• There has been a recent cluster of spammers accessing BARFer accounts and posting spam. To safeguard your account, please consider changing your password. It would be even better to take the additional step of enabling 2 Factor Authentication (2FA) on your BARF account. Read more here.

Nylon Gear

dravnx said:
I thought 'stich has a suit where the Goretex wears out because it doesn't have an inner liner? The R3 Light?
Click to expand...

It may be a 2.5 layer fabric. Similar to a 3-layer construction in which the membrane is bonded to an outer and inner layer, the inner layer on a 2.5 layer fabric is a much lighter material commonly consisting of a polyurethane (or something similar) that is coated on. This construction is of course lighter but is more prone to damage of that inner layer due to how thin it is and thus subsequent damage to the waterproof membrane can occur. In WL Gore's case, this fabric is marketed as Gore-tex Paclite.
 
Gotta ask, how come you seem so well informed about Goretex?
 
I come from a mountaineering background and generally do a fair amount of research when selecting my gear. It may be an unhealthy attention to detail :nerd.
 
For some time I commuted in a Motoport mesh 2-piece which was impressive fabric and well constructed. Later rode to AK in a Motoport stretch-kevlar suit, super comfortable for long days but never had as much faith in its protective capabilities. Counterintuitive but true. In those days textiles were somewhat frowned upon as an affordable & comfortable alternative to leather if one was willing to compromise on protection.

These days seems the stigma textiles had is gone, protection is better, and some of the high-end brands (e.g. Klim) are more pricey than leather. Never owned a Roadcrafter but many on this list swear by them as the ultimate commute/touring suit. Ultimately switched to leathers for reasons having as much to do with peer pressure, notwithstanding I do think you can spend less on leather for comparable protection with some sacrifice on comfort and convenience.
 
Last edited:
I have a Tourmaster Pivot Jacket and really like it for the price point. I use it in the winter or when the temperature changes dramatically. It has great venting for hot climates also. I'm a big guy. The Tourmaster isn't for skinny little Europeans. I also have a Reax leather jacket for the summer - but I tend to always go back to the Tourmaster. For pants, I have British Motorcycle Gear ones. Again - they help husky dude like me find a fit. Additionally I have riding jeans from Bullit. All of these options fit CE padding. The back piece that comes with jackets are of little use.
 
Last edited:
Update.

Well, I just ordered myself an Aerostitch Roadcrafter 2 piece suit. Looks like my size/order is currently in production. I got an email telling me it was 8-10 weeks out. So far I have to give props to their customer service. I had a rep contact me by email about sizing of the pants. Since their sizes are based on their original one piece suit, the sizing of pants is confusing and different from other companies. But they caught that and helped me sort it out to get the *hopefully* correct size.

Now it's just a waiting game.

Thanks for all your recommendations.
 
Good choice. They can be left zipped together and put on/off like a one-piece. Only difference is two zippers.
 
TerryM said:
Good choice. They can be left zipped together and put on/off like a one-piece. Only difference is two zippers.
Click to expand...

That's nice to know.
 
Figured I do another update. I've been riding with my Aerostitch Roadcrafter 2 piece suit for about a month now. I don't do daily committing, so it's only weekly use. Anyways, I'm really pleased with the product. This suit has a very high quality feel to it. It should hold up for a long time. I ordered it with the standard back pad. I find it easier to leave the jacket and pants zipped together and take the suit on and off in one piece.

I was worried about getting the sizing right, and their sizing charts for a two piece suit are a little complicated. It took some discussion over email to get it correct. But it turned out perfect size wise, and getting sizing correct is pretty important.

I'm hoping not to test this out, but I think the protection will be there in the event of a crash. And as much as Aerostitch themselves say their suits look funky and are not a fashion statement, I think my two piece grey and black jacket over black and black pants looks pretty good. I definitely recommend Aerostitch. :thumbup
 
bojangle said:
Hey barf,

Recommend me some good nylon type riding gear. What do you like that offers good protection, holds up, is a good value, fits well, etc.

What do you use? What do you like?
Click to expand...

Just curious what qualities you're looking for from nylon? breathability, waterproofiness?
 
R3DS!X said:
Just curious what qualities you're looking for from nylon? breathability, waterproofiness?
Click to expand...

I was looking for comfort, durability, and something that offered good crash protection. The last gear I was wearing was some cheap Bilt suit. It was cheap in price, cheap in quality, and surely didn't offer good crash protection. The Bilt stuff was starting to fall apart on me, but I knew from the beginning it wasn't quality gear. I guess the only thing good about it was comfort.

I think the Aerostitch checks all the boxes for me. I wasn't really looking for waterproof, but from what I've read, Aerostitch should actually keep most of the water out, which is a nice bonus.

Actually, breathability is important as well. The Bilt had mesh, which was breathable, but at the expense of protection. I've ridden in some fairly hot days. The vents on the Aerostitch provided good breathability, and it looks like it still provided good protection with the vents open. It's actually more breathable than it appears to be.
 
bojangle said:
Thanks. I'll be looking into what been posted. Please keep em coming if there's anything else you guys like. $1,500 is a little steep, but I'm willing to pay in that price range if it holds up well.
Click to expand...

1500 is cheap compared to pain and suffering with lesser gear. :afm199

I rode with the Aerostich Darien for many years. Excellent gear.

And yes, they hold up well.
 
Last edited:
bojangle said:
I was looking for comfort, durability, and something that offered good crash protection. The last gear I was wearing was some cheap Bilt suit. It was cheap in price, cheap in quality, and surely didn't offer good crash protection. The Bilt stuff was starting to fall apart on me, but I knew from the beginning it wasn't quality gear. I guess the only thing good about it was comfort.

I think the Aerostitch checks all the boxes for me. I wasn't really looking for waterproof, but from what I've read, Aerostitch should actually keep most of the water out, which is a nice bonus.

Actually, breathability is important as well. The Bilt had mesh, which was breathable, but at the expense of protection. I've ridden in some fairly hot days. The vents on the Aerostitch provided good breathability, and it looks like it still provided good protection with the vents open. It's actually more breathable than it appears to be.
Click to expand...

I'd avoid mesh for my main gear. You can always put wear a cooling vest under it.

Aerostich is about as waterproof as you can get. Usually most complaints are about the crotch. Two things you can do there if you're riding in rain.

1. After getting on the bike, pull the crotch material up so there's no basin there to catch water. Make the material there convex, not concave.

2. I always add extra waterproofing in the form of Scotch Guard Heavy Duty spray. I soak the seams, the zipper fabric inside and out, concentrating on the areas where different piece of fabric come together.

Do those two things and you'll never have a problem unless you're riding in a tropical storm.
 
I recently got some of Rocky Mountain ATVs Battleboarn pants. So far I'm totally impressed by them. SO much more comfortable than my Klim induction pants. Love the Klim induction jacket, hate the pants so much their going up for sale.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top