year round riding gear
 

Planning for cross country and through AK. Recommended all weather coat and pant?

There's no such thing as an all year ,all weather riding outfit .
My solution has been to go prepared for the worst weather and remove layers if it gets warmer .Get a heated jacket liner and pants for when it's very cold and/or wet .
A mesh jacket stored in a pannier can be handy to slip on when it's very hot.

There are some good jackets here ,
British Motorcycle Gear | Classic Motorcycle Jacket

I use the Discovery jacket for cold weather , no complaints so far .

whatever you buy ,buy in a set where the jacket and pants can be zipped together.
One rider in OZ chose a jacket only and wore jeans,went for a pilot solo lesson,the jacket came over his head during the loop and hit the ground with only his tee shirt to break the fall at 80 mph.

whatever you buy ,buy in a set where the jacket and pants can be zipped together.
One rider in OZ chose a jacket only and wore jeans,went for a pilot solo lesson,the jacket came over his head during the loop and hit the ground with only his tee shirt to break the fall at 80 mph.

I use gear with three layers- cordura type outer with the armour and zippable vents, a drop waterproof liner (very light and takes no space) and a thermal layer. That way I can zip stuff out as it gets hotter- good for the North of Scotland or Africa :thumbup1:

All year and all weather are very large criteria. In a year I've gone from minus stupid near the top of Russia to the sort of heat in North Africa where you couldn't face eating the egg you just fried on the mudguard unless it came with a huge dollop of ice cream. Then there is the stuff in between where the moisture turns liquid and hangs about where it can make you cold. At minus 25 you die with a smile on your face, at minus 2 you can live a long and miserable existence.

Layers are the key even though they are a PITA to transport when you are not wearing them. Most useful IMHO are a one piece thermal base layer (any brand you like, the cheap ones are just as warm until the zips break, mine are ASDA/Walmart), a pair of one piece overalls (I have a German army tank drivers suit) and a one piece rain suit. The layers need to get bigger so nothing is tight (compressed layers don't work), which in my case means my armoured jacket goes over the tank suit but the armoured trousers go under. The rain suit keeps the goretex clean and therefore shower proof, blocked pores means wet means cold.

Electric kit is fantastic for comfort but very easy to break. You need to be able to live without it, just have it on tap for a bit of luxury. Heated grips and seats are tougher as the cables are fixed.

A shopping trip to the local mountain climbing store is not the key to this either. A rider who is fit enough to have good circulation, who doesn't press on when starting to feel cold, who takes the time to get their kit on properly with no gaps or tight spots, does a few stretches before riding off and who eats and drinks before they need to can get many miles further than a rider whose only action was to buy £200 worth of micro-knitting with a picture of the Matterhorn lasered in the crotch. A bowl of pasta and a chocolate bar are worth more.

Enjoy the ride, the cold improves the scenery and keeps all sorts of annoying wildlife from mosquitos to PowerRanger/Squids out of the way!

Andy

Hi,
as being said, layers are the trick. We are carrying three pairs of underwear - two for hot weather and one for cold. Then a light jumper, a nice windstopper soft shell, warm inlay for our jacket/pants and a cooling inlay for the jacket. That pretty much covered it all up to now.

Getting the right set of jackets/pants is quite a big thing to chew on. Go shopping or get all the stuff delivered back home and try various sets. In the end you have to feel god in it. I have been selling bike gear back home for a few years (if you ever visited Germany, you might know Polo) and in the end the happiest people were those who did not compromise but got the stuff that was comfy and safe. Unfortunately that often goes with quite a high price tag - if you want to safe some bucks, buy in winter or right at the end/beginning of a new riding season, as there are more special offers.

Whatever you get, get something that fits tight, unless you are wearing a complete protection suit underneath. Keep in mind, that all this nice protection gear just works if it stays where it is supposed to be - I have a nice scar on my elbow, that reminds me what happens if the protector slips in a loose jacket...

Also, if you are doing a good deal of road riding, make sure you get something that has leather or super fabric or at least aramide on the elbows, knees and, if you can find it, bum. These are the spots you are most likely to slide on, and simple cordura, no matter what strength, will burn away on the asphalt.

You will want protectors in your elbows, shoulders, hips and in the back. Make sure these are soft protectors, the stuff that feels like soft foamy rubber Hard foam and aluminium protectors are not bad but only work once. The material takes in the hit and crimps and thereafter is rendered useless or at least a lot weaker for the next fall. As you will be traveling for a while, chances are you hit the dust once or twice and it would be a pain - quite literally ;-) - if the second hit is not softened by your protectors.

Saying you are riding in various temperatures you should make sure you have proper ventilation. Most membrane fitted ("gore-tex"-)jackets and pants come with well advertized ventilations systems. Unfortunately most of them just ventilate off the membrane - the nylon ("cordura-") layer is zipped open, but the membrane is still completely closed around your body for waterproofness. This does work, but just as long as the membrane works, which is only the case if the temperature outside is considerably lower than inside the jacket. Otherwhise you just keep heating up, and with maybe 30+°C and high humidity outside this only works as long as you are riding and cooled by the wind - once standing you are soaked in sweat within seconds.

IMHO there are two types of jackets, that work as being rainproof and properly ventilated: Those which have a detachable zip-in membrane, where you can take out the whole waterproofing layer if you don't need it and those that have a ventilation system that opens up the membrane.

The former are pretty easy to get nowadays, as more and more manufacturers jump in the market. Their big plus is maximum ventilation (mostly due to mesh openings) if the membrane is removed. Cons are two: you have to remove or add the whole layer whenever it starts to rain or gets really hot. Also the membrane is more likely to get damaged if you store it somewhere on its own in between your cooking gear and an old pair of pliers...

The latter are harder to come by but pretty good, although they do not reach the same amount of maximum airflow as the zip-ins. Big pluses are that you do not have to worry about that extra layer and can just open and close the vent as you please. Really handy if you ride in hot and wet conditions.

So much for that. bier

As you have been asking for a specific tip - we are currently going around the world in Rev'it's new Poseidon combination. Luckily they sponsored us, as I would honestly never have been able to buy that thing. They are bloody expensive but work like a charm (and they don't pay me to say that.)

They are currently using our pics on their website, if you feel like it have a look: REV'IT! - Homepage.

If I had the money I would buy the stuff, as we have used it for so far five months of riding, from 4°C and rain in Germany to over 45°C in Iran and some deep mud off-roading in Thailand (keep in mind, proper underwear is a must).

In the end, don't forget it comes down to the fit. Don't buy anything you have not tried on before. Make sure all the protectors fit as they should, with only a t-shirt on and with all the winter layers - therefore find something that is adjustable. If you have a good store around (the kind that takes time and helps you trying and fitting stuff, not those who just want to get your money and kick you out) go there, talk to the people and spend an afternoon trying. It's well worth it. :thumbup1:

If you have any questions send me a pm. =)

Juri