EBike Apparel: Jackets Trousers Gloves etc.

[Kingfish]

Greetings –
I received the ICON gear yesterday via UPS. Here’s what was learned…

Medium-Sized Icon PDX Hi-Viz Bib:
Note – a version of this critique has been posted on Amazon today.

Overall - I believe it could serve me for the intended use in the rainy Pacific Northwest. It appears well-constructed with durable materials, rugged zippers and fasteners, and appointments to the end pieces (which are not vulcanized). I have a slight concern for the inner lining being a little light duty for wear. There are no vents on this product, although it was expected.

Problems:

• There are no side pockets. Instead we have thigh pockets on the front (sort of like cargo-pants) that appear to be well-protected. However the pockets are too narrow for hand to pass through - and that's an issue considering they are deep too. It means that I'd have to modify the stitching for use to accommodate my smallish hands.
• Size matters. In this case, there are no dimensions provided so we're at risk of presuming when ordering. The Medium I received has printed on the inner tag as "US 32 UK 32 EU 48". I believe the "32" number to be the waist size; it fits snugly over my felt-lined LL Bean winter jeans. However the inseam is 36 inches long. I'm a short-legged guy able to get away with 30 on the inseam, so these bibs are a full six inches longer past my feet.

Conclusion:
Nice workmanship with a few errors in design. Icon needs to list the sizing chart; I found one online but it does not reflect this particular product. If I had to classify the size, this is a "skinny large" meant for itty bitty hands.

2 Stars cos I can't use it and there's not enough information provided for proper sizing. Caveat emptor.

Medium-Sized Icon PDX Hi-Viz Rain Jacket:
Overall – and similar to the Bibs, it’s designed for the wet Pacific Northwest. There are no vents but we expected that. Two zippered side pockets are well-protected. There’s an inner vertical pocket but the lining is the same as the mesh, meaning – don’t put your keys there or you’ll wear a hole into. Cellphone should be ok though.

• I ordered the Medium: It fits blousey around the chest but that's OK cos I'm going to wear it over layers. The sleeves are just near perfect in length.
• The hood can be rolled up and secured by simple Velcro but there’s no pocket for it; arguably the jacket can be used for riding and walking. I have a ski jacket with a similar setup and I’m always fussing with the hood that I never use… perhaps someone else might though.
• The jacket is short-cut with a bit of a tail that protects your backsides when leaned over the front; good for regular trousers, better with bibs – and a good feature. The waist can be drawn tight with two pull cords on either side.
• The wrists ends are Velcro-adjusted, but not vulcanized. The lining is a little light duty for wear in my opinion.

Conclusions:
Minor items worth overlooking for the rest of the quality. I haven’t tried it in the rain yet. It’s very light in weight and does not appear to restrict movement, however the grade of the shell is one notch thicker/better quality than you’d find in a bicycle rain jacket and perhaps equal to the shell of a ski jacket. But I don’t think the lining will last past two or three years; that’s really the biggest weakness on this jacket. Perhaps by then – it won’t matter. Venting might be a problem during heavy exercise, and we’re going to find out the hard way…

I’d like to report an update when there are more raining rides under my new jacket. The bibs though, like the gloves are going back to the store for exchange – or refund.

Safe travels, KF

 

[Sancho's Horse]

Oh...wait this belongs more in the news of the weird thread,http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=36476:
The beardo:

Probably doesn't block the wind, but if you are one of those people who likes to have everyone look at them and wonder, "what is wrong with that person"...this is for you. Sorry, not a real contribution but it needed to be seen.

 

[geeeyejo1]

13 Degrees F this AM - my Winter gear is as follows:
Nylon Long Johns
Fleece Lined Denim Jeans
Nylon Thermal Long Sleeve Shirt
Nylon Thermal Short Sleeve Shirt
Nylon/Fleece Sweatshirt
Columbia inner/outer Ski Jacket with Omni Heat Lining (Reflective Foil Stuff)
Snowboard Helmet
Ski Goggles
Gloves (Forgot the brand)
thick Wool Socks
Dock Martin Slip On Work Shoes

Was toasty warm except for my throttle thumb - go figure...

 

[mythprod]

Was toasty warm except for my throttle thumb - go figure...

Yeah I can relate to that. I was thinking about twisting my throttle up some so when at full throttle my thumb would be behind the bar. Barring that I may add some sort of custom extra thumb protection, maybe get a cheapo knit pair of gloves and cut the thumb out or something. Haven't decided

 

[Chalo]

Man, this thread is giving me flashbacks to my Seattle years, and not in a good way.

Spent today in the shop and yesterday at home, with the doors standing wide open, wearing shorts and a t-shirt.

Man-made climate change is so much more palatable in January here than it is in August.

 

[Kingfish]

Man-made climate change is so much more palatable in January here than it is in August.

And on the flip-side, Mark Twain once remarked: “The pleasantest winter I ever spent was one summer on Puget Sound” (which is often misquoted as ‘The best winter I ever spent was a summer in Seattle’ - twisted from a real quote: ‘The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco’).

It may be rainy here, but it sure is green. And when the sun does come out (we call it a 'sun-break' - short for 'sun breaking through the clouds'), people go bonkers and play hookey. We also call three consecutive days of sunshine between June and September as 'summer'.

But I'd have to agree that Austin and the Hill Country has the best spring & summer weather I ever spent during between October and April. 8)

Cheers, KF

 

[Chalo]

And when the sun does come out (we call it a 'sun-break' - short for 'sun breaking through the clouds'), people go bonkers and play hookey.

I remember first hearing weather forecasters saying "chance of sun breaks" after I moved to Seattle. I counted it among the most pathetic things I'd ever heard.

 

[Kingfish]

Heh... which follows why we have 5 words to describe sunshine, and 200 to describe rain. :lol:

Fashioning a sporting moon-tan, KF

 

[endomorphosis]

I live in portland, so allow me to provide you with advise.

Return those Icon rain apparrel, and get something that is actually waterproof, and not something made from ripstop nylon.

Ripstop nylon has the tendency of not staying waterproof past a season or two, even if you try to re-treat it with something else, and is ultimately not very breathable.

You want something that is either a 2.5 layer or a 3 layer gore-tex derivative.

http://www.bicyclinghub.com/shpatoja.html?gclid=CLL9ztO_jbUCFWKCQgodyx0AXg
(this says its 3 layer artex, which i think is a gore-tex derivative, since the patent is expired, some of their stuff is eVentQ)

my battery is going to go out before i finish shopping for suggestions,
so check out these

Novara (bottom of the totem pole) (i have their goretex-knockoff pants)
Showers Pass (wife has their nylon pants)
Gore Bike Wear (we both have the countdown gloves)
Shimano european apparel ( I looove the shimano MT-71 & 91 models, however we both have MT-70 shoes, my wife has the accu-3D jacket)

Sherpa adventure wear (liked it at the store, it was too expensive, we went to the outlet)
Columbia sportswear (I have a columbia jacket myself, got it from the outlet in beaverton OR)
mountain hardware (owned by columbia but nicer stuff, wife has a jacket from them from the outlet)



And if your adventurous to want to make your own waterproof clothes or panniers check out
Seattlefabrics.com

 

[RageApe]

Wind Deflectors: Kydex from http://www.knifekits.com/vcom/index.php?cPath=41

You can make just about anything you can imagine out of kydex.

 

[Kingfish]

Wind Deflectors: Kydex from http://www.knifekits.com/vcom/index.php?cPath=41

You can make just about anything you can imagine out of kydex.

>> Kydex info found here.

Interesting, but I am having trouble sourcing a supplier. Been toying with HDPE for the past few years which I can get in 2x4 x 1/32 inch thick sheets from my local.

~KF

 

[amberwolf]

http://www.lairdplastics.com/product/manufacturer/kydex
http://www.lairdplastics.com/product/search-catalog?prod-search-box=kydex&class_tree=&subclass_tree=&x=0&y=0

 

[Kingfish]

http://www.lairdplastics.com/product/manufacturer/kydex
http://www.lairdplastics.com/produc...-box=kydex&class_tree=&subclass_tree=&x=0&y=0

They sure make it difficult to figure out what you want and provide a price. Appreciate the links though, thanks

...but I'm not certain Kydex is meant for wearing... like as a garment

BTW - Seattle Fabrics is a neat lil' store. The owner had the structure built to suit after they tore down the old one. A person could have a wonderful time there brainstorming ideas with all the materials and hardware and tools.

On the Bike rain gear:
I am at the point of my evolution between Bicycle and Motorcycle where I need something more robust than what bike gear can offer, but lighter weight than motorcycle gear. I don't mind spending $100 on the Ripstop Nylon (re: Icon PDX jacket) for evaluation. But I want something that has the features of motorcycle gear if I take a fall, and that Icon is definitely is more rugged than any bike jacket. It's the same reason why I wear a Moped/Light Motorcycle DOT-rated Helmet and not a bicycling helmet: Better protection.

I'll tell ya... I was seriously considering skiing gear because it too is more rugged with the 2 and 3 ply Gortex; good point raised, no argument there friend The walking-foot sewing machine I have may be too heavy-duty for making a jacket; it's better suited for making canvas sails and well... battery bags :wink: You almost need a second person there to manage the material whilst the other person operates the machine.

Still - maybe it's worth a trip back to Seattle Fabrics if nothing else but to look at patterns for ideas

Hmmm... <rub chin> the gerbals are spinning up wheels inside my pointy head...

Dry. For the moment, KF

 

[Kingfish]

Well, my Icon PDX Jacket is holding up pretty well with everyday commute. I wear it in cool mornings to work, though lately it’s too warm out for the ride home. Even with the brief ride in it warms up quickly, making more of a 3-season (not-summer) jacket. :lol:

Still haven’t found suitable trousers – but then we’ve been having a record-breaking summer here with sunny weather. Soon enough though that search must continue.

Lately I’ve been noticing that my old REI backpack is beginning to perish at the seams. It’s been a good ol’ bag – gosh for all I know it could very well be 20 years old. I use it for commuting, for groceries, for travel as a carry-on, and it also has an independent little lite-daypack that unzips for super-lite loads. The one thing though that I do not care for is that the bag is black with dark Navy blue trim, so it’s difficult to see at night.

I started searching a few days ago for yellow and Hi-Viz Yellow Day Packs/Carry-on sizes. Slim selection out there and I don’t care much for the styling. In a twisty sort of way I found myself looking in the opposite direction -> White bags, or high-contrast. Then I stumbled upon the Ogio No Drag Mach 5 Backpack:

It’s a backpack designed for motorcycles, very aerodynamic, with a hard shell, and as it turns out – is just within the carry-on size at about 42 linear inches. It measures close to the same size as my REI bag, though it might be heavier; I tried to weigh the REI bag but it’s too light for the scale to register. The black color is a problem, though I could had yellow or white reflective tape to create enhanced visibility.

I think of a backpack as an extension of apparel because we wear them like gloves and jackets. Mine develops a lot of drag, I know it cos the little straps are flapping about like long dreadlocks behind me. Perhaps the Mach 5 could be a good improvement. Here's the same pack at the Motorcycle Superstore (video is a nice touch).

Is there some ES member out there that has experience with one of these types of packs? And more importantly – what do you use for a backpack and are you happy with it?

Again the criteria is: Carry-on size, functional, looks cool. 8)

Thanks, KF

 

[Ykick]

Many years I fly and ride trains a lot. Wheeled luggage basically sucks for train platforms, subway stairs and city sidewalks. Wheeled stuff also wastes room for the handles and wheels. Backpack luggage is/was the answer for me.

Here's what I found that provides the genuine "one bag" solution:

http://www.ebags.com/product/ebags/mother-lode-tls-weekender-convertible/143101?productid=1370036

Extremely well made and too numerous features to list them all. Suffice to say I liked it so much I also bought the "junior" version. I've gone through a lot of bags and several backpacks, this is "the one".

 

[Kingfish]

^+1 Yeah, that does look really awesome! Can you remove the inner partitions? Green Envy is not a bad color

I am surprised by the weight of these bags! That one weights like nearly 4 lbs. - and mine is like a big rag doll; I guess we just do not appreciate modest-weight items that appear to be "fly"... When I pick up my bag, I sure don't think I'm picking up > 3/5 of 5 lbs. - know what I mean? I just noticed tonight upon close inspection that my bag has two aluminum "frameless" struts - just like my old '86 frameless backpack!

It's funny how we don't think about the basics of backpacks et al. At least for me anyways

Ykick - that's a dang good share! Thanks pal! :wink:
~KF

 

[Ykick]

It is a somewhat heavy bag compared to some others I've used but the material, zippers and various straps appear to be serious stuff.

It has one divider panel in the main compartment - ebags videos are pretty good and I seem to remember junior page might have a more in depth video? They're practically the same bag merely 2-3" difference in length. The entire TLS line of backpacks is well worth a look if you want various sizes? However, the original weekender fills overheads very nicely!

The water bottle or umbrella pouch is an extremely clever design. I swear 1st dozen times I used this bag I discovered more and more features. Key leash, several exterior small D rings, extra secure zipper on front pouch, great laptop pocket, etc.

When I fly with this bag I tend to pack clothes and overnight items towards the bottom which will then stand up on its own. I then use the top section as more of a conventional "mouth" backpack for my frequently needed travel items, books, electronics, jacket, etc.