I am just about to take the plunge and splash out on a set of custom made Hideout leathers. I hope the quality and fit wil make the expenditure worthwhile and that they last . Has anyone else got Hideout leathers or had a set made as I'd appreciate any comments before taking the plunge.
They were a very friendly and competent place 25 years ago. Haven't had any experience of them since.
I suppose the fact that they are still in business after all these ears has to be good. Thanks for the comment.:smile:
Yep, Kate did me a leather jacket last year. Fits perfectly despite an awkward shape, quality is top notch and a fair turnaround time too (and considerably improved upon my last attempts to source M2M gear elsewhere) So much so I'm going back for a set of textiles this year.
Hideout still have a great reputation, if a bit pricey. As for having leathers custom made I had a 1 piece race suit done by Harpers/Wolf about 6 years ago, best money I ever spent on leathers. Even properly made leathers will feel a bit tight to start with, but with time will break in nicely and fit and protect far better than off the peg stuff.
One of the few British craftsman leather companies left. Buy made to measure if you can and these guys will do the job well for you. I would have rated only crowtree above them and they are no more.
I have a set of 'gear' one piece leathers, cost me about 350 in 1998, crashed in them twice but they still look great, however, although I cant see how, they appear to have shrunk a little???? Could I ask what £££ these run to?
Nicky says its the wardrobe gremlins! They sneak in during the night and shrink everything, she says it happens to hers regularly, but after a couple of weeks the clothing fairies come in and stretch them! (Think she's been at the tramadols again!!!)
Only word of advice I would give is see if you can't try on one of their suits first. I had a BKS set made for me. The quality was astonishing and if you're going to crash in anything, you'd want to crash in this. But, wearing the suit was a bit like wearing a pair of shoes. The leather was ultra thick and somewhat unforgiving. The whole thing weighed a ton, like it actually contained the rest of the cow that usually is not present during the tanning process. My off-the peg (I am a very standard size) Dainese suits since have been much more comfortable and that helps me ride the bike better and not have an accident in the first place. They have also stood up well to crashes. I'm sure they are not as well made, but they are probably well-made enough for all intents and purposes. Short of going out in a suit of armour surrounded by an airbag, you are never going to be 100% protected, and there is always going to be some trade-off between safety and comfort. I hasten to point out that the BKS suit was made about 20 years ago. Things have moved on quite a lot since then in the comfort stakes generally. The other possible word of advice is concerning colour. Leathers don't really wear out, unless you crash in them (and even then, you'd send them back to be fixed) or put on lots of weight and can't get into them. So you tend to have them for years. Colour schemes that only go with a bike you have now but might not have in the future, or ones that seem highly fashionable now (but may not later) aren't the best. Anyone remember the 1990 obsession with green and purple? That showed up on all sorts of things, notably ski-suits. Or what about the Fieldsheer pink suits of the 80s? Eek! Equally, going all-black and then having to wear a fluorescent bib so that you don't become invisible - what's the point of that?
Thought Dainese offer a made to measure service if you go to one of their pro shops ? I was offered a couple of years ago....
Shame to hear that Crowtree are no more, i have had a 2 piece m2m set of theirs for ten years now, probably still not worn in yet! and yes, they do weigh a ton. m2m will always be the way to go for the best individual suit.
