Winter gear thread...

[Jimmy Patriot]

I use Revit Orion gore tex gloves.... they are pretty awesome and prob the best piece of gear I have for the winter is a Klim balaclava.  The neck is gore windstopper and the head is coolmax so it doesn't interfere with helmet sizing at all.  I also wear Hot Chillys under my Olympia Ranger2 pants.  No heated gear and I'm good into the high 20s... low 30s for several hours. 

[Jimmy Patriot]

Give the Olympia Ranger 2 pants a shot.  I have a 30" inseam and they are easily hemmed at your local tailor shop.  There is a good 4" of room for hemming before you get to the zipper and snap for the liner.  I had mine hemmed to about 32" and are perfect when on the bike.  These pants are fantastic in the Fall, Winter, and Spring.  Too much for Summer as they have a waterproof layer into the shell and the Cordura is very thick.  No wind gets in at all.... I ride in underwear only into the 40s and only need the liner below that.  There are also extremely useful pockets on the thighs like cargo pants as well as 2 pockets on the rear and slip in pockets on front like jeans as well.  Might find them cheap since the 3 is out.

 
 
Oh, that's not good... 
 
I haven't done any mass downpours for long distance yet with them but this is good to know. One of my challenges in my pants search is that I'm short and not everybody makes pants in different length's, the Tourmaster Caliber pants are available in shorter lengths and that was one of the reasons I got em...

[ZG]

Give the Olympia Ranger 2 pants a shot.  I have a 30" inseam and they are easily hemmed at your local tailor shop.  There is a good 4" of room for hemming before you get to the zipper and snap for the liner.  I had mine hemmed to about 32" and are perfect when on the bike.  These pants are fantastic in the Fall, Winter, and Spring.  Too much for Summer as they have a waterproof layer into the shell and the Cordura is very thick.  No wind gets in at all.... I ride in underwear only into the 40s and only need the liner below that.  There are also extremely useful pockets on the thighs like cargo pants as well as 2 pockets on the rear and slip in pockets on front like jeans as well.  Might find them cheap since the 3 is out.

I don't see the 2 listed on their site, probably because as you said the 3 is out now. Anyway, here's the link to them with a video as well...
 
http://olympiamotosports.com/catalog/vent-tech/mens-ranger-3-over-pant/
 

[Jimmy Patriot]

Yeah... they look to be about the same as the 2 except it looks like they beefed up the cordura 1500 to 2000 in abrasive areas.  I'm sure it's still a great over pant.  Revzilla has some current reviews.

I don't see the 2 listed on their site, probably because as you said the 3 is out now. Anyway, here's the link to them with a video as well...
 
http://olympiamotosports.com/catalog/vent-tech/mens-ranger-3-over-pant/

[ZG]

So I'm not sure how this happened, ok I guess I do... but I just bought an Aerostich Roadcrafter one piece suit... 
 
It started out very inocent, I was looking on ebay last night for something for Jeremy (just trying to help a brutha out) and came across some used one piece "Stich" suits and became intrigued because so many of you were raving about em on here...
 
I went to the Stich site and filled out the "size me" section to determine my size to see if any of those ebay ones were by chance my size, if one could be had cheap enough I was intrigued... 
 
I got an email from Stich this morning saying I would be a 44L and need alterations to legs and arms... 
 
It suprised me because I thought I'd be a 42S from their sizing chart, but they said due to my length from crotch to neck is so long ( ) that a 42S would not work and would give me basically an uncomfortable camel toe...  . He said I need a 44L to fit my crotch to neck measurement and then have about 3" taken out of the leg and arm length.
 
So we went on to talk about cost for new and with the needed alterations it was gonna be like $1200 all said and done, which was way too much $ since I already have winter gear...
 
I asked them out of curiosity how long the lead time was, he said about 6 weeks right now, that pretty much sealed it for me that this aint happening, at least not this year, and I was ok with that. 
 
So a couple hours later I'm poking around on their site looking at other stuff and notice this section called "sale", it's basically one off stuff that for whatever reason was custom made and then the buyer didn't buy... here's the link:
 
http://www.aerostich.com/sale/roadcrafters/roadcrafter-one-piece-suit
 
 
Low and behold I see a 44L suit in blk/blk (which is the color combo I wanted  ) that had been cut 3" in the arms and legs, and the price is only $765! 
 
So I call the guy back and tell him about it and ask if this would work for me, he said oh ya I totally forgot about that suit but yes it should and is brand new! He said if it didn't work I could always have it sent back in to be altered, although that would put me back in the 6 week wait timeframe due to their current workload on alterations...
 
He then went on to say that they were running a special for free shipping and that they have a 30 day return policy so if I wanted to at least try it and it didn't fit right they would refund all my $ and I just pay shipping back to them. Plus, since it's already cut/altered and ready to go they could ship it out today, no 6 week wait!!! 
 
I thought about it for about 30 seconds and then said sure, why not!    I figure worste case all I'm out is $20 for shipping to at least try it on for fit... 
 
Sorry for the long read, but it just felt like such a perfect storm coming together I couldn't pass it up and share the background on it, wish me luck on the sizing/fit.   
 
40% off a brand new suit in the color combo I wanted and in stock to ship today with what sounds like the alterations I'd need done already done. 
 
I'll let you know when it arrives, but if it's as much the cat's pajama's as you folks on here say it looks like I'll be selling off the jacket/pants I currently have... 
 
Now comes the wait, he said I should have it mid next week...
 
 
Here's the suit, I screen printed this before they took it down off the sale section... click it to enlarge.
 

 
 
 
Thank you Jeremy for guiding me to buy something I didn't even know I needed 24 hours ago...     
 
 

[Jeremy Mitchell]

Sure thing Jay, always here to help you spend your money!

I followed your lead and went with Alpinestars winter gear.  Total for the whole setup was only $280 since I found both steeply discounted since they are several model years old.  Good reviews on both so I should be happy.

ST-5 Drystar pant and Space Drystar jacket.





I will have a review after I get some miles on the bike with them.

On another note. I will never do business with Motorcycle Closeouts again. Horrible return/exchange policy. 

[Gumby]

Jay, I don't think you are going to like a one piece suit. PIA to get in and out of. I saw Jeremy's thread and was going to post that I once had a one piece rain suit and absolutely hated it just for that reason, but I saved it for this thread I guess. 

I love my two piece Tourmaster setup.

My two cents

[ZG]

Sure thing Jay, always here to help you spend your money!

 
 
 

I followed your lead and went with Alpinestars winter gear.  Total for the whole setup was only $280 since I found both steeply discounted since they are several model years old.  Good reviews on both so I should be happy.

Sweet, congrats JM, that's a great price indeed! I've always worn Alpinestars gear and have never been dissapointed, quality stuff IMO!     

[ZG]

Jay, I don't think you are going to like a one piece suit. PIA to get in and out of. I saw Jeremy's thread and was going to post that I once had a one piece rain suit and absolutely hated it just for that reason, but I saved it for this thread I guess. 

I love my two piece Tourmaster setup.

My two cents

That's actually what I really like about the Stich design, one zipper from neck to ankle, check it out Gumbi... 
 
Aerostich Roadcrafter Light One Piece Suit
 
 
It's been taking me 10 minutes to gear up/down with my current 2 piece, this suit looks to take about 10 seconds... 

[Gumby]

One can only hope it is that easy. I think the only reason it is taking you 10-15 minutes is because you are putting all your new heated gear on too. Remember I told you the heated gear is a PIA. Don't get me wrong, I love my heated gear but I will not use it to ride back and forth to work, only long weekend rides.

Your slacks and dress shirt may be dry when you get to work but their gonna be wrinkeld. 

Another two cents.................

[ZG]

I think the only reason it is taking you 10-15 minutes is because you are putting all your new heated gear on too. Remember I told you the heated gear is a PIA. Don't get me wrong, I love my heated gear but I will not use it to ride back and forth to work, only long weekend rides.

Nope, I only have the heated jacket liner, socks, and gloves. The socks go on fast before I put my boots on, the jacket liner is just like putting on a... well a jacket liner I guess  , and the gloves take no longer to put on then my regular gloves.
 
This morning it was 37 when I left the house (first sub-40 morning this fall), I was toasty warm all the way to work, and I actually even texted the wife when I got to the office to say "wow, this heated gear rocks! Why did I wait so long to do this?"... 
 

Your slacks and dress shirt may be dry when you get to work but their gonna be wrinkeld. 

I don't see a one-piece wrinkling my clothes any more than my two-piece currently does... Do you know something I don't? 

[Jeremy Mitchell]

Jay, I don't think you are going to like a one piece suit. PIA to get in and out of. I saw Jeremy's thread and was going to post that I once had a one piece rain suit and absolutely hated it just for that reason, but I saved it for this thread I guess. 

I love my two piece Tourmaster setup.

My two cents

After trying on the Olympia I came to that conclusion also.  To much velcro to get lined up.  I will stick with two piece setups unless I start doing Iron Butt rides regularly.

[stevewfl]

I like one piece..........  only on track days.  and even then they're a PITA 

[Gumby]

The socks go on fast before I put my boots on,

Ya, that's probably better than the other way. 

the gloves take no longer to put on then my regular gloves.

Your better then me then cause I find plugging them into the jacket liner is a PITA

This morning it was 37 when I left the house (first sub-40 morning this fall), I was toasty warm all the way to work

Me too, no heated gear. Turned on the grips and seat though.

I don't see a one-piece wrinkling my clothes any more than my two-piece currently does... Do you know something I don't? 

Probably not. The only thing I know is I like beer   

[ZG]

The only thing I know is I like beer 

Ya, I've known that since like what... 1985?? 

[VirginiaJim]

Child...

[Jeremy Mitchell]

I only have heated grips and I have ridden when it was 12 degrees with no problems.  Heated gear would be nice though.........








Oh, and how old are you guys?  I was in pre-school in 1985.     

[gPink]

puppy

[VirginiaJim]

Oh, and how old are you guys?  I was in pre-school in 1985.     

Old enough, young whipper snapper..

[Jeremy Mitchell]

Old enough, young whipper snapper..

Was your first set of winter gear made out of a buffalo pelt?



Having a good coat during the ice age was a big deal from what I have read.