Textiles vs Leathers!

Only problem I find with leathers is getting the temperature right, it seems most of the time you're either too hot or too cold, end up putting layers on underneath or over the top.
Gotta say I'm chuffed to bits with my Wolf leather jacket I got from Harpers. They custom make it to your spec, price is very good and there's a shop in essex! I got to choose all the colours of the panels, the piping, whether it was vented or not etc etc. Prices seem stupid cheap for the quality.

These days I usually wear leather jacket (fleece underneath optional) with draggin jeans + alpinestars shin/knee armour strapped to my leg underneath. I'll buy some leather jeans eventually, they're just expensive and boring looking ;P

Leather won't be any less sweaty than textiles, in fact textiles are not usually sweaty unless you have cheap non breathable stuff, with a winter lining that doesn't come out. Textiles are usually a more technical fabric better at dealing with extremes of temperature.

However, my textiles just went in the bin because a crash last weekend left them in shreds.

I wear my leather jacket all year round. I layer up underneath or over the top depending on temperature, stick on a waterproof if its raining.

I wear overtrousers on my bottom half though as i'm usually wearing work trousers or chinos underneath. Plus they're more waterproof so i don't have to take in spare waterproof trousers

same as many others have said textiles for commuting and leathers for weekend road and track days.
what i will say is dont buy them mail order or off ebay unless you have been to a local dealer and tryed them on.
what i did was went round 4 or 5 dealers tryed on loads of leathers decided which 1's i liked and fitted the best / most comftable then sourced the cheapest price from the net but found no one could match h,g

Originally Posted by leebex

Really want to like leathers, but as so used to textiles I couldnt get on with them. borrowed a set and went for a blast, town, twisties and fast dual and hated them so much, was so uncomfortable, did look good though, well I thought so

leebex if thay where really that uncomfortable then i would say thay where the wrong size or make for you or could have been a really cheap set

[ophic]

Originally Posted by sukirider

what i did was went round 4 or 5 dealers tryed on loads of leathers decided which 1's i liked and fitted the best / most comftable then sourced the cheapest price from the net but found no one could match h,g

Nice of you, that. What will you do when the dealers go out of business?

Originally Posted by ophic

Nice of you, that. What will you do when the dealers go out of business?

How many folk test ride a new bike at their local dealer, the go buy a second hand, pre-registered, or even a new bike at a cheaper price, from a different dealer?

I wouldn't support my local dealer by buying off him if his prices are considerably more than buying online. Anybody who trades in any business needs to be competitive vs all kinds of tricks the competition may use to do it cheaper. He won't stay in business as a result of customer sympathy.

There are advantages to buying from a dealer, you get it there and then and don't have to wait or pay for delivery, you have seen the product and can inspect for defects before you get it and know you are walking out of the shop with exactly what you wanted and exactly the right fit, you can walk back into the shop and speak to someone face to face if you have a problem with it 6 months later. So I don't mind paying a small premium for that, but it has to commensurate with the benefit, lets say 15%, but when some dealers are 30-50% more expensive, I have no sympathy. They were plain uncompetitive and were probably going to go out of business eventually anyway.

[ophic]

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

How many folk test ride a new bike at their local dealer, the go buy a second hand, pre-registered, or even a new bike at a cheaper price, from a different dealer? Probably loads but it doesn't make it right.

I wouldn't support my local dealer by buying off him if his prices are considerably more than buying online. Anybody who trades in any business needs to be competitive vs all kinds of tricks the competition may use to do it cheaper. He won't stay in business as a result of customer sympathy. Then don't waste his time trying on what he sells.

There are advantages to buying from a dealer, you get it there and then and don't have to wait or pay for delivery, you have seen the product and can inspect for defects before you get it and know you are walking out of the shop with exactly what you wanted and exactly the right fit, you can walk back into the shop and speak to someone face to face if you have a problem with it 6 months later. So I don't mind paying a small premium for that, but it has to commensurate with the benefit, lets say 15%, but when some dealers are 30-50% more expensive, I have no sympathy. They were plain uncompetitive and were probably going to go out of business eventually anyway.

I kinda agree with the last paragraph. Nevertheless people that use a dealer's services to try on kit or test ride a bike, with the intention of buying elsewhere, are taking the pee somewhat. No it's not blatantly evil, but it is a little inconsiderate.

Originally Posted by ophic

Probably loads, but it doesn't make it right

Why waste his time...

I guess it depends if you waste his time getting help and advice, or if you just go in, pick it up, try it on, put it back and walk out, while he stands at the counter where he would have been whether you are there or not. It is seen as being a bit cheeky in the biking world, but 100,000 women do it every Saturday. Trying things on is a service you have to provide if you want sell clothing, if one in 10 people that tries it on buy's it, you've made a sale. It's unfair to a bike dealer, but nobody gives a **** if you do it in Debenhams!

I don't necessarily go in with the intention of not buying it there, but I'll go in to browse, find and try something that I want and if it fits, then I will do a quick google shopping search on my PDA. If the price is within say 15% then I can't be ar$ed going home and ordering it online, when I already have it in my hand, and I buy it there and then. But if the guy is way out on price, sorry, I'll have no guilt in then going home and buying it online. If the dealer wants the sale he needs to get competitive. Trying to rip me off is not going to win my custom.

i never go into a shop with out the full intention of buying what i need but i am also not gonna throw money away as like many other people i try to get the best i can for the money that i have and may i just add if you read my post you would have seen that the best i could afford was in a high street dealers which is where i bought them from H,G short for HEIN GERICKE