Dilemma : Full Leathers/Textile

Hi,

Want to invest in a proper set of either leathers or a textile suit.

What are the pro's and con's of either?

How cold do you get in the winter in leathers?

Is it just going to be a preference thing or is there tangible benefits to either/or ??

cheers,

Wiz..

[yorkie_chris]

So far been fine in leathers, I just stick a big fleece over the top of my jacket or waterproofs if its that bad.
Having worn various goretex stuff when I had the 125, I reckon im warmer in leathers with seperate waterproofs than I was in the textiles, The downside being full waterproofs are a right pain to get on and off and get into for keys/fags/mp3/wallet etc.

2 piece leathers

& waterproof oversuit (£12 lidls)

[yorkie_chris]

When my draggin jeans arrive Ill let you know how they do, sick of getting changed or having sweaty nuts in lectures.
I do about 20 miles each way, so not really worth an extra 10 minutes to get changed.

[northwind]

I love my textiles... Leather's more protective but not when the temperature drops below zero and your bits drop off. I wouldn't be without my bomb-proof Belstaff Celsius jacket in midwinter, I've never been cold in it. I do own a very warm Furygan leather jacket with an aluminised layer in it, but even with waterproofs over it it's just plain not warm enough for proper cold riding if you ask me.

Leather trousers and textile jacket is a popular choice though, since you tend to take more impacts and slides on the legs than the upper body, and since keeping your torso warm is most important. But I wear my textiles over work clothes for commuting so that doesn't work so well for me.

If you do get textiles, you want them fully armoured- not just knees, hips too, the textile layers alone aren't very impact resistant. Teknics Sprint 2 are very good IMO, mine were £100, never leaked, came with proper knox armour (though I think I had to add the hip panels, the pockets were the right shape for it) and stood up well to a crash too.

Goretex is like voodoo for bikers, fantastic stuff, but it does cost.

Textiles all the way..

Wet? stick em on the radiator-

Dirty- Washing machine -

Need extra water proof - spray with nickwax

crash - impact ce armour...

Cold.. stick the fleece liner back in

Warm - take out fleece liner and undo all the vent zips

I have never had leathers and cant see me doing...

will swap to draggin jeans or simmillar when i can...

Decent textiles are ace. I never really wear my leathers unless going for a hoon (and what a good summer for it this year... hmmmz). Draggin jeans are great for hot hot weather, popping to the shops and a wet crotch.

[fizzwheel]

If you're gonig to ride through winter then IMHO get textiles, If you can afford it get something with Goretex and look after them properly.

Leather does give more protection, but thats no use on a freezing cold wet day, riding when your cold and wet is no fun and you're just as likely to have an accident when your cold and wet because your cold and wet and tired and not paying attention properly.

But if you're gonig to down the leathers route then IMHO dont bother getting cheap leathers they are a false economy, spend out a little more and get something thats decent ( dont assume named brands are decent ) and make sure they fit properly.

If your new to riding and its your first set of gear, then get textiles, you can always get leathers later on if you want to.

Textiles for commuting now. Leathers for the weekend and the odd bimble.

Reasons?

Textiles go over my "office clothes" easier and more snugly than leathers.
With the leathers I'd have to carry shirt/trousers in rucksack and wear just a t-shirt. Then it's 5-10 mins to get changed when I get to work. In textiles I just take them off and stick my shoes on

As per a prev. post also ... textiles are good in summer - they are lighter than leathers, and you can take the fleece linings out.

I have Scott Leathers textile trousers which have knee and hip armour and they have protected me in a low-speed (<40mph) spill. Also have an Ixxon Ranger jacket that is in need of repair thanks to my 2nd off. However, it's still warm, and still waterproof

When I started out and thought about getting myself kitted out, I budgeted for leathers AND textiles, but cos I started last October, I decided to just get the textiles (for the winter) and to get my leathers when the weather got better. So depends on what your budget is and whether you intend getting just one, or both?

Just because leather looks nicer and is thicker and better protection (allegedly) doesn't necessarily mean that it will be more expensive. Although my leathers cost me TWICE what I paid for my textiles. I wanted the sort of "not quite budget, but still fairly decent" textiles, and they cost me £220 (100 for the trousers, 120 for the jacket). However you could go right to the other end of the scale and spend > £1,000 on a set of Rukka textiles (but by god you'd be more than happy with them )

Also, if your budget will stretch to it, then why not consider both? I'm sure you can probably get "end of season" or "last seasons colours" fairly cheap in some places, so if ya not too bothered about having the latest gear, might be worth considering

HTH,
Pete

My take is this. When in my textiles I don't care if it rains. I just keep riding. Hence I tend to wear them in winter. Therefore they are slightly larger so I can get more clothes under them. My leathers I have for summer and track days. I have a leather jacket with zip out panels. The zips let air through even when cold so I can't wear them even in the autumn. Therefore I just put them away when the winter comes. Sames goes for my boots and a gloves. Vented race type stuff for summer, and water proof textile stuff for winter.