Guest PJ_C Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Currently I have Joe Rocket Alter Ego textile jacket and pants... Love the way they fit. I am just curious as to how well textile holds up in a fall or slide vs. leather. I can only imagine that leather is stronger, but how much? Is the textile gonna protect me any? I have been using the textile for the past 3 years, but I just want to know that I will be safe if I ever go down? I saw the thread about the perforated leather and thats what I am considering. Gets a little hot here in Texas! I see a few good deals on newenough and other websites and have been looking for a while. Just looking for input or experiences... thanks in advance. PJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earthshake Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 I doubt you will find anyone on here that says textile is as good as leather. Good gear is the gear you will wear as opposed to leaving at home because it's too hot/cold/rainy. etc. I own both and use both depending on, you guessed it, hot/cold/rainy, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer teleskier Posted May 12, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted May 12, 2009 +2. I doubt anyone will say textile is better for protection. For me I balance the type of riding I will be doing, weather etc. into my choice for the day. That being said, I never ride without full protection of some kind no matter how hot it gets. For the hottest conditions I too wear Alto Ego. I have a feeling that all that mesh in the jacket is barely better than nothing at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer FotoMoto Posted May 12, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted May 12, 2009 Good gear is the gear you will wear as opposed to leaving at home because it's too hot/cold/rainy. etc. I own both and use both depending on, you guessed it, hot/cold/rainy, etc. +1000 Leather is better (especially in long slides) but it's just sucks in hot sticky weather. I make sure the textile and/or mesh gear I have allows me to use hard armor which I believe is more important than material at typical street speeds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer billyjackjimbob Posted May 12, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted May 12, 2009 I only have Textile gear. Leather is simply too heavy and hot for my taste. I have had a really "nice" crash where I was slammed onto the pavement. My First Gear suit did great. No rash at all. Heck, the pants I still wear. The jacket did it's job but was pretty much trashed after the off. Bottom line is textile gear in my opinion is very good stuff and will protect you against most highway speed slides. But, it's not going to hold up to track day speeds or should you expect that it will be in any condition to ride in after an off. Leathers, well, I've seen some of them scuffed up a bunch of times and look fine. My opinion is no matter how well any suit performs it won't matter if it's hanging up at the house. Thats why I wear Textile. But, don't skimp on cheap textile stuff. Areostitch, First Gear, even Joe Rocket stuff I've seen do a nice job of protecting riders. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer solohvs Posted May 12, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted May 12, 2009 I have an Alpinestars one-piece touring suit. And I love it. I wear leather most of the time, but I gotta say I move around a lot better with the textile. Less bulk and I just move better. For some reason I feel more comfortable when I can put a little body language into a ride. The leather is not too bad in the summer, but it can get very HOT. I'm almost ready to switch to a mesh jacket and pants for hot weather. I will also have to get past the protection issue when I got to make that purchase. I guess that quality is make the difference. I have been impressed with REV-IT. But the cost is quite high. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Textile can be better than leather if it is done correctly. and motoport does it right in kevlar it will do better in a lot of instances even, and their textile IS APPROVED for RACING! Leather is cold in winter, hot in the summer, weighs a ton and a half wet, takes a year to dry, is good in a slide if it is not wet or has been wet and dried many times. also if the leather is sewn using kevlar thread (and a lot is ) the seams will come open really quick the thread cuts the leather like a hot knife through butter! to that end I use both types of gear my z customs track suit is leather and I love it, but the motoport kevlar is better day in and day out. I took a slide after getting hit head on by a bmw k1200gt doing about 70mph ( I was at about 35mph ) and was thrown 50 feet slid 100 more and then rolled another 50. I did not have a spot of rash or rug burn etc. the gear at the time was a pair of stone lake biker bibs (leather, and a fantastic piece of gear as are their jackets!), a first gear kilimanjaro, sp2 gloves, matrix boots, arai profile. I did not open a seam in any of the gear BUT the knee on the leather was cut through 3 layers of leather by a piece of plastic from the beemers body work! just like you took a razor to it (the cut stopped at the fabric of my jeans) This would not happen with kevlar gear! by the way kevlar gear dries in about 30min, is washable in the machine, is light if it does get wet, looses no strength wet, is available in mesh so you do not fry in the real heat, stays warm in the rain if you throw a wind breaker layer over it. heres your voice saying that yea textile is better if you do ride all the time, in any weather, not just play ... but live on your bike. :dry: ps Motoports customer service sucks, but the gear is worth the hassle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddog Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 imho, different conditions require different gear. I have a 1-pc leather suit I wear during spring and fall on day rides. Has zippered vents front and rear if it gets warm. Too snug fitting to allow for much in the way of layering, though, so cold weather has me wearing something else. Also, 1-pc suits are a pain at pit stops. My 2-pc aerostich roadcrafter, now ten years old, does all my touring duty and day rides in summer and is about the only thing I wear in winter. I bought it on the snug side (armor works better when it doesn't move around) but it will accomodate heated vest and layers, though barely. For really hot weather I use a Firstgear mesh jacket/pants, but also wear jeans (or similar) and longsleeve shirt under it. It will give some protection in a fall, but I consider it disposable gear. Have the upgraded armor for this stuff as well. I also have a Firstgear textile (not mesh) jacket I wear sometimes with the mesh pants. It is much more substantial than mesh in all the critical areas, but much hotter too, though it does have some venting front and back. As I'm an ATGATT rider, it's good to have a selection of gear suitable to conditions. No, I don't think the textile/mesh stuff affords the same protection as leathers or my 'stich, but when it's a 100f in summer no way am I going to wear leather. Life is compromise, but I try to balance good sense and decision making vs risks. Wouldn't dream of doing canyon carving or trackdays in anything but leathers and 'stich, but for a ride to the store or something like that, textile and/or mesh is suitable. I also use a quality back protector, though that sure gets me even hotter during summer months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beck Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 A good textile jacket or suit can provide very good protection as Aerostitch had proven year after year, crash after crash. but I would not consider anything with less quality than an Aerostich suit if I will ever buy a textile riding garment. A badly constructed leather jacket can be as bad or worse than the "run of the mill" textile jacket that is usually so loose around the body that the crash padding never stays in the right place to do it's job. Just tpo be sure, get the best leather jacket or suit you can afford, but always consider getting leather before ever going to textile and you should be making the best decision. JMOs Beck 95 VFR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 The way I look at textile is that it's a one time deal. It does its job one time and I say it's worth the money if it works the one time and I have to buy another. I have been down in my leather twice, albeit not a long slide, but I can still wear it all scuffed up. Like a poster said above, I choose my protection according to riding situations. If I can get up and down the local mountain before 8:00 AM, then it's the leathers and a little bit more aggressive riding. If I go out in the mesh or lightweight textile then I tend to ride more reserved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer cruzinaz Posted May 13, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted May 13, 2009 If I go out in the mesh or lightweight textile then I tend to ride more reserved. :dry: :blink: :goofy: :blush: Whatever badazz :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: reserved,,,,,,,, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer RollinAgain Posted May 13, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted May 13, 2009 You guys wear gear? I wear flip flops, tank top, and assless chaps. Sometimes I wear leather on bike night but people seem to be scared to come talk to me. Regards, Rollin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 As far as keeping cool goes, you would not believe the difference wearing Under Armor under your leathers or textile makes. Get one of their spandex T shirts and a pair of their bicycle rider type shorts. It will make all the difference in the world in staying cool. Even my pot gut looks good in an Under Armor spandex T shirt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer benSV Posted May 13, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted May 13, 2009 I think the quality & fit of the gear has a lot to do with it, maybe more then the material. Because I so rarely wear leather (mostly only at the track) I had purchased cut-rate leathers from New Enough years ago. I actually split the seam in the outer portion of the upper leg in a ~60mph low side at the track 2 years ago. I stayed unscathed, but it convinced me my next pair of leathers would be much more expensive. (Think I will end up custom too, I have not found anything off the rack that fits due to my height) I have a mesh suit, don't feel too safe in that, but I got a better brand. Most of the time I wear my textile, and since I had worn out a joe rocket suit without even crashing, I dropped big money ($1200?) on a Dainese suit that I absolutely love. It feels very safe (GP Armor all around) especially with all the linings in. I still worry about the pants in a crash though. if I don't have the lining in I think they will slide along my skin a decent bit. My leathers definitely felt more secure, they were very tight & couldn't move at all for the most part, and they had more padding & armor then most textile suits. But that Dainese suit.. so comfy, totally waterproof, very breathable, etc.. hard to imagine wearing leather most of the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmythecop Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 Summers in DC can be brutal, so I broke down and spent money on a mesh set up. Cortech pants designed to be worn as pants, not over anything and a Teknic supervent mesh jacket. I realize these are not as resistant to shreading as leather, but when it is above 90 degrees with above 90 per cent humidity, I can survive the ride home, and hopefully any get-off because both items have knox armor all around. Not the best, but way better than jeans and a jean jacket. I think to be totally comfy and protected all year long, I guy needs about 3 or 4 sets of everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Knife Posted May 13, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted May 13, 2009 That Motosports Kevlar gear looks really good (and pricey). Sure wish I could afford it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer elizilla Posted May 13, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted May 13, 2009 I wore an Aerostich for years. Crash tested it at freeway speed in the rain, got up uninjured. After a hundred thousand miles or so, the Aerostich had gotten pretty old and tattered, even before I lost weight and it got huge on me, so I don't have it anymore. Nowadays I wear a custom two piece suit from Z Leather. The single biggest reason for this is fit. If your gear doesn't fit you well enough, it hampers you. I'm tired of being hampered. My Z suit is hot in hot weather and cold in cold weather, but between the electrics, the rainsuit, and some close-fitting fleece, I manage the cold OK. The hot is just miserable, but it's usually only a few days a year, since I don't live in the south. The other time it's irritating is when the weather calls for intermittent rain. You have to constantly put on and take off your rainsuit, which is a nuisance. Still, my leather doesn't flap around and make a bunch of noise. I didn't even notice it until I'd been wearing the leathers a while then switched back to textile, but textile gear is really freakin' noisy! Flap flap flap flap argh!!!! And you can feel the wind pushing it around, it's like being inside a big sail. That being said, I also have an Olympia textile suit and I am considering wearing it to Tmac due to the forecast. The only question is whether I can stand all that flapping, all the way up and down I-75 tomorrow and Sunday. I guess with the three case Givi rack I can pack the leathers along and switch if the weather improves or the flapping and hampering becomes too crazy-making. I think if the textile gear fits well, it's probably not so hampering and won't flap so much. And leather that fits badly is probably much worse than textile that fits badly. So if you have the right body shape, get the textile - it's more practical in so many ways. I have the wrong body shape so I have to make compromises. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer benSV Posted May 13, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted May 13, 2009 Interesting thoughts.. makes me wonder if (or why not) there are custom textile suits available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 My reason for convertible Mesh gear was due to not being able to buy three or four diffrent sets of clothing. I have a running ton of cycling clothing from 20+ years of ridding/racing so the last thing I needed was to start dragging home would be Motorcycle gear. Hence the reason I also searched for a VFR with all the crap I know I would eventually "want" I live in the deep south, its beyond what most would call hot. The humidity is so high you can literally walk outside and pour sweat. After a year of ridding all year, no pun intended. I find the convertible Mesh stuff from Tourmaster I have is great. The over pants (bought two months ago) are more textile than mesh they only have a few small sections of mesh. I also wear armored jeans under them... Yes doubled up... And I Always wear a long sleeve shirt, I have been looking for a Kevlar long sleeve T shirt too, regardless of how hot. In a slide, the more layers the better. (based on slidding across the pavement in lycra on a bicycle.. too many times) I can ride down to about 40ish degree's with varing layers on top and bottom. Last summer I rode in temsp in the high 90's with high humidity and I felt great not much sweating unless I stopped then it's like a rain shower LOL... I look at the mesh gear as throw away. One time down and it goes int eh trash and I buy new stuff. Its also nice it Zipps together wich I was told is important if you fall and slide on your back. I plan to buy a full set of leathers, two piece, to use on track. But I will still wear my mesh gear on the street. Just too hot down here. I am also looking into a back protector for my next piece of "saftey gear" They look pretty slim from the ones I have looked at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Macs06VFR Posted May 13, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted May 13, 2009 As far as keeping cool goes, you would not believe the difference wearing Under Armor under your leathers or textile makes. Get one of their spandex T shirts and a pair of their bicycle rider type shorts. It will make all the difference in the world in staying cool.Even my pot gut looks good in an Under Armor spandex T shirt. :blink: I swear I'm 10 degrees cooler wearing one. You don't even have to spend big $$$ on Under Armour. The cheap stuff from WalMart works just as well, at about a fifth of the cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer elizilla Posted May 13, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted May 13, 2009 Interesting thoughts.. makes me wonder if (or why not) there are custom textile suits available. Motoport makes custom textile gear. Very expensive and long lead times, but I've heard it's great. Might order it someday. Aerostich offers a short, highly specific list of alterations, and if you're within range of those choices you can probably get a decent fit. Unfortunately they don't offer women's sizes, and getting from a men's pattern to a curvy woman's pattern is a bit beyond their range. Also, there's a huge difference between altering something, and cutting it out in the correct size in the first place. My Aerostich had the legs lengthened above the knee, but since I'm female and curvy my thighs are bigger than a man's. Adding an extra strip just above the knee, might lengthen the upper leg but it's noticeably uncomfortable because that's the narrowest part of the upper leg. If you cut the piece correctly in the first place, instead of adding a strip at the narrow bottom edge of an existing piece, it would be wider all the way along the thigh, and you wouldn't have a spot on the leg that is too tight AND binding due to the bulk of the extra seam. But cutting the piece to the correct size in the first place, would derail the efficiency you get by cutting out thousands of interchangeable leg pieces, so the suit would have to cost more. I think it's less of a leap to go from mass produced leather to custom fit. The cowhides are all different in color and shape, so someone has to cut it out manually anyway and keep matching pieces in a set - you don't get leather on a bolt and run it through a machine to cut out thousands of interchangeable pieces. Because of this, even the non-custom leather is a bit more expensive, so the custom folks don't face as stiff a competition from commodity stuff that can be priced low because the production scales so easily. This is probably why there are so many custom leather choices and so few custom textile choices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Macs06VFR Posted May 13, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted May 13, 2009 That Motosports Kevlar gear looks really good (and pricey). Sure wish I could afford it. Me too. I'm debating saving my change. It's still cheaper than skin grafts with inferior gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Ryanme17 Posted May 13, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted May 13, 2009 Currently I have Joe Rocket Alter Ego textile jacket and pants... Love the way they fit. I am just curious as to how well textile holds up in a fall or slide vs. leather. I can only imagine that leather is stronger, but how much? Is the textile gonna protect me any? I have been using the textile for the past 3 years, but I just want to know that I will be safe if I ever go down?I saw the thread about the perforated leather and thats what I am considering. Gets a little hot here in Texas! I see a few good deals on newenough and other websites and have been looking for a while. Just looking for input or experiences... thanks in advance. PJ Textile is only as good as it's armor. I wear leather pants and usually a leather jacket. I feel naked without them. So much more comfortable against the tank and they stick like glue to the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Mac Posted November 8, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted November 8, 2009 Aerostich Transit ***** Mac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roebling3 Posted November 8, 2009 Share Posted November 8, 2009 Aerostich Transit ***** Mac Under armor, (I've not ried it), may be the best answer to a desire for Kevlar or other textile riding gear. My concern with Kevlar and textiles in general is the armor doesn't stay in place. Mostly it's because woven material stretches and distorts allowing pocketed armor to be displaced from a point of impact. My Kevlar suit is an early Schoeller,(Swiss made. they had the original patent, i believe, on weaving kevlar). I'll get under armor very soon. Kevlar is great in hot weather. And in a warm rain. It will not absorb water and dries almost instantly. Your skivvies will take a bit longer. My leathers are Vanson Custom. Don't leave home without them. B~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.