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jeff006 12/01/2012
The most athletic animal on Earth wears full body leather 24 hours a day. Yes, the COW! OK, I’m being ridiculously facetious, the cow is a slob!! But leather is THE toughest material available today for protection against heat and friction caused by sliding on bitumen, gravel, dirt and general ‘rough stuff’. Please note that nothing, not even leather, protects you against IMPACT. That’s what armour plates are for, and most good leathers have armour plates to the shoulders, elbow (extending down to fore-arm) and knee (extending down to a shin guard). Older suits (and lesser quality suits today) have simple armour “cups” on the elbows and knees, and that really isn’t good enough today. But, more on armour when I get to Part 4 (when I plan to talk about dedicated armour suits and spine protectors).
There are many great brands, but I use Dainese. They are a great brand AND if I stick with the one brand all my pants & jackets are interchangeable & zip together to effectively make a 2 piece suit that won’t ride up at the back causing my back to be exposed. This is an important consideration before you run out there and buy your first gear. I’ve got SO much stuff I don’t use now because of mixed brands. Also, Dainese stuff just happens to fit me, EVERY time, so I can order it online with confidence, and their D-Stone leather is lighter but just as tough as full thickness cow-hide. I’m not going to go any deeper in to the features of Dainese specifically and I have NO affiliation with Dainese. There are other GREAT brands too – Alpinestars, Teknic & Berik come to mind. Please, don’t skimp on your clothes. Choose wisely, with compatibility with future products in mind.
It is reported that leather withstands the heat and friction of sliding along a bitumen surface for >30 secs, Kevlar approx. 10 secs, and denim 2 secs, before starting to disintegrate. Where possible, wear leather. In summer, wear perforated leather. (note: my Dainese perforated SF leather pants are ONLY available overseas! I had to order them from cold Germany! The importer only has the non-perforated version). Photo 1 shows my Dainese pants. Note I wear the knee sliders, but this is for added protection not for sliding my knee around every corner (which is a high speed technique and, many people don't realise, "hanging off" to do it is actually illegal in some states of the U.S.). I have also heard of individuals being charged with reckless driving when seen hanging off their motorcycles in a turn (a bit harsh, but there you go!)
If not leather, wear something with Kevlar lining. There are some great products. Photo 2 shows my cat modelling 2 examples, with yellow kevlar material visible inside. The VAST majority of accidents will see you sliding/tumbling for LESS than 10 seconds & that Kevlar WILL save you from anything between gravel rash to a skin graft. It won’t stop a bone breaking, and that’s why I advise lightweight, comfy, strap-on knee shin guards be slipped on under your Kevlar trousers (I have a set by IXON, ventilated, easy to put on, fit nicely under my Kevlar jeans & AREN’T a bother, or even visible!). Photo 3 shows a variety of bits of armour, but if you look closely there are two sets of strap-on knee/shin armour. IRON BULL makes a great pair of leather trousers with additional Kevlar lining. They are designed more like a pair of jeans/slacks and are great for the cruiser. Denim alone will disintegrate pretty darn quickly as slide down the road, and the term “gravel rash” just doesn’t do the injury justice. “Complete stripping of skin, and possibly flesh” is a little closer to the fact. Further, because it is a ‘dirty’ (or ‘septic’) wound, infection rates are high and often skin grafts are difficult. For the sake of a new pair of great looking jeans lined with Kevlar, why risk such a fate? Some of the Kevlar jeans look really great (just like normal jeans)!
Regarding jackets, again it is the same thing … leather is tough. My advice would be to only buy jackets you can slip a spine protector in to (most of the decent jackets around, leather or otherwise, have a pocket for a protector of sorts BUT it needs to adequately fit a decent sized one, like the Dainese G2 Wave as a bare minimum). Textile jackets, in our hot climate, are a great option … but buy a good brand. Some fall apart if you breath on them (!), while others are very well made. A good textile jacket should be just as well armoured as any leather jacket.
Make sure your clothes fit and are comfy, otherwise they’ll end up in the cupboard! STAY UPRIGHT!! {and don't be like the guys in the last photos!}
