Gear tip for newbs

[fartymarty]

Many Gear pants are set up for ease of tailoring so that almost any local tailor will be able to adjust pants length even though they don't do much work with road gear normally. However, as we can see by looking at the Rube below (what a tool!) (be at ease moderator, it's a MSTA photo of me  )....





...that it would be best to either (a) don't have any tailoring done at all or (b) make sure that you are in a sitting position comparable to how you'll be sitting on the bike when the tailor marks the length. Most tailors mark the length to adjust to while you are standing. Many of you with much more experience than me are thinking "Well DUH!", you might have even said it out loud.
So to newbs I say " Don't be the guy that the experienced guys say "Well DUH!" to, follow either (a) or (b) above.

 So, maybe you have thick skin like me and you don't really care if the more experienced guys (and gals) say "Well DUH!" to you. There is another reason I bring this up. Rain. When I ride in the rain, I stay dry almost everywhere except where my blue jeans wick up moisture almost to my knees. I could probably wear some other material under pant that doesn't wick, but I'm a blue jean kinda guy...so I get wet lowers when it rains.
Newbs, don't be like me, don't get wet lowers in the rain. Follow either (a) or (b) above. 

[DirtFlier]

Most sporting goods stores sell "gaiters" that are meant to be worn by hikers and many of them are waterproof.  They usually attach with hook & loop.

[TN2Wheeler]

Same is true for positioning knee pads. If you align them with your knee caps standing,  they will be too high sitting on the bike.

I've had riding pants that fit like that.  My solution was to tuck my jeans inside my boots, particularly when it's raining.

[normkern]

Well DUUHH!

Tuck your levis inside your boots and they won't wick water up your legs when it rains.

Done. LOL

Norm Kern

[Phil Bolichowski]

Marty, It looks like you have good equipment and ride quite a bit, so here are a few things I have observed riding with the Michigan MSTA group. I only wear UnderArmour pants (and shirt) without jeans under my riding suit and have a normal pair of waterproof riding boots (TourMaster). I can move freely under the riding suit in any weather and the riding pants (like the ones your wearing) always cover the boots. In heavy weather most 1 or 2 piece rain suits have elastic straps that go under your boots to keep the pants down so only the toes of your boots are exposed (and normally stay dry). Just saying it works for me?

[Brick]

I always buy my riding pants or the Roadcrafter long and so I
never have "high water" pants.
YMMV

[fartymarty]

Well DUUHH!

  
Thanks Norm, I needed someone to help prove my point for the newbs, I'm glad it was you. 

Same is true for positioning knee pads. If you align them with your knee caps standing,  they will be too high sitting on the bike.

You know, that is another good tip. I noticed that on mine and changed it accordingly because mine re-position with only velcro. I double checked it again when I upgraded the armor to the D3O stuff that Klim uses. Yes a newbie might over look that and have the armor positioned wrong. Excellent point we should probably give that a letter (c) to go along with (a) and (b).

Thanks for the tips all, but I think I'll just see if the tailor left enough material to be able to let them back out.

So newbs, don't be like me, don't need to go back to the tailor to see if he can let out your pants cuffs, follow (a) or (b) above.,,,and while you are at it, be like me (and others) and follow (c) and adjust your knee armor to a good position.

[HawkGTRider]

So newbs, don't be like me, don't need to go back to the tailor to see if he can let out your pants cuffs, follow (a) or (b) above.,,,and while you are at it, be like me (and others) and follow (c) and adjust your knee armor to a good position.

I saw a video in which Jay Leno was interviewing a rep from one of the helmet manufacturing companies (I believe it was Arai). They were talking about the DOT vs Snell vs other various certifications. The rep's view on protection was along the lines of "Tell me what kind of accident you're going to have, and we'll build you a helmet." Along those same lines, it strikes me that where your padding would best be located depends greatly on the kind of accident in which you might be involved. For instance, will your knees be bent or straight when you contact the ground? I wish I did know the answer, but I don't. Like using a DOT helmet, I guess we shoot for the middle and hope for the best.

[wardie]

Helmets are like talking about which oil you like. I would dare say many riders probably think about oil much more than they do about helmets. I've interviewed the folks at Snell two years ago and came away with a good understanding of why a helmet does or does not pass Snell standards.

I wear an Arai. I've had others but went with Arai because the Service Pavilion custom fitted my helmet when I was at Daytona a few years ago.

A good upper level helmet costs a lot more but also has more features like; larger eye port, maximum ventilation, lighter, quieter and provides great protection to your head in a crash.

There are some manufacturers like ZR-1 and AFX which at one time met Snell (Motorcycle Consumer News reported on them a few years back) standards. Heavier, louder, less ventilation but for $150 you got a helmet that gave you good protection.

The best advise I can give someone is make sure your helmet fits you well. The top of your crown (head) is fully covered by the insulation/foam. The helmet inside opening sits about 2 fingers from your eyebrows, and when you place your hands on the sides of the helmet and try and turn your head you have little movement. The check pads ought to be close enough that when you bite down you're pushing the inside of your mouth out between your teeth. Finally the shell size is critical. Make sure the helmet when worn the back bottom edge does not contact your neck when you are looking  up.

For any questions contact Robert Miller at the Service Pavilion an Arai distributor.717 587 7587

[qman8]

Thanks Wardie.....I don't claim to know much about this, but when you say "The helmet inside opening sits about 2 fingers from your eyebrows", isn't this entirely up to the helmet designer, as to how they want the opening to be positioned on your head?  Meaning, wouldn't every helmet potentially differ in this measurement?

[wardie]

Negative qman.. the top inside of the helmet that sits on the crown of your head determines where that opening would end up. I guess you'd call the opening the eye port or something. I've seen guys wearing ill fitted helmets and wonder how they could see out of them because the top of the eye port is on their eyebrows?? Crazy, spend all the money on a bike and jacket and stuff and the most important thing the helmet is  an after thought.

I hope I'm explaining properly. Helmet shell size is very important because a large/XL shell is definitely bigger than a Med shell. Guys buy a size that's easy to get on and off. Once broken in its really easy to get on and off but due to looseness doesn't afford the same protection.

Picture this if you will... put a small salad bowl on your head. If it is small it will sit on the crown of your head snugly. Then try and measure from the bottom lip of the bowl to your eyebrow. Repeat the same with a size larger bowl and measure. Those measurements won't be the same because the bowls are different sizes. Same goes for the helmet size. Too big of a helmet shell and the internal suspension system does not sit and hold captive your crown. Conversely the correct size does. The eye port on a correct fitting helmet should be about two fingers or slightly less above your eyebrow. So, how a helmet sits on your head greatly affects where the eye port is and ultimately how it will allow you to see more especially the side looking areas.

I know Wardie somehow always brings food into his discussions...now where's those salad bowls again??

[fartymarty]

I think the two finger rule is used for bicycle helmets, I have doubts about it's validity for motorcycle helmets. I have no data or references to back that up, but it just seems too simplistic to apply to all manufacturers and heads. Wardie, do you have any references or data sources?

Now as to the food thing, well I think working a food topic into almost any post is a skill that should be cultivated....er dare I say...culinated? 

[stevegrab]

All I know is that before I started riding I spent some time as a passenger riding with my brothers in CA. One time I did a day ride, borrowed one brothers M (Shoei RF series) and my head hurt like made, the top of it on the inside was pinching my skull. Next ride I borrowed other brother's L in the same model, and it fit quite well. When I first started riding I looked at helmets, especially Shoei since I knew they fit my head shape well. (My brothers and I all have larger rounder heads.) I tried a M again, walked around the store a while, within minutes I had a splitting headache. I'm not riding like that, if the Large is too lose I haven't noticed. It does move a bit more than some say is optimal, and my cheeks aren't pinched by the pads. I've been lucky to not test a helmet yet other than low speed stuff, so I'm not sure about how they will do.

But I am NOT going to let somebody tell me "no that's too large wear the smaller one that will give you a headache, it will break in eventually". 

Yes it is a lot like oil, I try to pick something, stick to it, change it regularly and not be swayed by every new study to question what I'm doing. I can be neurotic enough without that stuff   (Its like the debate about eggs, are they good or bad for you, or many other foods.)

PS Riding season did kick off a few weeks ago, but since then last weekend and this coming one are washed out, just too cold, or worse SNOW!

[wardie]

Steve there are oval, oblong, and round heads, even square ones . Everyone's head is shaped differently . It's important to get a helmet that fits your head shape. If you're experiencing the crushing top of the head deal causing a headache I don't need to tell you that probably isn't the right shape/size for your head.

Steve I did exactly that. My Arai was a bugger to get off even after the check pads were changed out to thinner ones but the helmet did break in and it fits like a glove. I don't blame you one bit, as Johnnie Cochran once said in the OJ trial.."If it don't fit you must aquit" so I too wouldn't wear an ill fitting helmet that caused pain and headaches.

Like all discussions on the forum everyone can take or leave information posted. Sharing on the MSTA is cool and you get a lot of view points like mine on helmets. I tell what I know to be true and readers can decide if the information I or others give is pertinent or not. That's the cool thing do what you want with the info.

FartyMarty man I love that handle . Hey don't U remember when playing 8th grade  football  the ole' equipment manager said two fingers and you're good to go!! Glad times have changed. My reasoning for the two fingers is a combination of listening to experts like Robert Smith from the Service Pavilion and common sense (ask my wife she says I have none). If the helmets eye port is at your eyebrows chances are the bottom of the back of the helmet is going to hit your neck when you look all the way up. Now maybe there are some cases where the liner is the air inflated kind and you can adjust a larger shell to not come down on your eyebrows but most helmets don't have that air inflatable liner.

Good discussion had by all. Wardie

[wardie]

Well DUUHH!

Tuck your levis inside your boots and they won't wick water up your legs when it rains.

Done. LOL

Norm Kern

Norm hit it outta the park.. blue jeans once wet just don't dry quickly and they do wick up moisture. Tucking in seems pretty simple and cheap you don't have to buy anything else!