
I wore leathers professionally for decades, it wasn’t good when you compare it with modern technology.
If you’ve not already made a decision, it would do no harm to look at the Motolegends site. They have some very good gear, and if you are in the South of the country well worth a visit.
I ride regularly, and can justify the expense of Stadler jacket and trousers, they are bloody good!

I really like kevlar lined jeans and a textile jacket. It’s comfy, not too ‘biker’ looking if you’re worried about looking like a Black Widow or Power Ranger and a bit cooler (temperature) than leathers in traffic. I’ve got some old (expensive at the time but worth it) Draggin’ jeans (kevlar on the knees and hips but no actual armour as such) that saved my knees when I was knocked off my TRX years ago.

You started looking at leathers and now denims are you buying some sort of middle aged bloke’s Harley rep, if so you can go for leather jacket with tassels 😉

Rumbled 😀

Haven’t bought anything yet, and probably won’t need to. My father in law has a spare 2013 Bonneville in his garage that he doesn’t ride anymore. Can I wear tassels on that?

Blimey there is a lot of choice. This is going to end up going to an actual shop 😳

Years ago Ride magazine has a load of Kevlar gloves examined by a materials bod, most didn’t actually have any Kevlar in them, just seems to be a random word marketeers stick on motorbike kit to increase sales….

@weeksy yours are the real deal.

I meant the chaps rocking 501’s and Adidas Samba with the only nod to safety being the lid and jacket.

I feel naked if I don’t have all my kit on be that for a 300 mile ride or a 10 mile jaunt.

I meant the chaps rocking 501’s and Adidas Samba with the only nod to safety being the lid and jacket.

Can’t say i’ve not done it, can’t say i’ve not done it 1000 times… Doesn’t really enter my head the thoughts of crashing.

I meant the chaps rocking 501’s and Adidas Samba with the only nod to safety being the lid and jacket.

A friend and I did 2000 miles in Turkey with no kit at all, used a spare pair of socks as gloves (cut holes for the fingers). My jacket was a light weight GTX shell and some cotton climbing trousers for the legs. Was a spur of the moment thing to hire some bikes and go on a tour.