What is CORDURA?

[roger06]

Hi guys

Sorry for sounding think but can you tell me what 'CORDURA' is please. Is it a brand or a type of fabric (like Gore-Tex) used in all sorts of things?

And would a pair of CORDURA trousers be a good compromise between leathers and waterproofs.

I, thank you.

 

[LivNorway]

Hi!

They put Cordura In/on clothes to protect your skin if you fall of the bike.
Cordura are not waterproof - you can find Cordura in clothes for hot, wet, cold and warm weather. And in gloves!

Cordura = our friend!

Liv.

 

[PhilM]

I always thought it was a town in Spain

 

[Fanum]

Cordura is just a brand name, but the material is used in many items.

Cordura® is a high-performance, super-durable fabric that is perfect for your outerwear, activewear, luggage and equipment. To help ensure that your advertising, promotional and publicity materials perform as impressively, please use one or more of the following copy points in its entirety anytime you mention Cordura®.
Suggested Copy Points

* Cordura® for maximum durability
* Cordura®, a high-performance fabric resistant to abrasions, tears, and scuffs
* Cordura® stands for durability
* Cordura® is:
o 2 x more durable than standard nylon
o 3 x more durable than polyester
o 10 x more durable than cotton duck

Cordura® Ballistic

Cordura® comes in a variety of other fabric types, such as ballistic, rip-stop and pack-cloth. If you are referring to Cordura® “ballistic” as used in luggage and equipment, you may use one of the following descriptors in the place
of Cordura® in the above copy points.

* Cordura® ballistic
* Cordura® ballistic fabric
* Cordura® ballistic nylon

Legal Copy
Trademark usage requirements dictate that you must include the following legal line:
Cordura® is a registered trademark for durable fabrics.
(Legal copy can appear in small type.)

http://www.cordura.com/FAQ.html

 

[Bigtwin]

And remember - it doesn't breathe. So unless you have a liner that does, you get clammy very fast. And like Liv says, it's not waterproof.

So it's basically nylon leather.

 

[Professional Boxer]

Erm ........ It's strong nylon but nylon none the less

 

[CBFer]

And remember - it doesn't breathe. So unless you have a liner that does, you get clammy very fast. And like Liv says, it's not waterproof.

So it's basically nylon leather.

If it didn't breathe, a breathable liner wouldn't be much use.

 

[Schtum]

Is it a brand or a type of fabric (like Gore-Tex) used in all sorts of things?

There's a pretty fundamental misconception here. Gore-Tex is not a fabric. It's a semi-permeable PTFE membrane which is used either as a drop-liner in three ply fabrics or is laminated to a face fabric in two ply garments. It provides a waterproof and breathable barrier under a shell, either of fabric such as Cordura, Taslan or several other nylons, or also under leather, eg in boots and gloves.

HTH

 

[Gaz]

There's a pretty fundamental misconception here. Gore-Tex is not a fabric. It's a semi-permeable PTFE membrane which is used either as a drop-liner in three ply fabrics or is laminated to a face fabric in two ply garments. It provides a waterproof and breathable barrier under a shell, either of fabric such as Cordura, Taslan or several other nylons, or also under leather, eg in boots and gloves.

HTH

I swear it's a fetish

 

[Wapping]

http://www.cordura.com/FAQ.html


http://www.invista.com/page_whois_index_en.shtml

 

[roger06]

Thanks guys - most useful.

Doesn't sound like Cordura trousers are for me then. Think I may save up for some GoreTex Hein Gericke ones...

 

[Wapping]

Thanks guys - most useful.

Doesn't sound like Cordura trousers are for me then. Think I may save up for some GoreTex Hein Gericke ones...

Once more....

It's the Gortex that is waterproof (but not very strong) and the Cordura (or something similar) that is the strong bit that stops you ripping layers of skin of your a*rse as you slide down the road.

http://www.hein-gericke.com/uk/product_info.php/products_id/2093

 

[LivNorway]

Thanks guys - most useful.

Doesn't sound like Cordura trousers are for me then. Think I may save up for some GoreTex Hein Gericke ones...

If you are sure you'll never gonna hit the tarmac or the gravel when you ride your bike, then you can ride in your underwear.
But most of us are not that sure so we love to wear Cordura trousers, or trousers with a simular protecthing layer.

Now you got it?
If not, then I have to post a picture of blood and human meat - please tell me you got it now! Please!

When I felt off my moped for the first time I got a lot of gravel in my rear end - I picked small pieces out of it, and that was not an easy thing to do! I was wearing jeans, just normal jeans.
When I felt off the schoolbike, twice, there was no blood. It hurted, but it could have been blood and a mess.
The Cordura do not guarantee your skin are 100% OK, but it sure do help!!!!

That, my friend, is why we are wearing special clothes when we ride. ...and it looks cool too!
My old Yoko suit was good, and that was a Cordura & GoreTex-suit - waterproof.

Cheers!
Buy good gear and have fun!

Liv.

 

[nick.ct]

If you are seriously worried about abrasion injuries, a quick look at the Kevlar lined clothing that is available might be a good idea. I have some 'Draggin Jeans' as well as other items of clothing, sweat shirt etc. Their promotional video is worth watching and serves as a good testament to their resistance to abrasion. The problem in my opinion with 'cordura', like so many nylon type materials is that the heat generated by a good long slide down the tarmac, melts the material and the resultant burns are not pleasant at all. I think the best solution in these circumstances is a combination of layers chosen to suit the climate.
Gortex for its waterproofness and breathability
Kevlar for its abrasion resistance
cordura for its ability to go in a washing machine
Leather as a good compromise for everything
Natural cotton or silk for comfort
Armoured inserts for the above in the event of hiting the ground hard

IMHO, for what its worth

Nick

 

[Schtum]

Natural cotton or silk for comfort

Silk's fine by virtue of its ability to absorb a large amount of moisture for its weight and the fact that it continues to offer a fair measure of insulation when it's wet.

Cotton's not much good for wearing during any kind of activity in anything other than a hot climate. It retains moisture, dries very slowly and is cold when it's wet. Modern synthetics are much better than cotton.

 

[AndyT]

If it didn't breathe, a breathable liner wouldn't be much use.

Hey I was going to ask that!!!!

If it doesn't breat surely it must be water proof too....

I need another glass of wine

I bought some Cordura trousers today fom HG but thats for another thread.....

 

[GlynnJ]

If you are seriously worried about abrasion injuries, a quick look at the Kevlar lined clothing that is available might be a good idea.

Kevlar for its abrasion resistance
Nick

Another common misconception regarding Kevlar. The specific abrasion resistance of Kevlar is significantly lower than nylon (Cordura). The main advantages of Kevlar for clothing applications are that it doesn't melt (at all) (nylon does) and it has very high tensile & tear strength.

So, you can wear away Kevlar more easily than nylon, but the nylon may well melt through before the Kevlar wears away.

Do not be fooled by the K word in clothing. Many manufacturers simply use Kevlar thread in order to use the Kevlar badge. And exposure to sunlight causes a loss of strength , so using Kevlar for exposed seams is silly.

GJ

 

[Wapping]

It’s all a compromise.

Start with the basics. Recognise that, as you are sitting outside and shoving yourself through the air, sometimes you are going to be hot / cold / wet / dry occaisionaly in the space of a few hours.

Try not to fall off. It usually hurts, irrespective of what you are wearing.

Accept that you might fall off, then work out whether you care what damage you may or may not do to yourself. Of course, if you hit the side of an articulated truck whilst ‘making progress’ it may not make much difference whether you are in a kilt or a suite of armour.

Leather. Strong. Good abrasive properties. Lots of styles and colours. Natural. Breathes well but only up to a point. Gets hot when it’s sunny, hence ventilation holes punched all over the place on some kit. Not renowned for its insulation properties (especialy when there are holes punched all over it), so fresh in winter. Not very waterproof. If worried about wet, buy oversuite and maybe worry about sweating. If worried about cold, wear a vest.

Non-leather. Man-made fabrics. Man, because he has evolved above the ape creatures of the isthmus, can engineer out some of the faults in God’s handiwork but cannot fix others without some compromises. Works reasonably well, hot or cold. Can be made totally 100% waterproof in up to monsoon like conditions but this may create breathing problems (no point stopping water getting in if it can’t get out). Having some method of getting the garment on and off, whilst catering for dangly appendages called arms and legs, and having a zip for the fifth appendage, creates its own little challenges. In order to overcome the challenges the clever folk mix and match fabrics, some to keep you warm / cool, some to keep you dry and some to help prevent you ripping too much skin off. Some that can be sown or welded together and some that can be reasonably easily shaped to even fit the fuller figure of the average GSer. Yes, most will melt if you get them hot enough and may even burn you if you generate enough friction but so will the seatbelt in your car. However, it may be worthwhile trading-off a burn to quite a small area, to stay reasonably warm / cool and dry most of the time, compared with boiled, freezing or wet or with road scars that start prevent you from flopping down on your a*rse for several months?

None of the above will stop you breaking your leg however, or turn you into V Rossi or M Coma.

It’s your body, wear whatever you like.

 

[GlynnJ]

Wapping: I was referring to melting by friction, not external heat.

GJ

 

[Rev Chuck]

Roller coaster riding. Safe, easily available, and you don't need protective clothing. Every now and again you will get a heart in your mouth, or brown bottom breaches, moment - but hey, you won't have a collision, your unlikely ever to have any SMIDSY. Kevlar, cordura, gore-tex irrelelvant.
Ok 1100 for sale, taking up roller coasting.

















But seeing as how you can't afford my 1100, I just keep it.