Best bang-for-your-buck Gear

[acerunner]

I'd like some help picking up some gear. I'm looking for the best bang for your buck: helmet, jacket, pants, gloves, boots.

Basically something versatile that I can wear in hot or cold weathers. So probably something with extra liners for Jacket and pants.

For gloves, don't have much choice but to get two, 1 for cold, 1 for hot.

Also for pants and boots, nothing too exotic that I look like I just stepped off a race track. I will be wearing full gear to work. Its totally casual, but race gear would be too much.

Thanks.

[Kestrel]

Give me a price to work with and I'll give you answers ;D

[T-1 Thunder]

The Icon Mainframe was a good deal for me at $200. Decent quality and nice cheek pads. Usual price is $250, but a buddy just told me they are on sale for $109. You will not beat that deal.

For a jacket, I got the 3 stage Joe Rocket. Usual price $250-300. Good for winter, summer, etc. Good backplate that runs low, decent armor in the shoulders and arms. Comes with a little low key backpack where you store the rainliner when you don't need it. Plus convertible for the summer with unzipped sections. I dig it.

I went nuts on my gloves. Not bang for buck, they were the most expensive at $200. I'm a wuss for gloves that take away feeling, so I needed the Kangaroo leather.

Boots? Huh? I wear my regular boots. Others will know.
Pants? Wrangler. Again, others will tell you.

[Rob]

Aerostich. Scorpion helmet. First gear. Gloves... just get one set for now... then decide if it's really necessary for a "winter" pair.

[nweaver]

Second on the Aerostich.

The 'stich is expensive, but saves you money in the long run. I went through 2 complete sets of textile jacket&pants before I got the 'stich.

It would have been cheaper just to have gotten the 'stich in the first place.

[afm199]

Pick your danger zones. The head, elbows, knees, ankles, shoulders and hands suffer the most in crashes. (aside from the skin that gets removed)
So decide what you want to save and shop accordingly.

[tuxumino]

fit is most important.
goto local gear stores and try stuff on, remember to squat down and see how it feels in the riding position.
look for little things that will grow to be major annoyances, over size cuffs or tough snaps may make a screamin deal on a good piece of gear turn into something that just takes up space in the closet.
I've found joe rocket textile stuff to be pretty decent, even crash tested a couple of jackets.
troll through the close out section of Cycle gear sometimes real bargins can be found.

[scratch]

Best bang for you buck helmet: either a Scorpion or a solid color Shoei.

Places to try stuff on:
Santa Clara Cycle Accessories - El Camino near Wolfe, 730-0600
Cycle Gear - Meridian and Parkmoor
Road Rider - Monterey Rd. past the cemetary

Gloves: unlined leather gloves that will protect your wrists (gauntlets), get $10-15 glove liners for winter.

When buying textile jackets and pants, remember that denier is an important factor to consider. Figure jeans are 100 denier, and leather is over 1500 denier, choose wisely.

Edit: Fieldsheer Carbolex overpants, 500 denier, no armor, but only $50, not bad during the summer either. You can add $15-50 knee armor underneath.

Or, FirstGear HT Air overpants, 330 denier, comes with knee armor, and pockets for hip armor. About $115.

[pepperell]

I wouldn't skimp on helmet, boots and gloves.

What to wear on your body is a little more diverse. If you are thinking textiles, an aerostich suit it tough to beat. However, they aren't cheap. Other alternatives might be offerings from Fieldsheer (Highlander) or I know alpinestar has newer suit too.

Textile suits seem to be a compromise more in the cold weather direction. Unless you are always moving at a good clip, they are uncomfortable in hot weather.

For me the best alternative for all temp gear were perforated leather jacket and pants. If it was cold out I could layer waterproof/windproof jackets on top and wear liners underneath. On hot days a (presoaked) t-shirt underneath allows enough airflow to stay cool on even the hottest rides.

I got pretty descent quality stuff from Cortech. It's no where near the level of fit and stiching quality as a custom made suit, but you can add CE level armor and back protection. Also it wasn't covered with racer colors and logos.

Cortech Magnum Air Jacket
http://www.tourmaster.com/images/products/h_js_black.jpg

Cortech Apex Air Pants
http://www.tourmaster.com/images/products/h_jw_black.jpg

[cbsixfitty]

aerostich

[pepperell]

Originally posted by acerunner


For gloves, don't have much choice but to get two, 1 for cold, 1 for hot.




How long is your commute?


I had a pair of cold weather gloves and was commuting from SF to Menlo Park (~40 miles each way) and on cold mornings, no matter what, hands would be freezing. The cold weather gloves were uncomfortable and bulky.

You are better off putting on heated grips and just getting gloves that offer the best feel/control.

[acerunner]

I don't mean to skimp out on anything. If there was a $600 helmet that's honestly worth the $600, then i'd get it. But I doubt any $600 helmet is that much better than a $300 helmet. So bang-for-you-buck, not necessarily cheapest acceptable gear.

my commute isn't long, and isn't in cold weather. But I do travel to SF quite often. What glove do you recommend that isn't unconfortable and bulky?

Thanks everyone for the info. I've been meaning to go down to the local cycle gear to check it out, but I've been too busy looking for a bike.

[Eisernkreuz]

Santa Clara Cycle has the Fieldsheer Highland suit for $294 :cool :banana Siberia jackets for $130, etc. Just roll through and talk to them. Scorpion 700 for $210, HJC AC for $220, it's worth it to drop by over there and just have a look.

[TTTom]

Originally posted by scratch
...FirstGear HT Air overpants, 330 denier, comes with knee armor, and pockets for hip armor. About $115.

+1 on those, it's what I wear as my daily commuter gear. easy to slip on/off over your pants

[07chuck]

Any brand of body armor. Most items are easy to wear under jackets and jeans.

Elbows, knees, ankles, hips, wrists, shoulders should be protected.

Falling down doesn't have to hurt.

http://www.sixsixone.com/Catalog_661Moto.aspx?id=1673aed6-90fb-417a-ae29-5a4e98bdf9d2

[Galvatron]

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/mcy/329579295.html

[Z3n]

Cortech gear. Excellent overall, if a little bit heavier than most...I had the magnum jacket. It was excellent. I replaced it after 2 accidents, although there was nothing wrong with it besides a split seam that could have easily been repaired. It's a great jacket and i would have bought the pants if i could have gotten ahold of them...:(

Besides that, new enough usually has some great closeouts, excellent bang for your buck. I like my garnae boots, got them for around 100$ and they're comfortable enough to walk around on. I picked up a set of A* SMX-4's off of craigslist for 80$...it was just a matter of looking. I picked up a set of A* GP Plus's through new enough on closeout for 80$...not bad. Just look around for deals and you'll find them....local shops with closeouts or newenough or craigslist.

Also +1 on the scorpians.

[bigdood]

http://bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=208362&perpage=15&pagenumber=1

[daventura]

You're in San Jose.

All you need is a tanktop and some...

http://www.arkansas103.com/generator/files/flip%20flops.jpg

:teeth

[paladinnorcal]

Consider the Olympia Motorsports Phantom one piece suit. Reviewed in a recent issue of Motorcyclist.

Phantom one piece suit (http://www.olympiamotorsports.com/phantom/Phantom.htm)

Scuderia is a dealer.

+1 on Cortech mentioned earlier. GX Sport Jacket is $150 and the Caliber pants are about the same. Both have liners for cooler temperatures. SF Moto is a dealer.

Scuderia carries Scorpion helmets, so you can try them on and their price is competitive. They have all the face shields, and the aero skirt.

[acerunner]

Originally posted by daventura
You're in San Jose.

All you need is a tanktop and some...

http://www.arkansas103.com/generator/files/flip%20flops.jpg

:teeth

lol. do they carry those at www.cyclesquid.com or www.squidenough.com?

[acerunner]

Originally posted by paladinnorcal

Scuderia carries Scorpion helmets, so you can try them on and their price is competitive. They have all the face shields, and the aero skirt.

I like the features of the scorpion exo-1000. But I'd have to wait til august. =(

[puti]

kneepads. even a cheap mx pair for 15 bucks will do the job

[H.D.30-06]

Motoboss leather jacket- about 225.00
Joe Rocket leather perforated pants- about 210.00
Tourmaster Carbon Cold Front gloves- about 80.00 - 100.00
All from Cycle Gear.
Scorpion exo 400 helmet- about 170.00
From Roadrider in San Jose.

If you are looking for a 2 piece suit you do not have to stick with one brand for the pants and jacket. You can take them to a alterations shop and have them sew on a heavy duty zipper. I recommend going from hip to hip.

Harley Davidson heavy leather over the ankle boots. Please don't ask what the price was.:shocker

All this gear has been asphalt tested and help up very well. Yes I did a get new helmet.

[Kestrel]

Not a fan of Joe Rocket / Icon stuff myself. Way too many fall apart horror stories.

To second the above - Scorpion Helmets are great for the price if a little noisy - can be remedied with a simple chin wind deflector piece however for another five bucks. Best helmet for the buck.

I also use the Cortech Magnum Air Jacket / Pants and for bang for the buck leather - it is hard to beat. Very good quality stuff that is often overlooked for A*, Icon and so on.

Don't skimp on gear even if you've got to save a little longer though.

[hoax]

Joe Rocket Alter Ego line.

It has removeable panels for hot weather riding.

In the cold just zip everything up tight.

[Nick]

Ok, here's a n00b question.

Do Aerostiches have armor in the joint areas or is supplemental stuff recommended?

[acerunner]

so i went to the san jose cycle gear to check it out, and see what gear they have. There were so much. Kinda felt lost, kinda overwhelmed. I couldn't find some of the products mentioned above. Do they carry Scorpion helmets at all. I didnt see any, but they sell them on the website.

I think I also saw some BARF members too. Don't know who they were, but I remember seeing them in some photos from groups rides posted here. If you guys were there at around 4, I was the mid-20s asian guy with glasses in shorts and polo, looking kinda lost.

[Rob]

Originally posted by acerunner
.... If you guys were there at around 4, I was the mid-20s asian guy with glasses in shorts and polo, looking kinda lost.

Seriousry, that does not help.

We arr rook rike that.

:laughing

Next time just ask the dood(ette) behind the counter.

[T-1 Thunder]

Originally posted by Kestrel
Not a fan of Joe Rocket / Icon stuff myself. Way too many fall apart horror stories.

To second the above - Scorpion Helmets are great for the price if a little noisy - can be remedied with a simple chin wind deflector piece however for another five bucks. Best helmet for the buck.

I also use the Cortech Magnum Air Jacket / Pants and for bang for the buck leather - it is hard to beat. Very good quality stuff that is often overlooked for A*, Icon and so on.

Don't skimp on gear even if you've got to save a little longer though.

Dude, I got a Joe Rocket Alter Ego and an Icon helmet. Please share these horror stories I have heard nothing about. If others don't care or to avoid hijacking thread, please PM me.

Thanks.

[acerunner]

Originally posted by Rob
Seriousry, that does not help.

We arr rook rike that.

:laughing

Next time just ask the dood(ette) behind the counter.

lol...um, ok i guess that description is rather vague.

It was really busy in there, and I wasn't planning on buying, just looking. So I didn't want to have them fit me with everything for me to just walk away.

[rumpofsteelskin]

Originally posted by Nick
Do Aerostiches have armor in the joint areas...?

Aerostich makes a lot of products. The Roadcrafter suit, which is what most people get, has armor in the knees, elbows, and shoulders, and has velcro for back- and hip protectors. I gotz all that shit and the friggin' thing weighs about 35 lbs.