Help Buying New Textile Jacket

[Chobblington]

I am looking for a new textile jacket that I want to fulfil the following criteria:-

1) Most importantly must have good protection i.e., good abrasion resistence and armour included or space for me to put my own armour in.

2) Must be waterproof as I commute to work in all weather

3) Should preferably look pretty stylish so I don't feel like a tit if I have to wear it out and about. I like the look of the Alpinestars T-Dyno jacket but have heard it isn't waterproof and don't know if it has elbow, shoulder and back armour. Some of the new Furygan jackets look pretty sweet but haven't heard from anyone who has one.

Anyone got any recommendations or know where I can get some info on the top jackets available or on crash test data?

Ta

[andrewsmith]

i will chuck the halvarsson stuff in as a suggestion good quality gear and warm in the cold stuff.

ride mag does have a recommended list of gear in the mag every issue

[Amanda]

Pop down and see me and I'll sort you out ;)

[Specialone]

Pop down and see me and I'll sort you out ;)

:shock: Theres an offer you cant refuse.

[STRAMASHER]

Would not bother with Furygan, mine (Dragon) is falling apart after a year. Stitching in non-critical places, zips. Like wearing a cardboard jacket so drafty and leaky at neck and not comfy and snug, decent back protector though. Sport cut but still long at the back (so no riding-up)and gloves go easily inside cuffs. Cheap and waterproof.

I will probably go for Alpinestar Goretex RK-5 as a replacement after much searching and trying on (£230) ......or if HG finally bring the CruiseII jacket out in a normal colour (Black!)

Money no object, HG Voyage(£400) Love removable storm collars (invaluable up here through a wet n'wild winter) and waterproof outer pockets.

:)

[JamesMio]

I don't think I've ever heard anything bad about the HG Goretex stuff - my HG Entry Gore jacket is still going strong after 3 years and many, many thousand miles. Still to leak a drop, and it's only had a couple of goes with that wash in Nikwax so far.

[AndyBrad]

All depends on how much you have to spend.

[flak monkey]

I have just got a Hein Gericke Cruise GTX jacket and its superb. Warm, totally waterproof, very sturdy and fully armoured. They arent cheap though. But generally you do get what you pay for.

If you want it to be properly waterproof you need to be looking at the various makers goretex stuff, which doubles the price straight away... :(

[Chobblington]

Cheers for the help people. I think if I can find one I can afford then maybe goretex is the way forward.

Sorry Amanda but I'm way too skint at the moment to be buying a brand new jacket unfortunately but thanks for the offer! Most probably gonna have to get one off EvilBay I think :(

Anyone have any thoughts on Ixon jackets? My first and current jacket is an Ixon jacket and it has served me very well, although I haven't come off in it so I don't know what it would be like in an off.

[yorkie_chris]

Halvarssons :)

The korax jacket is what I have, good kit. £150 now.

[Stuuk1]

Ive been researching this, this week. Ive come up with these as a suit:


HG TRAVEL SHELTEX JACKET BLACK
http://www.hein-gericke.co.uk/shop/product_info.php/cPath/1_15_7/products_id/5004

HG TOURING PANTS BLACK
http://www.hein-gericke.co.uk/shop/product_info.php/products_id/5024

Bit expensive but its what im looking to get

[Amanda]

Ive been researching this, this week. Ive come up with these as a suit:


HG TRAVEL SHELTEX JACKET BLACK
http://www.hein-gericke.co.uk/shop/product_info.php/cPath/1_15_7/products_id/5004

HG TOURING PANTS BLACK
http://www.hein-gericke.co.uk/shop/product_info.php/products_id/5024

Bit expensive but its what im looking to get

Right now the Nagano and Atlas are on offer for £350 until Tuesday. Same money you are looking to spend but Goretex?!?!?!?!? There is another thread about it. Everyone looking for wet weather gear at the moment.

[Amanda]

Chobby - the lowest priced waterproof we do is Boost, £80 for the trousers and £100 for the jacket. Come and see me and I'll give you one of them there £10 vouchers I been running on about for weeks.

[Jamesy D]

Anyone have any thoughts on Ixon jackets? My first and current jacket is an Ixon jacket and it has served me very well, although I haven't come off in it so I don't know what it would be like in an off.

I have an Ixon Magic jacket and it's served me pretty well - warm with the lining in, comfortable, showerproof (as long as I keep it treated), although in a deluge I'd probably get damp. I'd recommend them personally, although if you're after wet-weather riding, invest in a waterproof over-jacket.

[christopher]

For what it's worth, I wore the Hein Gericke Boost Pants (http://www.hein-gericke.co.uk/shop/product_info.php/cPath/247/products_id/5091) for about 18 months before I decided it'd be interesting to crash test them at 50mph... up until the point I went rolling down the road and put a nice hole in the outer material at the knee (armour and inners all fine, as was I) they were completely waterproof and I rode in some horrendous weather. Never reproofed them either.

Well impressed for the price, were £60 when I bought them! The downside is they use HG's own Sheltex which doesn't allow for much airflow I find, so got a bit warm when the weather was nice. If the jacket is the same then it's decent budget kit.

[gfewster]

Plus one vote for the HG Goretex kit. I have the 'Journey' trousers (got when I started biking, survived my first crash which put a tear in the knee but didn't breach the Goretex so I stitched them up) and the matching 'Journey' jacket - a much more recent purchase.

Never leaked a drop, despite some absolutely torrential downpours - including one on the M4 that lasted an hour and is the heaviest rain I can ever recall in any situation, biking or otherwise.

As someone else alluded to, the people who own the Goretex trademark (think it is DuPont?) have some pretty strict standard and won't allow the material to be used on anything that isn't good kit. HG branded kit seems to be generally very well made, and if you look out for end of line stuff you can get very good deals. My trousers were £150 and the jacket was £150 a year later when they were getting rid of the last few (often find with HG end of line bargains that none are left in the stores and you need to go online).

I have a fair bit of waterproof kit for various outdoor activities I do (walking, golf, skiing - as well as biking) and over the years I've discovered, having wasted a bit of cash on sub-standard kit, that if it doesn't carry the Goretex trademark then it will leak eventually and won't breathe at all.

Scrimp and save, spend the extra - get Goretex.