What's the next best alternative to Rukka clothing (trousers, especially)?

I have to agree with Shoestring's useful post above.

Another thought is ...if you can get to "Motorcycle live"... There are Rukka trousers ( they have some new cheaper models) for as little as £240. also lots of chance to try things on and have a good explore ! Most stands had a curtain /changing room. Have a peek at the KTM pants too. Make sure you get pants with hip amor btw. Its really good to be able to try stuff on and sit/wiggle about on a nearby bike.

My choice ( though I can't stand the look of them !) would be KLIM for perfprmance/price.
 
stuartw said:
If you can get to "Motorcycle live"... There are Rukka trousers for as little as £240. also lot sou chance to try things on and have a good explore ! Most stands had a curtain /changing room. Have a peek at the KTM pants too. Make sure you get pants with hip amor btw.
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Pants!!!!!

WTF with all this American dumbed down bollox :blast

They are fecking TROUSERS!!!

As you were :)

Andres
 
If you do want decent kit try and get something with pro gortex as it's a laminate rather than a z liner so dries out far quicker. Have a look at fc moto and bikerland in Germany. I saved £450 getting my jacket and trousers from BL.
 
OMG - what an absolute ton of responses! In the words of the song' "I wasn't expecting that"! :D

First off, thank you all sooooo much for your input on this, everyone - I will have a second read tomorrow (when I have more time) and then go and do some heavyweight Googling.

To Wapping though, who has really gone the extra mile with his posts, I will try and answer the questions in your first post, in order to keep the discussion on track.

Again, everyone's responses, long and short are much appreciated :thumb2. This is really going to help point me in the right direction when I come to make my next gear purchase :).
 
Very generous post, thanks Wapping! Will reply in red ...

Wapping said:
Any and all of the mainstream motorcycle clothing manufacturers make waterproof (Goretex or similar) breathable summer touring clothing. Several of them also offer non-waterproof, ventilated or mesh suits. These can be made waterproof by putting in a liner or by putting a light waterproof jacket or trousers over the top. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, according to taste and very often depth of wallet, so you'll probably end up with a list which - by the time this thread reaches two pages - of every manufacturer, with each bod telling you that they are very happy with theirs. Not least, you'll get some replies that will recommend suit XYZ as it's got multiple pockets, is sandy brown in colour and has got 'Adventure' somewhere in its name, coupled to an advertising picture of some bod or other looking moody in a desert canyon; fitting the image of an 'Adventure biker'. Thst they'll not get beyond Lille or Aberdeen is beyond question.

Now, you tell us some more:

1. Can we just check that you are looking to spend no more than £350 on a complete suit OR say no more than £150 on a pair of trousers? In brief what's your maximum price and for what?

For next spring, I am looking at replacing the trousers that I have, as mine are all 'pants' :D . I would pay £200-£300, if I could be certain that the improvement over what I have now would be great enough (i.e. the trousers would be very comfortable and quite protective in the event of an off). I have no immediate plans to buy another jacket, as I have less problems with my current (Cordura 500) 'generic touring' model from 'Polo' in Germany, than I do with the bottom half of my kit.

2. Do you want brand new or are you happy with secondhand?

Secondhand would only be an option if I found a high-end model (e.g. Rukka Armaxion) that I really liked and had tried on 'new' in a shop so that I knew how they should fit and what size I needed. Buying new would be a lot simpler though, I guess. :nenau

3. Other than Rukka have you looked at and rejected other makes? If so, what and why? That'll save fellows swearing Klim is best, when you've already established in your own mind that it looks like a sack of spuds, tied in the middle with string but that Dainese suit looks like the dog's bollocks.

Honestly, I haven't really tried on that many pairs of trousers yet. It's quite a faff to go through the entire range of stock in a shop, so I am starting here and trying to narrow things down before I head off to look at stuff. Maybe, when I've answered some of the other questions here, it will be clearer just which brands/models might be worth suggesting ;) .

4. This hot weather touring you do and suffer in, where to, how often / length of time away and... Most importantly... What average daytime temperatures are you encountering on a REGUAR basis. In short, are you boiling on the Moroccan pistes at over 35 degrees for three weeks or are you getting all hot and bothered on your week away in the Alps (or Wales) when the mercury sometimes sits at just on 26 degrees for two out of the five days?

Yeah, I may have over-stated my 'touring prowess' (having forgotten what this forum is all about and just who my audience are :bow). This year, I have just been doing a series of 3-5 day tours around the south coast of England in temperatures of 20-30 degrees. When stuck in traffic, I have tended to sweat a lot and the trousers, in particular, soon become wet inside, even with the vents open and the liners out.

5. How much water are you REGULARLY drinking on these really hot days?

Probably not enough. To be clear though, the issue isn't that I feel hot and uncomfortable because of that heat - it's just that the sweat from my legs makes the insides of the trousers damp and then my skin gets very red and sore where the (nylon) lining of the trousers rubs. In particular, the knee areas are very painful because the pads just slip into pockets on the inside and have rough edges, which abrade my shins. Also, when my legs are bent on the bike, the knee pads are pushed hard onto the knee cap and make them hurt a bit. As you probably know, being uncomfortable on a bike is OK for a matter of minutes, but when it's for up to 8 hours a day for 4 or 5 days at a time, it becomes a potentially dangerous mental distraction - that's my big concern :(.

6. Are you happy with non-waterproof highly ventilated trousers and / or jacket, as you already have a waterproof over-suit or must the clothing have their own separate liner, too?

Actually, I do have an Army surplus Gore Tex jacket and some nylon over-trousers with me most of the time and I am only riding in warm climates, generally. So, I want some trousers that are 'soft' on the inside (i.e. nicely lined and with better integrated pads) and breathable. I would certainly consider non-water resistant ones, if nothing better was available. In my experience, when riding thorough a typical summer thunderstorm, even 'water-proof' nylon outers will only keep the water out for a matter of minutes. After that, you really need to be wearing material that will dry well, rather than having a thick layer of damp clothing on underneath.

7. What kind bod are you? Super fit slimmed down racing snake or 20 stone pie eater, who breaks into a lather when you are not in the air conditioned luxury of Tesco Express, tucking into a cheesy Ginsters, slurped down with a cherry Dt Peppers jumbo bottle?

Neither of those extremes :D!

I'm 6' 4", late '40s, 13+ stone (lanky, with a beer gut - no muscle) and not a great fan of being hot :mad: . Yes, I admit, I do tend to linger long around the freezer compartments in Sainsbury's when I go to do my summer shopping. Size-wise, I would be a 35-36" waist (52 in modern money), with a 33-34" inside leg. I like to wear my trousers OVER my boots, as well, so short legs are no good to me.

In the meantime:

https://www.fix.com/blog/motorcycle-riding-in-hot-weather/

http://www.ironbutt.com/ibmagazine/ironbutt_1002_62-66_Hot.pdf

http://www.thelostadventure.com/beat-the-heat-while-motorcycle-touring-this-summer

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/under...es/10-warm-weather-motorcycle-accessories.htm

http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/parts-gear/hot-weather-motorcycle-apparel-and-gear

https://forum.motorcyclenews.com/topic/65209/bike-wear-for-hot-weather

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/style/advice/g4778/summer-riding-gear-upgrade-1/
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Thanks, I'll take a look at those as and when time permits :thumb2.
 
Roadcraft-Rider said:
Lot of good advice from wapping above but to add to it, you do tend to get what you pay for with kit like this, no cheap equivalents. You also need to consider the two types of Goretex or similar the cheaper but very good Goretex liner type, this is a layer of Goretex under your jacket, a warmer jacket as you get two layers but in the wet your outer gets piss wet thought and you can get colder due to this, or consider the more expensive bonded type Goretex which is a layered outer shell cooler than the liner version and needs extra layers in the winter. But you still need vents no matter how good the gear is.

With regards your nappy rash you don't say if you use a bace layer or not? I use them all year round, keep you warm in winter and cooler and non stick to you kit in summer nothing worse than trying to peal of leathers when you've been sweating your nuts off all day in them, moisture wicking bace layers stop this.
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I've been using Lycra cycling shorts (padded and unpadded), cotton long johns or just regular boxer shorts, but they all end up trapping moisture and making the skin on my bum sore on long rides (the damp material clings to the skin, tugs at it and stretches it, resulting in redness and discomfort that lasts overnight). 'Nappy rash' was a bit of an exaggeration ;).

I will have a look at the various base layers that are available - perhaps that would be the best place to start.

Cheers!
 
Snapper32 said:
I've been using Lycra cycling shorts (padded and unpadded), cotton long johns or just regular boxer shorts, but they all end up trapping moisture and making the skin on my bum sore on long rides (the damp material clings to the skin, tugs at it and stretches it, resulting in redness and discomfort that lasts overnight). 'Nappy rash' was a bit of an exaggeration ;).

I will have a look at the various base layers that are available - perhaps that would be the best place to start.

Cheers!
Click to expand...

Mate try Marino wool base layer, and if that fails and you still have "your overnight issue" try drapolene cream best kept secret in the construction industry


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Snapper32

If you are a warm / warmer / hot weather only rider (nothing wrong with that at all) I'd have a look at the Rukka lightweight 'Air' suits range. There are three different jackets and two different pairs of trousers in the range; of these one has a removable Goretx liner for the jacket and trousers, whilst the other two are completely unlined.

Being Rukka, they are all very well made. On first inspection the clothes will appear normal but the material is a very closely woven mesh, so tight that it appears solid. In short, it lets the air in, very efficiently. These are very honest reviews and no different than you'd get from a decent knowledgable shop staff worker in the UK..... If you can find one:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H5K1MPEypG8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XOmFUaUyB38" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Beneath mine I wear some good quality Merino wool t-shirts (I like the ones with the zip neck, which are not so easy to find) or a Merino long sleeve 'shirt' (T-shirt and shirt made by Icebreaker) again with a zip neck. I also wear Merino underpants (Halvarsson) and sometimes some 3/4 length Merino longjohns (Icebreaker, again) and Merino socks, whose make I forget but they were made in New Zealand. Whilst it's a significant outlay for the Merino kit, mine has lasted for many thousands of miles and years of use. Look after it and it will look after you, I promise.

It might seem counter-intuitive to wear a 3/4 length pair of longjohns in the summer, using the lightest weight ones I could find helps to wick away any sweat. It's the same principal by which you wear a very lightweight base layer under leathers.

The Merino wool is excellent. It drys very quickly and, unlike some man-made 'tech' materials doesn't smell. Plus as it's natural, so you'll help to save the planet.

You'll not be unhappy with any of the above, trust me. You can find it all on-line, not least as it's sometimes tricky to find this Rukka gear for sale in some UK shops.

Other than that, drink LOTS of water. The water does not have to be ice cold, not least as water is water is water.
 
Bingo!

Wapping, you've hit the nail on the head, I reckon :D.

Those 'Airman' trousers in the second review appear to meet my exact requirements - they are protective, breathable, come in a good range of sizes and above all the pads are fitted from the outside, which (presumably) means that there are no Velcro tabs on the inside to rub the skin off of my shins.

At £355 (FC Moto), they are still more than I wanted to spend, but I don't need them for a few months yet, so I can certainly keep an eye out for deals on a pair.

I'm open to other suggestions, but these have gone straight to the top of my list, as they so closely match what I have been wanting in a pair of touring trousers.

Thanks so much for your recommendation - I see now that it was a good idea to come here and ask for advice, because I'm finding out stuff that I doubt I would have had the patience to find on my own :D. For instance, only water is water (unless it's smart water, in which case it's even better than water :blast).

Ace!
 
Wapping said:
and Merino socks, whose make I forget but they were made in New Zealand.
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Chocolate Fish who have ceased manufacturing lots of base-layer items, recently...?


It might seem counter-intuitive to wear a 3/4 length pair of longjohns in the summer, using the lightest weight ones I could find helps to wick away any sweat. It's the same principal by which you wear a very lightweight base layer under leathers.
Click to expand...

It makes sense to me but I don't think it's necessary to go for Merino in those circumstances. I have some very lightweight Patagonia Capilene long-sleeve, zip-neck base layers and long johns which I've worn under my well ventilated Belstaff / BMG Adventure Suit in temperatures up to 45 deg C and with high humidity levels in places like the plains of Kansas. I tend to reserve my Icebreaker kit for cooler temperatures.
 
Schtum said:
Chocolate Fish who have ceased manufacturing lots of base-layer items, recently...?




It makes sense to me but I don't think it's necessary to go for Merino in those circumstances. I have some very lightweight Patagonia Capilene long-sleeve, zip-neck base layers and long johns which I've worn under my well ventilated Belstaff / BMG Adventure Suit in temperatures up to 45 deg C and with high humidity levels in places like the plains of Kansas. I tend to reserve my Icebreaker kit for cooler temperatures.
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These are the almond rocks: http://sectionhiker.com/smartwool-merino-wool-liner-socks/ or something very similar, with a little stick man logo.

Good view on the alternatives to Merino on the base layer :thumb2
 
Snapper32, great thst you've sorted yourself out for your strides.

When ordering from FCMoto they don't always have all the sizes in all the colours in stock, though they do let you know and their back ordering system is pretty good. If you want something on Friday to go away, I'd not be ordering it on the Tuesday, if you get my drift.
 
Wapping said:
Snapper32, great thst you've sorted yourself out for your strides.

When ordering from FCMoto they don't always have all the sizes in all the colours in stock, though they do let you know and their back ordering system is pretty good. If you want something on Friday to go away, I'd not be ordering it on the Tuesday, if you get my drift.
Click to expand...

What's so ironic is that the trip that I most want to have my new trousers for (in April 2016) actually starts near Aachen, which is where the FC Moto store is :P. I'm riding over there though, so there's no way that I will have room in my luggage for two pairs of bike trousers - I'll have to buy a pair here and ride over with them on.

In the meantime, I will keep looking around at what's available and perhaps get over to a UK Rukka stockist and have a look at some of the other models. At least that way I will know what size I am and how well their designs fit me.

Mind you, I haven't ruled out the possibility that another company may have something very similar for a lot less money. Have to keep looking ...

Cheers again!
 
With my Air suit I found I had to go up a size from my regular Rukka size, due to the way it's cut.

Here's a link to the three Air bits of kit: http://www.rukka.com/motorsport/products#!motorcycling?tags=airpower of the three, the unlined Airider is the 'coolest'

When going to Germany, ride over in your other trousers. Buy your new ones and post the old ones home for a couple of quid. Job done.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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