A matter of safety, or style?

A matter of safety, or style?

Addressing the gap between safety and style for bikers.

During our most recent visit to Bike Stop, we started discussing the risk of not wearing gear during a ride. The conversation was prompted by a recent ride out to Ace Café. We spotted a biker wearing casual jeans, trainers and a hoodie on a ZX10R – not the most sensible choice of clothing in our opinion, and we imagine that you might also be thinking the same thing. “I’m only going round the corner, there’s no point in putting my leathers on” said the ZX10R rider.

The reality is that our opinions won’t stop people riding in jeans and a hoodie. Coming off at 30mph is the same, regardless what bike you’re riding. Maybe it’s a culture thing? In Italy for example, many bikers and scooter riders will ride in jeans, and sometimes a leather jacket (and in some cases, a helmet too!). We can see from YouTube videos, that this the case in the USA too.

So the question is – are bikers riding with jeans because of the expense of decent riding gear? Is it a lack of motivation? Or is it because riding gear is just not stylish enough?

We've put together a line-up of 3 riding jeans – that are in every way better, than riding in normal jeans and stylish too.

Here they are; the Dainese Bonneville jean, the Revvit Orlando H2O jean and last but not least, the RST Aramid jean.

The Dainese Bonneville regular jeans retail at £154.99
The RST Aramid jeans retails at £89.99
The Revvit Orlando H2O jeans retails at  £189.99

We can tell you immediately - get a pair that fits not only when you are standing, but a also when you are sitting on the bike. The cramped position of the GSXR means that the jeans ride up quite high and expose the ankle. Then again, we are wearing TCX casual boots - would you wear track or touring boots with riding jeans? That's up to you - but the Bike Stop team will be able to help you find the right fit.

The Dainese Bonneville jeans

The Dainese jeans have the 'nicest' fit in our opinion. A slim 'worn denim' style jean with knee protection, albeit little knee protection. This jean looks the best and is the most comfortable off the bike - but quite a bit more expensive than the RST jean. Making them the premium and quality option - but hey, what else would you expect from Dainese...

Whilst sat on the bike, the Dainese jeans are a little tight around the thigh - but we imagine this would be very different on a more upright machine. None the less, these jeans look great and would definitely fool someone! They don't look like riding jeans at all.  

The RST Aramid Jean 

The RST Aramid jean is the 'baggiest' of the set - but this pair also has the best knee protection. The knee armour on these jeans is much thicker than the others, and the armour takes shape to your knee when sat on the bike. 

The stitched detail on the back pocket is nice to see, usual RST style. From the picture below, it appears that the jeans are long enough to cover the ankle, but unfortunately they are not. This means over compensating in length to ensure that you're ankles are covered if you are wearing a low style boot. 

We found the RST to be very comfortable on the bike, and we were reassured by the knee armour. With this pair being the most affordable, we definitely recommend trying them on for size.

The Revvit Orlando H20 jean 

Ahh, this is a really nice pair of jeans. Warm, comfortable, and water proof. The only thing we thought this pair could improve on is the knee protection. Only slightly thicker than the Dainese jeans, but in all fairness these are all jeans with added protection over your casual denim pant.

We would recommend going a size down in this jean, as we found them a little loose around the waist. Style wise, this is the pair we preferred out of the trio - and it was nice to have a waterproof zipped pocket. Very useful for your phone and change for a brew! 

The water can be seen beading on the top the jeans. It's great re-assurance to know that you don't have to worry about getting caught out by the rain. 

Over-all, this trio of jeans are pretty brilliant. Truly well made and we could recommend them all but it really depends on your budget and what you're looking for in a pair of riding jeans.

A great selection of Men's and ladies jeans are available to view on the Bike Stop website.  

There is one thing we need to address though...

These jeans will NOT protect you in the same way leather or textile bottoms would. You should always wear gear on a ride, but these jeans are 100% better than normal jeans or track suit bottoms.

Just think about what is more important - arriving in style or arriving at all? But hey, who's saying that a leather or textile suit isn't cool?!

Please share if you enjoyed reading this!

All the best

BirotarUK 

#BirotarUK

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Back protector review

Back injuries are one of the most common form of injuries amongst motorcyclists in the UK. Wearing a back protector is the best way to protect your spine from what could be life changing, in case of an accident. We know that’s pretty sobering.

But - fortunately for us bikers, the back is an easy area to add serious protection to. Whatever you ride, a back protector is a piece of kit that is seriously worth investing in.

Back protectors are certified to one of two safety standards: CE1 or CE2. They're both pretty safe but back protectors with the CE2 standard can halve the amount of force that transfers through to the body during an impact. According to a study carried out by TFL in 2015, wearing a back protector could reduce your chances of a back injury by 26%.

With a variety of brands offering back protection inserts in jackets, it’s worth checking what the CE rating is in your jacket’s back protection. Go on, have a look at your jacket now - what’s the rating on the back protector? Do you wear a standalone back protector? Or maybe you don’t have one?

Before you you go out on your next ride, consider if your back is properly protected. After all, Guy Martin couldn’t praise his Dainese back protector enough after his 2015 Ulster GP crash.

We’ve teamed up with Bike Stop to bring you an unbiased review of four back protectors which can be worn under your existing jacket/s.  

Forcefield Pro Sub 4 Back Protector – RRP £149.99

The Pro Sub 4 back protector will withstand greater impacts than any other back protector on the market. A great place to start right?

It’s the ‘largest’ in terms of length and width of the four we tested and initially, it seemed like it would be the most uncomfortable - however it really wasn’t. It has the highest level of impact protection (this one is even better than the CE2 standard).

Forcefield Pro Sub 4 Back Protector

After removing the back CE armour from our current jackets (RST + Hein Gericke) and donning the Sub 4, it did make the jackets feel a bit snug when leaning forward to reach the bars (not uncomfortable though).

We’d recommend trying any back protector on, under your current gear before making a purchase – if you can, try sitting on a bike to replicate the riding position. You may find you’ll need to re-adjust the straps or loosen the velcro around the waist.

Forcefield Pro Sub 4 Back Protector

The first ride with this back protector on was on the sports bikes. The Sub 4 was noticeable for the first 40 odd miles, but it has some flex and felt like it conforms to your body shape. The shoulder and waist straps are easily adjustable but very durable - which is reassuring in the event of an off.

This is certainly a back protector we would recommend but would emphasise the need to check how it feels for you, under your jacket.

Forcefield Pro L2K Evo Back Protector – RRP £119.99

The Pro L2K back protector can be described as a ‘slimmed-down’ version of the Sub 4, and it conforms and exceeds CE2. It’s comfortable to wear and it’s also fairly flexible – the honeycomb structure makes it breathable too.

Forcefield Pro L2K Evo Back Protector

Now this is where it all gets a bit clever; Forcefield tell us that the NitrexEvo (the material the back protector is made with) provides ‘Repeat Performance Technology (RPT)’ to ensure that even after multiple impacts there is no loss of protective performance.  This makes it ideal for track and race use.

Forcefield Pro L2K Evo Back Protector

The shoulder and waist straps are fully adjustable making it easy to get a perfect fit, quickly. Being thinner than the Sub 4 it was a more comfortable fit under our jackets.

Dainese Manis Back Protector – RRP £149.99

The Manis is probably the most recognisable back protector on the market. It is CE2 certified and has a hard external structure - almost iconic to Dainese style of hard protection.

Dainese Manis Back Protector

It’s formed of protective ‘plates’ connected with a tough elastic-like material making it very light and flexible. It’s slightly thicker than the Forcefield Pro L2K but still fits easily enough under our current jackets.

Dainese Manis Back Protector

The inside of the protector is soft, as are the shoulder and waist straps. The Manis has an additional chest strap - every little helps. This back protect felt perfectly comfortable on and off the bike.

Dainese Gilet Manis Nero Back Protector - RRP £164.99

The Gilet has the same structure as the Manis back protector, however instead of shoulder and waist straps it has a simple gilet with a full length zip.

Dainese Gilet Manis Nero Back Protector

This didn't feel as comfortable as the Manis as the elasticated material at the front feels quite tight (maybe we need to cut down on the pies). ‘You need a bigger size’ we hear you shout - but it has to be tight to keep the protector in place.

Dainese Gilet Manis Nero Back Protector

One thing we thought was a little frustrating was that there was also no room for adjustment. Meaning it may not be suitable for everyone.

For us, the Dainese Manis back protector is the one we would go for.

It offers great levels of flexibility, comfort and easily fits under existing (leather & textile) gear meaning weather we are commuting, touring or racing around a track, it will perform and perform in comfort.

The back protectors in this review are available to purchase from Bike Stop.

Please share if you enjoyed reading this!

All the best

BirotarUK 

#BirotarUK
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