What’s your go to gear for a road trip

[Killer_kaw]

I’m curious what gear others wear for a week or so trip and why. Leathers? Textile? Mesh? Gore Tex? I’ll be spending the better part of 2 weeks in June on the bike. To the gap and on to Florida so I wanna pack as light as possible. Unfortunately  flip flops, shorts and a wife beater just won’t do. 

[JustinNck1]

27 minutes ago, Killer_kaw said:

Unfortunately  flip flops, shorts and a wife beater just won’t do. 

Honestly, you should probably pack these for when you're off the bike each night.

 

I have the stitch, so I can't recommend much. It works for any trip. Before I had it though, mesh/textile pants and jacket with waterproof liners worked well.

 

I think good base layers help comfort the most. I prefer moisture wicking shirt and athletic shorts with knee high socks and klim riding shorts.

Edited December 29, 2017 by JustinNck1

[Killer_kaw]

^^ Pretty much what I’ve done in the past as well. Zippers have about had it on the textile jacket now soo.....  I’ve got a couple decent leather jackets but I’m not so sure about leather and a long trip. That stitch would be nice but $$$$. Just wondered what’s worked well for others. 

[Casper]

I always wear a full leather suit (1pc or 2pc). 

[durk]

3 hours ago, JustinNck1 said:

mesh/textile pants and jacket with waterproof liners worked well.

 

I think good base layers help comfort the most. I prefer moisture wicking shirt and athletic shorts with knee high socks and klim riding shorts.

This pretty much sums up what I wear. I have a pair of padded bicycle shorts that are a must for the cbr seat. My socks just cover my calf, not to my knees. 

I tried wearing the leather suit I have for an all day trip once. It was not terrible, but not as comfortable as the textile coat and pants.

The other benefit of my textile jacket is that it has 3 different layers- zip out liner, mesh interior jacket, and a zip on textile outer layer. With adjusting my base layer I have worn it in 40-90 degree weather. 

[Pauly]

Textile, all the way. Wet leathers are a nuisance. 

[2talltim]

My goto pants for every kind of trip are my tourmaster over pant. Waterproof/breathable and have a couple vents on the thighs to open. If its cooler I'll wear jeans underneath if it's warmer it's shorts. 

For jacket I have 2 option and on long trips I take them both. I have my tour master advance touring jacket, just like the pants built in waterproof breathable liner it also has a quilted thermal liner but I rarly use that liner. I also have my JoeRocket mesh jacket for those really hot days, packs small and not a big deal to take it. 

For boots it's Astars goretex touring boots, worth every dime. For gloves I usually have 3 or 4 different pairs with me. Warm weather mesh,  warm weather water proof, and cooler weather water proof.

Now on COLD trips like the fall gap trip and probably be prepared for the mountains out west this summer. I'll pack my gerbing heated jacket liner and gloves. 

Basically on long trips one of my side bags is filled with gear, liners or back up gear. 

 

[2talltim]

With the gear i mentioned above the reason I chose those jackets and pants was to eliminate the removable liners and interchangeable stuff. Stupid simple was the theme i was going for. And inexpensive, for the most part. 

[motocat12]

kevlaredmesh

[2talltim]

3 hours ago, Killer_kaw said:

^^ Pretty much what I’ve done in the past as well. Zippers have about had it on the textile jacket now soo.....  I’ve got a couple decent leather jackets but I’m not so sure about leather and a long trip. That stitch would be nice but $$$$. Just wondered what’s worked well for others. 

Keep a eye out on advrider,  guys sell used stitch suits all the time for half or less than new.

[jacobhawkins]

Wore my aerostitch to Maine on a 10 day trip last summer.  Got rained on, rode in 85° days, worked great.  Handy pockets.  Probably terrible for going to Florida because it would be insanely hot.  I have a roadcrafter jacket and ad1 pants, just for reference.  They probably make some warmer weather gear though.  Katie and I went on our post wedding vacation down there and it was crazy humid and 90+ in June.  I'm sure you know that, but I was caught off guard...

[JustinNck1]

6 minutes ago, jacobhawkins said:

Wore my aerostitch to Maine on a 10 day trip last summer.  Got rained on, rode in 85° days, worked great.  Handy pockets.  Probably terrible for going to Florida because it would be insanely hot.  I have a roadcrafter jacket and ad1 pants, just for reference.  They probably make some warmer weather gear though.  Katie and I went on our post wedding vacation down there and it was crazy humid and 90+ in June.  I'm sure you know that, but I was caught off guard...

My Aerostich has no lining, so it's not bad. I've been in bumper to bumper traffic in the 90s. It's hot, but not unbearable.

[Connie14]

 As mentioned above by some very good touring riders, waterproof and breathable are the key factors.  For summer riding to the Gap and Florida,  I recommend a waterproof/breathable liner with a  good mesh suit.  In June, it will be hot and humid in Florida.  A well venting textile suit will also be bearable when moving. 

[Killer_kaw]

Sounds like you fellas gear up the same as I have in the past. The jacket that’s giving out on me is very similar to what @2talltim is talking about. Waterproof proof vented shell and zip out thermal. Guess it’ll be a good year to replace it. I wear TCX gore Tex boots and that’s what made me think of gore tex. Those things are awesome. 

[2talltim]

I'm on the fence about goretex. In boots its a no brainer. In a jacket or pants I'm sure it's a quality product that does what it should but even with my cheaper WP breathable products the WP liners isn't usually where I get wet. It always at a zipper or on a opening like a collar or sleeve. I just don't think the premium price is work what they are asking for fullblown goretex. A lot of times those products are 2 or 3 time the price of the alternate. I can get 3 to 4 years out of a middle of the road priced jacket or if you want to look at it as mileage maybe 30k to 50k miles. Will the higher end stuff last longer? Yea probably but you know how it is, you grow tired of something and just something new even if it's not worn out yet. Do you want to replace a $150-$200 jacket every 4 years because it well worn and you ready for new. Or spend $400 plus on the higher end stuff and after 4 years or so when your size has changed or you just want something different.  I know I've bought a lot of gear over the  last 5 years because of a few reasons, my size has changed drastically and my riding style has changed or my bike has changed. I can honestly say I've only replaced one jacket ever that was just worn out. 

I'm a bargain shopper and to give you some context. In my regular touring gear. (Jacket, pants,boots and gloves) I have a total of less than $500 invested. The tour master stuff is a lot of bang for the buck and I think you would be amaised at the pricing @RidersDiscount can give you on it.

Edited December 30, 2017 by 2talltim

[thompsonian]

I've got an Olympia suit I wore on my trip to the Gap this past summer. Its mostly mesh and textile. Not near the level of a Stitch, but for $300 it was well worth the price. I also wear A*Stars Andes pants and the mesh/textile jacket. I'm with @JustinNck1 on the base layers. If you're wearing something that'll help keep you cool underneath that helps tremendously. 

[ReconRat]

I rode Ohio to Florida twice, in Oct/Nov when I moved. Heavy textile both times. Actually think I would rather have had leather, if could fit layers under it. Or something that didn't have constant air leaks. Double thermal under jacket and jeans. Was cold in the WV & VA mountains at night. Try to hit that in daylight. At night it can be foggy and damp and cold any time of the year. 40F-60F and damp is rough at 80mph for hours on end. It's ok when you descend down out of the mountains, warms up pretty quick. When I hit SC & Georgia, I started stripping off thermals, way too hot. If your jackets have zipper openings for air flow, you'll be ok even in Florida, while moving, not when stopped. There will be rain, somewhere, there almost always is. Down here in Florida I use a Joe Rocket mesh (no liner) in the hot weather for freeways and rain. But the put put around town is often in a T-shirt and minimal hot weather gloves.

[Pauly]

Just now, Danimal said:

I wear pants

 

 

[Rodehard]

This is the setup that works well for me in temps from about 40F to the 90'sF, while minimizing the qty of gear to haul.  Very similar what a lot of you guys are using:

Mesh+Textile Jacket with armor (tourmaster Intake Air) with removable WP liner, Mesh+Textile pants with removable liner.  Both liners wad up to fit in a 1 gal ziplock.

Heated jacket and pants liners.

Cheap rain suit for over mesh gear - fits in a 1 gal ziplock..

3 pairs of gloves: vented track gloves, WP insulated touring gloves, heated gloves.

Gore-Tex boots.

Lots of ear plugs.

Naked bikes on long highway stints = Mesh gear over shorts/T-shirt for 85F+ temps, heated liner inside mesh jacket at anything below 70F, at 60F time to add the WP Liner.  Below 55F everything is on - the rain gear over the mesh+liner protects the heated liners from the wind, allowing the heated gear to run at a lower setting.

Faired bikes like my 1200rt, same as above but drop all the temps by 5-10 degrees before you have to start adding layers/heat.

 

[TimTheAzn]

On 12/29/2017 at 3:40 PM, Killer_kaw said:

^^ Pretty much what I’ve done in the past as well. Zippers have about had it on the textile jacket now soo.....  I’ve got a couple decent leather jackets but I’m not so sure about leather and a long trip. That stitch would be nice but $$$$. Just wondered what’s worked well for others. 

I wore a leather jacket and textile pants to the GAp. Beautiful weather so leather wasnt an issue.

On 12/29/2017 at 8:47 PM, jacobhawkins said:

Florida  Katie and I went on our post wedding vacation down there and it was crazy humid and 90+ in June.  I'm sure you know that, but I was caught off guard...

Really? Its FLORIDA in JUNE lol. Sounds miserable. I went in december and it was pretty great. 

[jacobhawkins]

1 hour ago, TimTheAzn said:

I wore a leather jacket and textile pants to the GAp. Beautiful weather so leather wasnt an issue.

Really? Its FLORIDA in JUNE lol. Sounds miserable. I went in december and it was pretty great. 

I know, I'm a dumbass.  Just one more example!

[2talltim]

All these jackets and pants with the removable liners and layer in a perfect word sound great. But my issue with them is I don't like to stop and you know how it usually works out. Your rolling along it looks like rain so your like do i stop? Can I make it to the next gas station before it rains? Maybe I should have put the liner in the last stop...No, it was too hot and I'd be sweating balls right now. So you think you can make it a while longer so you don't stop. Then it starts to rain but you think, "i'm only 2 miles from where I was going to stop". So you roll, then i begins to pour. Now you soaked already so your like "fuck it. i'm already wet" Then you have the thoughts of "If i'm not going to use it, why the fuck did i buy this jacket with the liners?"Or the story goes the other way, you did stop on the side of the road to put in the liner but it didn't rain. But now your wet anyway from sweating balls because most zip out liners are not breathable. 

That's why I say even though it might be a tad warmer on hot days the built in non removable breathable liners are the way to go. Gortex is usually the best but the off brand stuff works pretty damn good too. When I'm rolling and it starts to rain usually only have to reach over and zip closed a couple of shoulder and or chest vents. If it's really hot and i'm rocking my mesh I don't even care if it rains. I always have a fast drying shirt on underneath and it's very refreshing on a hot summer day, it will dry in no time. 

[TimTheAzn]

16 minutes ago, 2talltim said:

All these jackets and pants with the removable liners and layer in a perfect word sound great. But my issue with them is I don't like to stop and you know how it usually works out. Your rolling along it looks like rain so your like do i stop? Can I make it to the next gas station before it rains? Maybe I should have put the liner in the last stop...No, it was too hot and I'd be sweating balls right now. So you think you can make it a while longer so you don't stop. Then it starts to rain but you think, "i'm only 2 miles from where I was going to stop". So you roll, then i begins to pour. Now you soaked already so your like "fuck it. i'm already wet" Then you have the thoughts of "If i'm not going to use it, why the fuck did i buy this jacket with the liners?"Or the story goes the other way, you did stop on the side of the road to put in the liner but it didn't rain. But now your wet anyway from sweating balls because most zip out liners are not breathable.

So true.

[Pauly]

Waterproof textile suit. Done. 

[2talltim]

35 minutes ago, Pauly said:

Waterproof textile suit. Done. 

Agreed, stupid simple is always the best bet.