red house

If so.. can you recommend any?

cc700

alpinestars here. they have vents to keep you cool.

JohnnyDoyle

Well, not on my bike...my tight black clothing and trendy hair keeps me safe. But x2 on the alpinestars stuff, top quality.

blickblocks

I worked with a bunch of motorcyclists this past summer and they showed me all the current motorcycing clothing (I asked). Most of it was made of Cordura (the same thing your messenger bag is made of) with plastic armor underneath.

Wearing leathers for protection sounds a bit more like you just want to look cool.

eskachig

Leather is still best at protecting your skin from asphalt, but synthetics have come a long way, and can be cheaper or more comfortable.

Wearing motorcycle gear on a bike sounds horrible. Hell, a regular jacket ends up uncomfortable and hot.

c0urt

back when i was a motorcyclist, i wore alpinestar and joe rocket.

doofo

do you guys exercise in leather
?

bbattle

Plus, he gets into Club Ramrod for free.

dijos

doesn't anyone remember matt hoffman's early days?

~Stuart~

aaaahhhhh leather, it has saved my skin several times (streetluge/speedboard)...




i really like joerocket gear

Fugazi Dave

Leather is decent for protection, but there are some new synthetics that are as much as 11x as abrasion- and cut-resistant as leather is beginning to surface in motorsport clothing.

acoldspoon

I'm partial to Joe Rocket when on a scooter.

Giro

Kevlar mesh for abrasion resistance + ventilation.

See Draggin Jeans for the mesh shirt, Icon Field Armor for the shorts, and get some industrial cut-resistant Kevlar gloves WITH the Gripper Dots to complete the outfit. Not quite as cool (style or temperature) as Lycra and significantly heavier, but if you go down there is no comparison which is better.

There are also Kevlar mesh motorcycle jackets of heavier weight than the mesh shirt and full length pants if you want more protection, more weight, and more insulation in cold weather.

Blue Jays

If you wish to go custom, among the best is Langlitz Leathers in Portland, Oregon. Take the trip there, they'll take all sorts of measurements for a perfect, one-of-a-kind fit. It is truly the "Cadillac" of leather jackets and they only build six garments per day in their factory. I was on a waiting list for a couple of months and then flew out there for the appointment. Goathide was my selection for a little more flexibility and water-resistance without a strength penalty. The slightly more pebbled grain of goathide (not pictured) is especially sharp:

Tangsooyuk

Id like to say that leather is more than "decent" for protection when on a sport bike on a track so it will be way more than overkill for anything you can get yourself in on a bike.

Although it will offer all the protection you need I would spend the money on something that will be more breathable and better in all weather (ie precipitation). If you really need 1.4mm of cowhide, elbow pads, shoulder pads, and a spine protector I suggest you look into another hobby.

ps - I own a Joe Rocket race jacket. They can be had cheap at the end of season because sponsors and color schemes change if you really still want one.

Giro

Cordura and ballistic nylon also good, but be certain it is not coated with polyurethane which in a crash at speed melts on your skin and can make things much worse. Some links: Link1 Link2

Some reportedly relatively cool heavier motorcycling wear available from Brosh and some others

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My other bike is measured in cc's, not cm's.

Fugazi Dave

My point is simply that synthetics have come a long way so leather is not necessarily the only option.

nateintokyo

I've got a couple old leather jackets I bought for motorcycles and scooters (and also just to wear cuz I like them) but they are waaaay too hot for me on a bike. totally uncomfortable. if I'm only riding 20ish minutes and it is winter no problem. anything beyond that I'll need to get rid of it along the way....

cyclezealot

sounds like a way to encourage heat stroke. Couple times I skid across asphalt, I can understand why one would consider using such.

CdCf

I'd like a mesh synthetic jacket, with a network of nylon ribs to allow you to slide on asphalt without getting hurt a lot. With good design, it could be made both light and well ventilated, while still offering good road rash/burn protection.

asherlighn

Ummm .. Leathers seem a overkill for roadrash. Especially since no amount of leather protects you from the things which really hurt (like broken bones and teeth and concussions).

mathletics

I just try not to crash. However, if I were to wear armor, it would be Joe Rocket because that's what my gf's dad wears, and he's the kind of guy who would make good decisions about that sort of thing.

Yoshi

Oh, I get it! If you give a suggestion for a jacket then you admit to being a hipster!

Okay, on topic - check out the impact jacket - https://www.impactjackets.com/

It has a CO2 cartridge in it that is triggered during a crash and inflates the jacket with air. I've been thinking about getting one just for bicycle riding, although I'm not sure the trigger mechanism will work so well (getting out of the saddle, skidding/skipping, etc. would interfere).

Kerplunk

I dont ride with them, but Vanson makes some pretty gorgeous jackets (sport category):

https://www.vansonleathers.com/

Eulogy13x

Stay away from the lower end (bottom tier or two) of Joe Rocket stuff, the stitching tends to be pretty bad, and will shred even under "mild" conditions of crashing and/or use. The higher-end stuff is VERY good quality.

Generally, leather stuff will survive a crash and still be wearable, unless it's a really bad crash. The Cordura/Mesh stuff is "one-time use," like a helmet. It'll save your a$s, but it's toast afterwards. When I hit a gravel patch in a turn and went down at 30+mph on my motorcycle, my leather jacket was fine with a few minor scrapes, but my riding pants, which were top-of-the-line Cordura were ruined.

For cheap but good, you can't beat Alpinestars or Teknic. Check out www.newenough.com for closeouts on MC gear all the time.