Kingfish
100 MW
Greetings –
It’s that time of the year again when I have to evaluate my needs and review the quality of the equipment and determine if it can get through the winter. The elementary questions on my mind that I think affect many in the ebike world is where to purchase quality product, who makes it, how well it will hold up, and how well suited is it for athleticism.
Briefly, my gear has evolved from simple cycling garments into a higher quality dedicated jacket, over-pants/trousers, gloves, winter boots, and helmet w/ visor.
▪ The jacket is the lluminite Seattle Jacket that is good for 3-1/2 seasons out of 4 with removable sleeves and adequate venting, however it is no longer available. After the first year of riding it was getting pretty filthy and sort of had a soul of its’ own in terms of communal biota, so I washed it. Boom, just like that – ½ of the waterproof ability was gone. I tried to rejuvenate it with the wash-in stuff and the dryer stuff, but no real joy. One more year and it had to be washed again – now it’s only good for light rain.
▪ The over-pants are REI-brand and they have more or less worn like iron except for the waterproofing which went the way of the Seattle Jacket. Structurally both are still sound and useable for another year or two, but not for Seattle.
▪ The Pearl Izumi (IQ) Cyclone Gloves are in moderate condition and can last another year. I tried the summer gloves with the fingers cut off – but they were too much trouble to get on and off, so I wore the ol’ comfy winter gloves year-around: The tactile grippy surface in the inside is nearly worn away, but structurally – the gloves still work and the stitching is holding together – although they look like they’ve been through hell… but then so have I. Although they are not particularly waterproof (only a problem near freezing & raining), no sense replacing what’s working.
▪ The Lake Winter Cycling Boots (2011 Model #MXZ302) have taken a beating on the toes where I habitually reset the pedals/crank at each stop. Other than that – they are holding their own quite well. I just applied a double coat of snow seal this week and they’re good to go for the worst of crud.
▪ The AGV Blade Helmet is in exceptionally good shape. I have the FogCity ProShield accessory ready to apply… beyond that – it’s ready for bear. Like the boots above, this has been one of my best investments. :wink:
▪ Packpack or Day pack: I’m just mentioning this for completeness. My present gear is becoming worn out after a healthy decade of use and is just now beginning to lose the remarkable waterproof abilities. For now, replacement is a notch lower in priority.
All other garments are what I consider - not in the same category as the dedicated riding apparel; without intending to make a bad pun – it’s all underwear, and that’s rather specific to hour-to-hour/day-to-day weather, personal preference… and fashion.
Issues:
The problem that I am facing is replacing the jacket and trousers with something with equal or better. In general, Motorcycle gear is out; it weighs too much and is not suitable for aggressive athletic activity such as pedaling. However - my trip to REI was most disappointing because the very best 2012 Winter cycling jacket in stock didn’t compare to what I’m wearing now: It’s not as thick or multi-layered, and it’s more expensive. I began looking at other ideas – like adapting a ski jacket for riding, but then they’re not that great in the rain (although I have an old red Marmot that can withstand a monsoon; it’s just too heavy for cycling). FTR, I looked at North Face and Patagonia, and the selection is even more niche and segmented into activity, none of which appears clearly adaptable to aggressive electric-cycling.
Expanding the search to Moped Jackets, I came across two interesting examples at the Motorcycle Superstore – but before I do I should state plainly that I have a self-preservation bias towards high-visibility outerwear in white or yellow:
▪ Firstgear Rush Mesh Jacket - $162 USD
▪ Icon Patrol Waterproof Jacket - $400 USD
The sinking feeling I have is that these could be heavy, though not as much as full-on leathers. However, I like the concept of having apparel suited to the faster road speeds. Combined with armor and padding and rugged material… well, it’s an appealing idea. I just don’t know how much these things weigh and whether they can take daily abuse of actual cycling.
Thus I cast a wide net in survey to glean from the ridership, cherry-picking if you will, the very best in riding equipment for those of us in the wide gray area between bicycling and motorcycle for street & urban travel in inclement weather:
Thank you in advance, KF
It’s that time of the year again when I have to evaluate my needs and review the quality of the equipment and determine if it can get through the winter. The elementary questions on my mind that I think affect many in the ebike world is where to purchase quality product, who makes it, how well it will hold up, and how well suited is it for athleticism.
Briefly, my gear has evolved from simple cycling garments into a higher quality dedicated jacket, over-pants/trousers, gloves, winter boots, and helmet w/ visor.
▪ The jacket is the lluminite Seattle Jacket that is good for 3-1/2 seasons out of 4 with removable sleeves and adequate venting, however it is no longer available. After the first year of riding it was getting pretty filthy and sort of had a soul of its’ own in terms of communal biota, so I washed it. Boom, just like that – ½ of the waterproof ability was gone. I tried to rejuvenate it with the wash-in stuff and the dryer stuff, but no real joy. One more year and it had to be washed again – now it’s only good for light rain.
▪ The over-pants are REI-brand and they have more or less worn like iron except for the waterproofing which went the way of the Seattle Jacket. Structurally both are still sound and useable for another year or two, but not for Seattle.
▪ The Pearl Izumi (IQ) Cyclone Gloves are in moderate condition and can last another year. I tried the summer gloves with the fingers cut off – but they were too much trouble to get on and off, so I wore the ol’ comfy winter gloves year-around: The tactile grippy surface in the inside is nearly worn away, but structurally – the gloves still work and the stitching is holding together – although they look like they’ve been through hell… but then so have I. Although they are not particularly waterproof (only a problem near freezing & raining), no sense replacing what’s working.
▪ The Lake Winter Cycling Boots (2011 Model #MXZ302) have taken a beating on the toes where I habitually reset the pedals/crank at each stop. Other than that – they are holding their own quite well. I just applied a double coat of snow seal this week and they’re good to go for the worst of crud.
▪ The AGV Blade Helmet is in exceptionally good shape. I have the FogCity ProShield accessory ready to apply… beyond that – it’s ready for bear. Like the boots above, this has been one of my best investments. :wink:
▪ Packpack or Day pack: I’m just mentioning this for completeness. My present gear is becoming worn out after a healthy decade of use and is just now beginning to lose the remarkable waterproof abilities. For now, replacement is a notch lower in priority.
All other garments are what I consider - not in the same category as the dedicated riding apparel; without intending to make a bad pun – it’s all underwear, and that’s rather specific to hour-to-hour/day-to-day weather, personal preference… and fashion.
Issues:
The problem that I am facing is replacing the jacket and trousers with something with equal or better. In general, Motorcycle gear is out; it weighs too much and is not suitable for aggressive athletic activity such as pedaling. However - my trip to REI was most disappointing because the very best 2012 Winter cycling jacket in stock didn’t compare to what I’m wearing now: It’s not as thick or multi-layered, and it’s more expensive. I began looking at other ideas – like adapting a ski jacket for riding, but then they’re not that great in the rain (although I have an old red Marmot that can withstand a monsoon; it’s just too heavy for cycling). FTR, I looked at North Face and Patagonia, and the selection is even more niche and segmented into activity, none of which appears clearly adaptable to aggressive electric-cycling.
Expanding the search to Moped Jackets, I came across two interesting examples at the Motorcycle Superstore – but before I do I should state plainly that I have a self-preservation bias towards high-visibility outerwear in white or yellow:
▪ Firstgear Rush Mesh Jacket - $162 USD
▪ Icon Patrol Waterproof Jacket - $400 USD
The sinking feeling I have is that these could be heavy, though not as much as full-on leathers. However, I like the concept of having apparel suited to the faster road speeds. Combined with armor and padding and rugged material… well, it’s an appealing idea. I just don’t know how much these things weigh and whether they can take daily abuse of actual cycling.
Thus I cast a wide net in survey to glean from the ridership, cherry-picking if you will, the very best in riding equipment for those of us in the wide gray area between bicycling and motorcycle for street & urban travel in inclement weather:
- What works best for you and why?
Thank you in advance, KF
