All weather commuting kit

[Taff]

My current kit (Dainese Ridder) is a bit less waterproof than it used to be at 5 years old, and my Altberg All Weather Hog's are on the verge of falling appart where the stiching has worn away. They are 11 years old

I think I've had my money's worth out of the boots, they must have done 100k miles and been worn for many days of walking they went back to the factory for re-sole and repair just before they stopped refurbing in 2013 (ish?)
I can't help thinking that the Dainese kit maybe should have lasted a bit longer but approx. 45k miles of commuting is not too bad I suppose. The kit still looks really good with almost no sign of wear at all, it's just the waterproofing that's beyond its best. I've washed it several times with Nikwax but it seems to do nothing.

so what do I want?

longlasting and comfortable

textiles with gore tex or similar waterproof laminate construction and super warm (removable) liner.

boots - gore-tex and waterproof, warm in winter, style is not too important

budget is max £1k so I think rukka is a bit too much of a stretch unless there's a 50% off sale somewhere

[KungFooBob]

Rukka.

Don't look at the cost to buy, think of it as a cost per mile... and it works out quite cheap.

[Taff]

Rukka.

Don't look at the cost to buy, think of it as a cost per mile... and it works out quite cheap.

yeah, but....it's a fuck load of money, I ain't rich and I'm going to need / want a new bike next year.
I can't see anything for much less than £1.5k and then there's another £250+ for boots. The kit would be worth more than the bike i's sat on

[Scootabout]

There will be many, many recommendations to come
All I can say is I tend to take the same view as you on pricing. Rukka might be best (although I've heard of problems even with that make), but it's a hell of an outlay. And what if you lose it / it's nicked / wrecked and you didn't insure it?
Personally I tend to split the difference between really cheap & cheerful, and top-end. So maybe £300-450 for each of jacket & trousers. Maybe £200 for boots. But I'm not saying that's the 'right' answer or that everyone should choose similarly.

[Skub]

Is there any bike gear which doesn't leak..eventually,regardless of cost?

I'd be a sceptic. We don't complain enough about waterproof gear which isn't.

When I did commute (not any more,thank god) I always went for cheap waterproofs over gear which was comfortable and with good protection. Most textiles will keep out a bit of light rain,but the extra layer of waterproofs are required for heavy duty rain.

I gave up spending silly money on stuff which leaked anyway,so the above method worked for me.

Caveat,I've never splurged the eye watering cost of Rukka gear,though I did own one of their 'Barry Sheene' endorsed suits in the 70s before they became fashionable/expensive. Fucking trendsetter me. It was ok,but gear then was even shittier than today,so not particularly relevant.

[Bigyin]

I would say Rukka as mine lasted 8 years before it leaked but i couldnt stretch to to it when it came to replacement as i got the last full set at cost price from a friend and the wifes Rukka jacket was bought in a sale at just above cost. My current set of Goretex is Dainese Carve Master 2 which is 2 years old and holding up well after more than a few 8 hour days in torrential rain and all year round use training.

Look for sale kit as i picked up my Dainese jacket and trousers from Motocard.com in Spain as they have less demand for Goretex and is cheaper than UK. Also look at FC Moto.DE in Germany as they have a lot of sale kit all the time and their sales team speaks good English and way better than most of our German

Its my second set of Dainese as the first set kept me dry enough but is thinner than Rukka so needs another base layer for warmth and being a lot thinner doesnt crash as well as Rukka as my Dainese jacket wore through to the hard armour in a 70-80 mph slide that the Rukka would have probably taken better

Boots i use Alpinestars SMX Plus Goretex. Superb and really good at keeping my feet warm and dry. First pair lasted from 2002 to 2015 and went to the moon and back mileage wise apart from replacing some velcro bits myself. Second pair i bought in 2015 and still wearing although the big off in 2018 tore a bit off the right boot and scraped the armour on the ankles to shit.

For gloves, good luck finding a waterproof pair as i have an old set of Richa lined leather ones i coat in Nikwax tht keep the water out for a couple of hours but after that i carry spare pairs .....heated grips are a godsend as are bar muffs for when it gets proper cold as they keep off the windchill, rain and are fur lined to keep some heat in

[Newey]

I went to FC Moto and got kitted out with the IXS goretex ( top and bottom) and TSX goretex boots, no report on it's weather proofing yet but is comfortable.

[Horse]

Is there any bike gear which doesn't leak..eventually,regardless of cost?

Yup, the PVC sweatbox stuff, with heat-sealed seams.

But it's out of fashion until Ewan and Charlie do a tour wearing it

[Rockburner]

Is there any bike gear which doesn't leak..eventually,regardless of cost?

Yup, the PVC sweatbox stuff, with heat-sealed seams.

Agreed - virtually everything will eventually leak simply because either it wears, the 'coatings' wear off, or the drop-liners deteriorate.
That said - some of the 'leak' is actually internal moisture not getting out of a breathable layer because the layer is dirty and blocking the breathing pores - that's why it's good to wash the textile outers regularly (although I have to admit I rarely do).

I 'was' looking at the new Klim Hardanger one-piece suit for commuting duties, for various reasons* but given that I'm now almost permanently working from home for the foreseeable, I'm not going to bother. I'm hopefully going to be getting (yet) another BMW Streetguard jacket soon (if they can find one) which will be more than sufficient for any riding (assuming it's up to par**).



* Reasons for a laminated one-piece suit: It's only a 15 mile journey, parking is in a public carp-park, and because the office has no 'locker-room' it needs to be bundled into a topbox so I want a 'shake-dry' outer (ie a 3-way laminate not a 'drop-liner'), and an unlined one-piece means I can easily wear regular clothes underneath.


** This will be the 5th Streetguard 4 Jacket I've received, there's a design flaw which means the outer pockets leak very easily: instead of simply refunding me (I didn't even pay full price), BMW HQ are insisting on repeatedly replacing the jacket, their loss! FWIW the Streetguard jacket is otherwise probably the best jacket I've ever had (bar a couple of design oddities).

[The Spin Doctor]

Is there any bike gear which doesn't leak..eventually,regardless of cost?

Yup, the PVC sweatbox stuff, with heat-sealed seams.

But it's out of fashion until Ewan and Charlie do a tour wearing it

Damn well worked though. The old Rukka 'boil in the bag' suits are the ONLY gear I've ever stayed totally dry* in (as in, kept the rain out dry).

[The Spin Doctor]

so what do I want?

If you want a waterproof AND protective jacket that's reasonably priced I'd look at Scott's range. It's limited and their customer service is awful, but when I was a courier their old Road jacket was top notch kit - it only leaked in the inside of the elbow after hours in the rain. The new stuff is supposed to be good too, though their opportunity to sell me one for my 2019 trip to NZ didn't happen when communications dried up.

Left field option.

As an instructor I spend longer hours on the bike more regularly than most riders.

My current choice is something comfortable and reasonably protective for the riding suit (choice of Aerostich two-piece and Alpinestars one-piece), neither of which is waterproof, but then an inexpensive 'throw-away' jacket / trousers oversuit on top - I just replace them every year or so when they start to leak. OK, I occasionally have to stop and put them on if it starts raining whilst I'm out, but that's rarely an issue.

Boots? I'd go back to Altberg, although I'm not sure their quality is as good as it was when I bought my pair in 1995 - still waterproof on all but the wettest day but the soles have finally come away from the upper. Or get something comfortable and an inexpensive pair of waterproof socks.

[Horse]

* Reasons for a laminated one-piece suit: It's only a 15 mile journey, parking is in a public carp-park, and because the office has no 'locker-room' it needs to be bundled into a topbox so I want a 'shake-dry' outer (ie a 3-way laminate not a 'drop-liner'), and an unlined one-piece means I can easily wear regular clothes underneath.

Similar to my reasoning behind buying the Phantom suit:
- one piece, so I wouldn't be tempted to ride with only a jacket
- easy on-off. Not as fast as a Stich, about 2 minutes
- ordinary gear underneath, so I wouldn't need a changing room and spare gear. Then only lid, boots and gloves to carry
- removable thermal liner and venting. With a heated waistcoat it's a 4 season suit
- roll up to fit in a pannier

[Trogladyte]

Nothing I have ever bought has been really good. It all leaks after a year or two, although I dont wash mine and that would probably help. I dont like the internal membrane stuff, as the textiles get totally sodden and you feel cold and damp, even if no water is actually penetrating. The best I've had are my current Klim strides, which are more or less waterproof, but have no liner at all, so require base layers, and are too hot over jeans in summer, and too cold without multiple layers in winter.

You'd have thought we'd be better at this by well into the 21st century.

[Rockburner]

Nothing I have ever bought has been really good. It all leaks after a year or two, although I dont wash mine and that would probably help. I dont like the internal membrane stuff, as the textiles get totally sodden and you feel cold and damp, even if no water is actually penetrating. The best I've had are my current Klim strides, which are more or less waterproof, but have no liner at all, so require base layers, and are too hot over jeans in summer, and too cold without multiple layers in winter.

You'd have thought we'd be better at this by well into the 21st century.

Yeah - I really hate the 'drop-liner- jackets that soak up water in the outer layer and then drip filthy water all day and are still damp the next day. bluergh.

[Horse]

You'd have thought we'd be better at this by well into the 21st century.

Like: why have seam in the crutch of the trousers? Instead, have a single panel that starts above one knee and goes up over and down the other side.

Same with gear that has a bulky seam where your knee presses against the tank.

And, surely, the technology must exist to manufacture 3D panels, to avoid stretching seams?

Yeah - I really hate the 'drop-liner- jackets that soak up water in the outer layer and then drip filthy water all day and are still damp the next day. bluergh.

Which is why ever-helpful BMW used to sell a thin unlined suit to cover your 'waterproof' gear ...

[Rockburner]

You'd have thought we'd be better at this by well into the 21st century.

Like: why have seam in the crutch of the trousers?

exactly - route it over the hip so the zip and any flaps aren't folding so much and bingo.

[Whysub]

I used Rukka stuff for years (work were paying) but then heard good things about the Hideout Leathers textile suit. Cheaper than Rukka and fitted with proper armour (Field Force as opposed to some CE stamped plastic).

I used to change my Rukka every four years (about 80,000 miles in that time), because it was leaking badly by then.

So went to Hideout and had a made to measure textile suit for less than an off the peg Rukka. Had it over four years now and not one leak in all that time (around 90,000 miles). It is very warm in winter, much warmer than the Rukka kit was) although during the downside in summer is that even without the lining it sometimes felt a bit warmer than the Rukka did.

And its heavier that the Rukka, not just because of the armour, but on account of the better material used. Material that comes with the bonus of much better abrasion resistance, actually up there with leather. Plus, being made to measure, the fit was much better.

I did manage to break a leg zip and wore the velcro out on the waist strap. Popped into Hideout and both repaired as I waited and for free (two year warranty).

Also many police force riders wear this, from as far away as Northern Ireland. Well worth a look, and highly recommended.

[Hot_Air]

+1 generally for Hideout being a step-up from big-name brands. The quality is like Bill and Ted’s adventures: excellent

[Bigyin]

Is there any bike gear which doesn't leak..eventually,regardless of cost?

Yup, the PVC sweatbox stuff, with heat-sealed seams.

But it's out of fashion until Ewan and Charlie do a tour wearing it

Damn well worked though. The old Rukka 'boil in the bag' suits are the ONLY gear I've ever stayed totally dry* in (as in, kept the rain out dry).

Still got mine from courier days in 1988

Bugger all crash protection so used to wear full leathers in summer with a thin company branded waistcoat over them and the Rukka over leathers in winter ....toasty warm



The old "Falcon Despatch" logo on the back still just about be seen ...... callsign Falcon 35

[Skub]

Still got mine from courier days in 1988

Bugger all crash protection so used to wear full leathers in summer with a thin company branded waistcoat over them and the Rukka over leathers in winter ....toasty warm



The old "Falcon Despatch" logo on the back still just about be seen ...... callsign Falcon 35

I thought you might have had one of the pink ones.

I did.