ok, so for you to help me, I would need advice on which clothes to buy to ride a bike here in DR without melting inside.
do you have any links to show me suitable lightweight jackets and jeans/trousers with protection. ?
Look for warm weather mesh gear. I posted a link to Revzilla, one of several large online retailers. They have a good search engine for finding gear.
There are numerous options for all gear. Much is just personal preference. Please note: you do not have to spend a lot of money to get good, quality, safe riding gear.
I already mentioned helmets before and offered some objective data and opinions.
When we say ATGATT---
All
The
Gear
All
The
Time---we mean technical gear designed with armored pads to protect against collisions to absorb direct contact and resistance to abrasion when you slide across pavement.
This includes:
- DOT helmet (discussed already)
- Armored ballistic jacket (armor in the elbows, shoulders and back with material in the back, shoulders and elbows for skid-resistance)
- Armored ballistic pants (armor in knees and hips with ballistic material in the knees, hips and butt
- Boots, over the ankle (stiff, heavy leather with armored ankle cup, toe box with shin protection; I suggest mid-calf boots, not just over the ankle in the
- Full gloves (abrasion resistant in the palms and knuckles)
There are numerous variations and materials in all those categories.
I can tell you what I wear and why, but by no means is this list limited, and I certainly understand why others wear what they do.
First of all, I'm not brand conscious, but I AM bang-for-the-buck conscious. And I consider the riding environment as a primary factor in my decisons
I spoke of my helmet before. Robert spoke that he used Kilm gear (top-quality and very pricey.) There are serious hardcore Aerostitch cultists out there.
My jacket is a Tourmaster Draft Air in red, with heavy duty Cordura in skid areas, properly armored and open mesh in the chest, back and inside sleeves. I put an after market full CE back protector in it. It's tough, strong in the impact areas, flows a ton of air and has arm and waist adjustments. Very comfortable. It's heavier than most because of the materials. It fits well and is cut larger---and I'm a large human. I never feel hot in it.
I bought it at an online closeout for around $150, retail around $200.
I just changed pants after 3 years, just wore out some Joe Rocket Phoenix 3's. I found some excellent Rev 'It Airwave pants and added some high-tech hip protectors to them. High quality brand with Cordura in the right places (knees, hips, butt, shin) and open mesh elsewhere. Great snaps, zippers & velcro. One feature I highly suggest is full length pant zippers that allow you to take them off without removing the boots. I'll never have pants without them again because it makes getting them on and off a breeze. They have stretchy material in the knee and high waist, and multiple adjustments for a great fit. They are longer, drape the boots, and have two ankle adjustments. Mine are black, but here they are in gray so you can see the detail:
Again, I bought them at a closeout for around $160. Retail was around $230.
I have warm weather, water resistant boots. I'm a fan of Alpinestars, a high quality Italian brand known for go-fast gear. I had to order them a size larger because the Euro sizing runs small. The model is their Web Gore-Tex Boot and has a waterproof Gore-Tex lining and are a quality build. I'm 3 years into these boots and they hold up very well. They have a shin shield and toe and ankle cups. Tough. Strong zippers and a wide piece of heavy duty velcro over them. Considered a "sports touring" boot based on the sleek design.
Not cheap at around $230, but worth the money.
I'm crazy about my gloves, Tourmaster Gel Cruisers, leather and mesh with a gel lower palm pad, and reinforces leather on the knuckles. VERY cool, comfortable and good protection:
They sell like crazy at $55 and often are out of stock.
I wear wicking basketball shorts, a wicking T-shirt and comfy wicking undies under the gear, so I'm very cool, never ever hot. I wear long wicking padded athletic socks. I don't care if it rains because all my gear dires quickly, and the rain is never really cold here; in fact, sometimes it's a welcome relief.
Again: this is what I wear and is by no means "the best" and a comprehensive "you must wear this" list. There is a LOT of quality gear out there. And, except for boots and helmet, I admit to shopping sales. I will say cheap gear doesn't hold up well in my experience.
Just remember this: "Dress for the fall, not for the ride." Make sure the gear is protective first and foremost, then worry about the style. Just don't dress like a pirate...