Btw well done on the blood bike thing. Steve has mentioned to me a few times and I do fancy it. But....don't fancy all the bollox training!!
I was looking at it a while back when my youngest was born but the Hampshire bunch were a joke (went for an example ride between Portsmouth and Southampton and the 'blood box' fell off the guys bike on the M27). My niece has just been diagnosed with leukemia and they had to run samples up to Bristol on a bike. Brought it back onto the radar and they seem much more switched on here. Thanks for the offer of trying yours on @Dave . I'll be in Bristol at the weekend so I'll pop into Fowlers and have a look at a few bits
Having had almost every make possible over the years ( and also selling the stuff in the past I'd say that Rukka is the best if you can afford it, If not then Held stuff is very good for the money- a good replacement for hein gericke which is no longer readily available. Dainese is good too, I've had mixed experiences with Halvarsons( also branded as helstons and something else (possibly klim)) As someone else said always buy Gore-tex rather than own brand ***-tex, and the Pro shell rather than the performance shell, it absorbs a lot less water and is less bulky. Yes it is more expensive than own brand stuff but has a better guarantee and is less likely to let you down. It's all well and good saying you can take it back if it leaks , but that doesn't help you when you're piss wet through and 300 miles from home. I have a rack full of kit , and at the moment i ride almost exclusively in an arlen ness gore-tex leather 2 peice suit, or my pro-shell held for colder weather.
I find Rukka Armas S jacket and Rukka cosmic pants (c2) as there longer in the leg although i only have 29" legs i use the c2 as they don't ride up over the boots. Tried Halvasrsons but leaked in heavy rain Rukka stand up well but have a high collar that takes a little getting use to.
I'm having to bite the bullet soon on some textiles as well. I was having a chat with a guy in a local bike gear shop and he said its Rukka if you're commuting year round, riding a bike for a living or touring UK and northern Europe. For me that would mean Amaxion. But every customer who'd worn Rukka to southern Europe, he said, had complained they were too hot. The best of the rest, he reckoned, was Dainese. For three season riding, Carve Master or Sandstorm. The Dainese isn't laminate Gortex - it has a waterproof liner - but Dainese outers are water repellent and absorb little water (and weight). The other non-laminate tend to get very heavy when saturated and take a long time to dry out. I've tried on the Sandstorm and really liked it. Certainly the most comfortable after Rukka but style-wise it has the look of a winter jacket. The Carve Master is more expensive but neater and more tailored and better for sporty riding. I'm going to have a try on of that as well and decide from there. Either way I think its going to be Dainese.
Tried some gear on yesterday. Definitely going Dainese. Hawker Jacket - the replacement for the Carve Master - and Galverstone trousers. Under £450 the pair. Can't beat the comfort or the quality for that price. Scoured the internet for reviews and can't find a bad word about either. Leak-free and well made.
Yep, yesterday, I tried a dainese gortex jacket, over 500 quid, IMO it was a much better jacket than the rukka on the next hanger priced at 1000. Very impressed with the dainese stuff.
I had a look at the Carve Master yesterday. Looks good as a proper 4 seasons jacket with removable linings etc. I think I'm going to go with that with some D-explorer trousers
Not sure the D-Explorer have removable thermal liners. The Galverstones do. Unlike the jackets you can't remove the waterproof lining from any of the trousers and wear them like mesh fabric in hot weather. The bloke in the Dainese shop in Bristol told me back in the spring that Dainese will be bringing out true 4 seasons trousers where all the linings can be removed. Don't know whether they've done so yet. Dainese have an odd distribution policy where retailers can't pick and choose which products they stock. They've either got to offer the full Dainese product range which for a lot of them would mean duplicating stock they're carrying from other manufacturers or they are allotted by Dainese a basic skeleton selection of items of Dainese's choosing. So unless you go to a mega store or one of Dainese's own stores you will rarely get to see the full range. Its an odd way of doing business. Unfortunately Dainese stores seem to be more expensive than independents, so for me its a case of trying there but buying elsewhere.
Yeah I noticed that too. The Carve Master has a removable gore-tex and a removable thermal liner which appeals to me. It should make it very flexible and the gore-tex liner especially is very thin meaning you can take it with you easily. In terms of trousers the D-explorer ones have big vents in the front which improve their flexibility too
I have just ordered the Dainese sandstorm jacket, tried it on last week and was a lovely fit and As I already have Dainese trousers they will zip together !!
I can only concur on the Stadler gear. I bought their Supervent 2 Pro. It fits me like a glove, is extremely comfy. The aeration vents on the jacket and the trousers make it comfortable in any conditions, as long as you move. Having ridden through extremely dense shower rains, I can say that as long as you shut all the vents you'll remain totally dry. Don't ask me how I know. ;-)
My D-Explorer have removable thermal and goretex liners. Wore them with goretex liners for a 12-hour blood bike shift last night and had to remove the liner, 'cos it was too hot! Seems great in terms of fit and protection. My only criticism is that the top of the jacket fastenings are a bit fiddly-my HG jacket has a magnetic catch and high removable neck which would be useful, too.
Just ordered the Danes bits from Sportsbikeshop.co.uk. I ended up phoning to see if they do an IAM discount (GetGeared didn't have the trousers Im after) and whilst they didn't do an official one they did knock 10% off for me. The gear should arrive tomorrow so I'll update what its all like
Motocard were most competitive on price. But you have to know that the size is right for you. I also find the light D-Explorer gets grubby easily. Should have gone for the black one!
Motocard were the same price before discount but I'd rather deal with a UK company especially if I have to return it. With the 10% off it was a no-brainer!
Thought I'd update here with my thoughts on the Dainese gear I've bought : Jacket - Dainese Carve Master I like the fit of this as its a bit less 'toury' than a lot of the jackets out there. Its fitted a bit snugger with a waist band that can be adjusted. Its not too long either so sits on the hips rather than half way down the thigh like a lot of Gore-tex jackets made for touring. The thermal liner came straight out as its the middle of Summer but this seems well made and I'm sure will improve the usability of the jacket. Gore-tex is built into the jacket rather than being removable and the armour seems to fit in the right places. Its certainly a big step up from my D-Dry jacket that I had and having been caught in a couple of showers (and think mist in Wales) it beads water off the surface. Its very comfortable both in terms of fit and temperature. Ive ridden in 25 degree heat in the jacket and it wasn't too hot unless stationary. The air vents work well on the front and rear, venting air around your body effectively. Pockets are excellent too with 2 pockets on each side externally. 1 on each side is waterproof with the other being covered by the flat. This should stop water getting in but as its not a waterproof pocket I won't chance it. There's another waterproof pocket inside the main zip which is perfect for wallet and phone. All in all excellent across all the conditions I've ridden in. Trousers - Dainese D-Explorer Again and excellent fit with adjustment at the waist. Pockets on the side are a bit tight but I have a big bum so that's not going to help! These trousers have removable thermal and Gore-tex liners and whilst I've taken out the thermal the Goretex has stayed in for the moment. Again these are good for temperature control, with big vents on the front of the thighs that you can unzip to let in fresh air. I love the big zips at the bottom as I can get my chunky Alpinestars on then zip around them. There's a big strip of Velcro at the bottom to get the fit just right. All in all I'm very happy. Its very liberating knowing that it won't matter if it rains and I'm looking forward to putting on some serious miles with this kit
I've just bought a Carve Master as well. Heads up: Crescent KTM in Verwood have about half a dozen Carve Masters on offer at £296. That's an absolute bargain. Bought mine yesterday. Dainese haven't stopped making the Carve Master but Crescent have stopped stocking it. Being a KTM dealer they cater more for the adventure end of the market and they already stock other Dainese Goretex jackets as well as being a Klim dealer so they've decided to discontinue the Carve Master and they're knocking out all the old stock at Verwood. Get em while you can. With the money saved on the jacket I went for the Travelguard Goretex trousers. Bit dearer than the Galverstones but they are the trousers designed to be paired with the Carve Master. They're more tailored and less bulky and with the thermal liner removed feel almost like Kevlar jeans. I'm well pleased with a suit of that quality for £555. Off to Wales in a week's time to try it out.
