clothes for the mrs in italy in July

Stevea63

Member
UKGSer Subscriber
Joined
Oct 3, 2009
Messages
59
Reaction score
6
Location
Builth Wells
Hi
Finally got my gsa and taking the mrs for 10 days in tuscany and the lakes in July . Question is what gear to buy for her ... all trips to date have been on big harlies in hawaii wearing shorts .... dont want to spend a bomb ... textile the way to go or jacket and jeans ?

Open face or full ?

All input appreciated

Steve
 
Mrs Clothing issue

Steve, Im doing the same with my Mrs but are going to France for ten days in August. Me and a mate rode to Crete last year and we both bought Knox body armour tops. You have all the body armour and its fixed via a netting type material. £120.00 from Heine gerrick. The best bit of kit ive bought as all i did was wear this next to my skin and wore a t shirt over it with leather pants. I would do the same this time with my wife but her boobs are too big to fit under the body armour. Ill probably go for a really light material jacket for her but leather pants. Sweaty i know but much safer. Good luck. Eggsy
 
Difficult question to answer without having seen some pictures of her first...nothing drastic, cheeky look over the shoulder, bikini, evening wear and topless should do it :augie
 
If it's hot I'd definately steer clear of leather.

Something textile and vented would be best I guess. Make it light weight if possible.

Cheers, Colin.
 
I'd guess it could get really wet & cold in the lakes and baking hot in Tuscany, or easily vice-versa so anything that you add the layers. TT etc sing the praises of the BM kit. On mine (BM Santiago) you can just have the basic crash worthy outer (that has vents and the fabric isn't wind or water proof), add a windproof layer if a bit chilly, add a fleece to that if it gets a bit colder and finally add the goertex liners if it's wet / really cold.
 
John Armstrong said:
I'd guess it could get really wet & cold in the lakes and baking hot in Tuscany, or easily vice-versa so anything that you add the layers. TT etc sing the praises of the BM kit. On mine (BM Santiago) you can just have the basic crash worthy outer (that has vents and the fabric isn't wind or water proof), add a windproof layer if a bit chilly, add a fleece to that if it gets a bit colder and finally add the goertex liners if it's wet / really cold.
Click to expand...

I can recommend the BM kit as I have both Airflow and Comfortshell sets alongside all the other bits and pieces in the wardrobe - and I always wear base layer whatever the time of year or the top suit chosen.
Went to N France last July time wearing the Airflow and took Astars two piece wet suit just in case - not required.
If I was going where you are intending then I would have no probs accepting the comfortshell or the Santiago to cover most situations when teamed up with suitable layers.
:thumb
 
+1 for the HG Airstream suit, it feels like having the air con on:cool:
I also added the HG Hiprotec back protector & soft hip armour.
I carry a Halvarsson Halogen over jacket, for when it gets wet or cold!
 
How attatched to her are you,if she's a keeper treat her to some nice stuff,bought my mrs an alpine star jacket a couple of years back and the sight of her in it slightly unzipped still gives me a chubby,if however she's more mummy than yummy just buy cheap shitte so she gets hot and sweaty in the sun and cold and wet in the rain that way she will stay home next trip,leaving you free to shop for a newer model:thumb2
 
It's going to be pretty hot. Especially in Tuscany I'd suggest, like others did, textile.
If you don't want to spend too much going with the Airflow option, you can get a Spidi Netline Lady jacket.
http://www.daytonamc.co.uk/index.html?lang=en-uk&target=p2231.html?lmd=39867.792361

Netstep it's a bit "better" to be honest, and has a better liner to fit inside when temperatures are lower but I'm not really sure if they have a lady model.

I bough one for me and one for my ex gf ages ago when we went to Portugal (travelling with temperatures above 40C).
It's really good for the price.

I wasn't really sure about how much the jacket would have been able to protect me until I had a small accident 4 years ago (gravel on a corner) and it did its job perfectly. Recommended.

Trousers, when it's hot I normally use BMW City (the old ones).

Helmet: full face. Always, wherever you go.
 
As a lady biker I would say that she will need to feel comfortable. Why not go for a Danese textile jacket with a zip out inner which is waterproof and can be warm/cool as required. For bottoms I would go for a pair of draggin jeans if she's quite slim and if not then go for some textile trousers. If you go for the Jeans buy the zipper for the belt to zip top and bottom together otherwise you get a draft up your back. Make sure she has a backplate so she can lean on the back box a bit. Oh yes and a full face flip front helmet with a drop down sun visor (sunnies make your face ache after a while and open face will dry her skin out too much if you go over 20 mph)

Tell her to get some wicking t-shirts and if she has big boobs then to go for a sports bra (wicking and will hold her securely or at speed she'll find her chest a bit achey - which means you will get nowhere near it!)

Boots - you can get some nice little ankle boots which aren't too hot (and wear thinnish socks with them.

Also get buffies as it will stop her hair getting too "helmet" and she can wear her earrings with her helmet if she covers them with the buffy they don't get pulled out when you take the lid off.

Suggest that she gets cotton knickers as well - it can get a bit sweaty in bike gear and cotton works best.

Go as far as possible for lighter colours which don't just soak up the heat (black jeans look cool but you fry).

Would avoid leather at all costs in the heat otherwise it's like peeling a grape when you come to take it off. If you go for leather do the old wetsuit trick and lots of talcum powder on the skin before you put them on. Then you have half a chance of getting them off without taking skin off as well. Remember she won't have hairy legs like you so the leather will stick to her skin

Just my view of course. Make it as comfortable and stylish as possible for her and she'll be happy to do it again so the kit will last for years
 
many thanks

thanks all , the responses made me laugh and educated at the same time . :)

so have aquired suitable kit , got the first few days accomodation booked ... cant wait to see how we get on ....

will let you know whether she is a keeper or not :)

Steve
 
Skye and I were in Italy today at Stelvio. It was a gorgeous sunny day and very very hot. We were both wearing mesh riding gear (Skye - Buffalo Jacket with technical wicking t-shirt, HG Trousers and gloves and myself Buffalo trousers, Alpinestars Jacket, lightweight merino wool t-shirt and J&S Gloves) and the gear worked really well. In fact we have been using the mesh kit since we left Scotland a few weeks ago. Just add a layer here and there. I have Dragging jeans and BMW summer trousers and both would be way too hot for me in this weather, but then I am used to the cold :D Some of the mesh gear had waterpoof liners but we have opted for lightweight waterproofs to put over the mesh stuff if it rains (so far they have been unused but I think we may be using them on Sunday :( ) . J&S Accessories is a good source for cheap mesh gear and I got the Buffalo Jacket and Trousers for around £40 each a few months ago.

Hope you have a great trip :thumb
 
Another advantage to mesh gear is that they dry quite quickly :augie

Got caught out in a torrential thunderstorm on way from Italy to Switzerland yesterday. Totally soaked with hailstones in less than a minute. Then had to navigate up a steep narrow mountain pass to our hotel. Scary stuff when the road turns to a river of debris and mud in minutes with lightening and thunder all around. Poor Skye was terrified and I wasn't much better. Anyway mesh gear was all dry for a fantastic day today on the passes all around Andermat, then onto Interlaken just in time to miss today's thunderstorm :eek:
 
just got back from greece .... shorts and flip flops it is then :) and something longer for the trips inbetween and upto the North ....

Hopefully the first of many :)
 
leather ?

I am the wife and we are ging to france in july, hoping it will be hot.We have bought textile my friend and I thinking it will be ok.... untill last night, I was talking to a paramedic and asked her which would be better. Guess what her reply was....... LEATHER , all the time , she said that bikers had a much better chance if in an accident with leather. Now decisions, decisions what to do ?
 
paul9 said:
Now decisions, decisions what to do ?
Click to expand...

Risk analysis :thumb2

How often have you crashed with your wife on the back? If the answer is too often then maybe going by car is the answer, if not very often, and mainly at low speed, the textile should be up to the job.

Leather won't be any "better" if you get taken out by a lorry in a head on crash ;) might keep the bits in a tidier collection for the paramedics / funeral people though.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
You must log in or register to reply here.


Back
Top Bottom