Oh dear I've joined the Hi Vis brigade....

Urban Rider

Urban Rider

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So I've been umming and aahing for the past few weeks about what gear to get. I had a look at the MACNA stuff and really like the look of it but 2 things put me off. No Gore-Tex and no availability for at least 2 weeks. So that's that out the window. The BMW RP2/3 way too expensive and don't like the internal gore-tex liner. Cayanne Pro I liked but again had issues getting my size so I popped into my local Hein Gericke today to see what's new in their range. I liked the new TRG desert suit and at £350 for jacket and trousers a good price but still not Gore-Tex. I ended up buying the Nexus 2 GTX jacket and Atlas GTX pants both fully Gore-Tex'd and very comfy to wear. All for the price of £434.00. Granted, they won't have the airflow of the RP2 suit but still have ok ventilation on the legs, arms and back of the jacket as well as having the new Gore lock out zips.

Only downside is the dayglow hi vis yellow bits.......:D

Still I guess I'll be MUCH SAFER now all the road twats will be able to see me...:D
 

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Nice one, I like the gore tex - as someone on here said, if it aint goretex it aint waterproof.
 
Very nice.. I like it.. did it come with a high viz door cover!!!:thumb
 
I think black jackets with a bit of day-glo piping actually look quite cool :thumb2

Looks good, and I think the added visability conteracts any reservations you've got.

Goretex.....worth every penny :thumb2
 
HiVis becomes LoVis

I have the HG Cruise Dalight jacket in Fluro yellow http://www.hein-gericke.co.uk/shop/product_info.php/cPath/1_15_7/products_id/5057 except it aint this colour no more! The dirt has worked its way into the fabric and it's a grubby shadow of its former self. So much so that I have being trying to get one of these http://www.brandedbiker.co.uk/product-details.aspx?prd=1844 in a huge size to go over the HG jacket. I saw one at Vines last week and it is eyewateringly bright. It will take a liner and some sort of armour. Unfortunately, it is no longer in production. Halvarssons tell me that a successor is planned.

Fluro orange is definately the colour to choose if you want max. visibilty. Watch out for motorway workers next time you are out and see which you notice first - those in yellow or in orange. It's not a coincidence that orange is the only colour, AIUI, allowed for Railtrack staff.

Nothwithstanding the above, the Cruise jacket is excellent. Although you need to be careful about pocket choice - not all are waterproof.

I have these trousers for the winter http://www.hein-gericke.co.uk/shop/product_info.php/products_id/7781

And these for the summer:
http://www.hein-gericke.co.uk/shop/product_info.php/products_id/6810

All of which are great.

Richard
 
JoeC said:
Richard
How do you get on with the PSX trousers? Why only use them in the summer?

Cheers
Joe
Click to expand...

Hi Joe

Sorry for this long explanation but I hope it is useful.

I bought the Voyage (*) trousers at the same time as the Cruise jacket to replace a leather trouser and jacket combination. At the time the PSX trousers looked expensive and too thin - i.e. unlined - for my requirements. I did the Welsh and National Road Rallies and was really glad of the warmth of the Voyage trousers. I then wore the gear in France in May and had to take the lining out of both trousers and jacket because of the heat. Jacket without lining was fine - still a close fit. Trousers without lining felt too loose and caused me to wonder if the armour would stay where needed in the event of a spill.


After France I wandered into HG to kill some time and looked at the PSX trousers with a fresh eye. I was mindful of an impending trip to Andorra in the following May and the anticpated high temperatures. Anyway, I bought the PSX trousers and wore them in Andorra/Spain/France - with silk long johns because I don't like the synthetic linings in bike trousers - through searing (mid to high 30s) heat and torrential rain. They performed brilliantly. There are a couple of niggles: they have no pockets and they need to be attached to the jacket to stay up - braces would be useful. I think that they would be too cold on the overnight part of the National Road Rally.

All in all I think that they are excellent. I took a long time to choose the right size - HG do them in different leg lengths as well as waist sizes - as they are more bulky than leather of the same thickness. However, I had worn fully synthetic trousers for a long time when I was choosing them and had probably forgotten how leather feels in terms of behind-the-knee bulk.

One other thing: by the time I had bought the PSX trousers HG had changed the zips so they didn't zip to my Cruise jacket. This isn't a problem because, to get sufficent back length, I have sewn two zips together to increase their width ITYSWIM.

Any more questions: please ask!

HTH

Richard


* My voyage trousers look slightly different from the pic on the HG site in that they have a higher and wider kidney/braces extension.

R
 
Last edited:
Hi all, I looked at the Nexus 2 GTX jacket last week as my dainese dryline is well past its best:( lovely jacket the nexus, but I found when it was zipped up, [with the fancy zip] I could open it half way up with my fingernail :eek:
just thought I ought to share :cool:
 
No problem with the zip popping open, BUT, the zip puller broke on me this morning at 04:50 just as I was about to leave for work:mad:.

The Gore-Tex worked a treat on the wet ride in today though.....

HG will be getting a visit tomorrow to replace the broken zip puller....
 
HG will be getting a visit tomorrow to replace the broken zip puller....
Click to expand...

HG stuff always look good value and I have been tempted few times but everything I have bought has either failed quickly or a design problem has come to light. One pair of trousers had knee armour pockets that stretched so much the armour was around my ankles and the zip broke on the matching jacket, as did the zip on a HG fleece bought at the same time.

A super Goretex jacket has waist sizing buckles that I have had to sew into place as they refuse to stay locked anywhere and the neck closure is a patch of velcro the size of a stamp which totally refuses to stay closed but sticks to my helmet lining. Another pair of trousers have had belt loops fitted as the velcro side adjusters are useless.

Eventually realised that BMW kit is not so pricey but i agree that the Goretex liners are a poor idea.
 
andyclift said:
HG stuff always look good value and I have been tempted few times but everything I have bought has either failed quickly or a design problem has come to light. One pair of trousers had knee armour pockets that stretched so much the armour was around my ankles and the zip broke on the matching jacket, as did the zip on a HG fleece bought at the same time.

A super Goretex jacket has waist sizing buckles that I have had to sew into place as they refuse to stay locked anywhere and the neck closure is a patch of velcro the size of a stamp which totally refuses to stay closed but sticks to my helmet lining. Another pair of trousers have had belt loops fitted as the velcro side adjusters are useless.

Eventually realised that BMW kit is not so pricey but i agree that the Goretex liners are a poor idea.
Click to expand...

I actually like the Jacket and previous HG kit I've bought has always performed well. The issue I have highlighted above was one I found with the 2 BMW RP2 suits I've owned. The HG jacket I've got has a popper on the neck closure. A much better idea...:D
 
adventuredon said:
Sorry to let you all know:

worth a read...
http://www.trailspace.com/forums/gear-selection/topics/62420.html
Click to expand...

Have had similar experiences to those described in the Trailspace thread. I had an early Berghaus GTX jacket which was wonderfully warm but leaked from day 1. Field and Trek replaced it and its successor when that too leaked. In addition all of the GTX jackets filled with condensation at the slightest exertion on my part. Bought a Lowe Alpine Triple Point Ceramic jacket in the vain hope that it would breathe. It didn't.

Somewhere I have a really old pair of Winter Gear Gore-Tex overmitts that have never leaked nor suffered from condensation. The fabric doesn't seem to have an obvious Gore-tex membrane - it seem to be integral with the mitt - unlike the GTX jackets.

On the other hand, my HG stuff with Gore-Tex linings have never suffered from condensation, nor have they leaked.

I have a pair of Karrimor KSB3 lightweight boots that are lined with eVent which replaced a previous pair of Gore-Tex lined boots (which leaked). The KSB3s had a hell of a time in Borneo last year and (a) never leaked and (b) kept my feet dry, i.e. they let the sweat out despite the high surrounding humidity. I was told that eVent has a higher vapour transfer rate than Gore-Tex and, on the evidence of Borneo, I agree. I also have eVent gaiters which are also condensation-free. So, my vote would go for eVent as a waterproof and breathable lining for bike gear. It also seems to be very durable.

Richard
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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