Re: [ST] Euro Trip

[Gavin Lawrie <gavin.lawrie@xxxxxxxxx>]

With regard to Brett's question - I had a set of cheap BMW Goretex  
trousers before this - I think it is / was called their 'Basic'  
range.  Lasted about five years, but then started to leak.  Good  
point was the size range - BMW do many more size combinations (e.g.  
leg length vs. waist size) than other brands.  But they were  
expensive, and had the same 'material getting soaked' problem Emile  
mentions below.  This was combined with a cheap Triumph all-weather  
jacket I got in a sale somewhere (also about five years ago) which  
was not gore-tex or anything, and very water proof but not nice to  
ride in in hot weather.  It was the leaking trousers that eventually  
persuaded me to change to the new HG kit.

On 30 Aug 2006, at 02:34, Emile Nossin wrote:

> In my gore / sympa tex experience the water is usually soacked up  
> by the outer liner, becoming very heavy, very cold and eventually  
> very damp (pockets especially). The suit has to be hung for days  
> before it's all out again. But a cheapo rain overall is ready for  
> action anytime, it keeps stuff under the overall really dry, water  
> just runs off, it doesn't get heavy, etc. The only thing I have to  
> think of is to put it on in time :-(.

This is exactly the problem that this new Goretex XCR fabric is  
supposed to counter.  My limited experience so far suggests it does.   
Not sure how it works - I guess there will be a web site page  
somewhere with details - but my HG suit simply repels water.  Riding  
in Scotland couple of weeks ago I went through torrential rain  
periodically, and I remained quite dry.  Non-waterproof pockets on  
jacket got quite damp, but nothing penetrated through the material.   
But when rain stopped the material was relatively dry - and within a  
few minutes was back to non-wet condition.  Doesn't seem to get  
heavy, soaked through etc.  No need to even think about having to  
hang up kit in shower cubicle to drip dry overnight etc.

The HG suit I have is good - but I think the XCR material is the key  
to this.  I found a review of the BMW Streetguard 2 on the internet  
(stick it in Google and you'll find something written by a British  
journalist) that was similarly impressed with water repellent  
nature.  I prefer riding in leathers, and have toured Europe with  
leathers and a cheap (Belstaff) one-piece oversuit for wet  
conditions.  Works OK for summer riding (when most of the time you  
don't wear oversuit) but found it not nice for long periods (couple  
of days of non-stop rain) as not a great fit, and you get lots of  
internal condensation (though I guess a Goretex one would be better  
for this).  Also another thing to find room for on the bike.  Next  
time I'm sure I'll just go in the XCR suit and be done with it.

Regards

Gavin Lawrie.
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