andy123
Guest
My previous Rukka Cordura 500 based kit (Steele jkt & Unit trs) had given me excellent service without letting in any water and remaining in great condition while biking throughout the year. However, circumstances have allowed me to upgrade this kit to the Rukka Armadillo suit so I thought I'd post a few observations so far:
1. Noticeably lighter off the peg but has a stiffer texture due in large part to the Armacor patches and also the goretex laminated material which is 'crispier'. After a couple of hours it has 'broken in' a little and is as comfortable as the Cordura 500 kit.
2. Fit and comfort on the bike is excellent with no draughts with everything cinched in correctly, it's cut really well. Off the bike it is also very comfortable but I have taken to undoing the neck baffle which is a little bigger than on my old suit and sits a little higher.
3. I found it to be warmer on the bike than the Cordura 500 kit, I put this down to that fact that water/moisture does not soak up and penetrate the outer shell since the Armadillo kit uses a laminated goretex material, whereas the cordura 500 kit uses a Z liner inside the outer shell. It also breathes a lot better with absolutely no claminess in cold, wet, humid weather. My Cordura kit often had some condensation inside when it was wet and humid. It is also less stuffy if you are in a building due I think to the better 'breathability'.
4. Due to the fact that it does not soak up water in the same way as the cordura 500 kit it stays light in weight on wet days which feels great. I feel less tired at the end of a cold wet commute. The other bonus is at the end of the day I don't have to pull on and warm up a soggy set of Cordura 500 before my return home as the Armadillo suit has dried out very quickly.
5. Can't say how good the higher level of abrasion proofing is [hope I never can] but it does inspire a little more confidence in the outcome of a slide as the kit feels noticeably tougher in all the right places. The rest of the suit has a softer texture to the outer than my old suit, must remember to try this out on the wife at some point ....
6. Quality of finish is superb and I have been told that these suits are still manufactured in Finland. Don't know whether this is good thing or just a pop fact but for some reason I trust the Scandinavians to do things properly.
7. The big question for me though is 'was it worth the expense', probably a little to early to say yet but I certainly do not feel short changed. I would still happily pull on a set of Cordura 500 based Rukka kit but given the choice I would definitely plumb for the Armadillo if cash allows.
So far it has been used for daily 45 min commutes in drizzle, torrential rain, wind, snow, sleet and the other day the road was nearly dry under an overcast sky [does that count as spring?].
Has yet to see sunshine and warm biking conditions but will write this up later in the year when it happens, apparently it is treated in such a way as to help minimise absorption of infra red radiation from the Sun so that should be interesting as my old suit could get a little warm in summer.
1. Noticeably lighter off the peg but has a stiffer texture due in large part to the Armacor patches and also the goretex laminated material which is 'crispier'. After a couple of hours it has 'broken in' a little and is as comfortable as the Cordura 500 kit.
2. Fit and comfort on the bike is excellent with no draughts with everything cinched in correctly, it's cut really well. Off the bike it is also very comfortable but I have taken to undoing the neck baffle which is a little bigger than on my old suit and sits a little higher.
3. I found it to be warmer on the bike than the Cordura 500 kit, I put this down to that fact that water/moisture does not soak up and penetrate the outer shell since the Armadillo kit uses a laminated goretex material, whereas the cordura 500 kit uses a Z liner inside the outer shell. It also breathes a lot better with absolutely no claminess in cold, wet, humid weather. My Cordura kit often had some condensation inside when it was wet and humid. It is also less stuffy if you are in a building due I think to the better 'breathability'.
4. Due to the fact that it does not soak up water in the same way as the cordura 500 kit it stays light in weight on wet days which feels great. I feel less tired at the end of a cold wet commute. The other bonus is at the end of the day I don't have to pull on and warm up a soggy set of Cordura 500 before my return home as the Armadillo suit has dried out very quickly.
5. Can't say how good the higher level of abrasion proofing is [hope I never can] but it does inspire a little more confidence in the outcome of a slide as the kit feels noticeably tougher in all the right places. The rest of the suit has a softer texture to the outer than my old suit, must remember to try this out on the wife at some point ....
6. Quality of finish is superb and I have been told that these suits are still manufactured in Finland. Don't know whether this is good thing or just a pop fact but for some reason I trust the Scandinavians to do things properly.
7. The big question for me though is 'was it worth the expense', probably a little to early to say yet but I certainly do not feel short changed. I would still happily pull on a set of Cordura 500 based Rukka kit but given the choice I would definitely plumb for the Armadillo if cash allows.
So far it has been used for daily 45 min commutes in drizzle, torrential rain, wind, snow, sleet and the other day the road was nearly dry under an overcast sky [does that count as spring?].
Has yet to see sunshine and warm biking conditions but will write this up later in the year when it happens, apparently it is treated in such a way as to help minimise absorption of infra red radiation from the Sun so that should be interesting as my old suit could get a little warm in summer.
