First post here so forgive me if this has been covered!

Just wondering what you folks wear on your bike.  Leathers or Textiles?

And why for each choice?

Going to have to get some new clobber soon and not sure which route to take.

Starter for 10 post!                                                                                                                                                                              

  LOL @ starter for 10   Hi Rob   You will still be confused after folk have given you their individual opinion. You may as well ask how long is a piece of string lol   I found leather trousers cold in the winter and hot in the summer, and stretch too easily, I could never keep them waterproof no matter what I tried.   I have a fairly new textile jacket and altho it keeps me dry, so far anyway, it's too generous around the neck part (blokes measurement I think)which makes it drafty. My fairly new goretex trousers are too long in the leg for me so I had to remove the armour cos it dug into my legs. I'm just an awkward 'shape' and short-legged  lol   I recommend textile above leather any day, but, like I said earlier bike clothing is a very individual choice.     When you've decided what to buy let us know your opinion of its performance yea?                                                                                                                                                                               

I find leather jeans uncomfortable to ride in as it's not so easy to adjust your position during riding cos they don't slide.  I also find riding in a leather jacket uncomfortable but that's probably more to do with the fit and the fact that they are never long enough at the back - unless you go the full babygrow or zip together route which I don't like.   I am however probably the worst person to advise.  Having come off a few times, never wearing leathers, I do have the scars to say that it would probably have been better to have them on!                                                                                                                                                                             

I wear leather trousers (now I've found a pair that fit me properly) and a textile jacket as the leather one I have isn't comfy.

And purely from my own point of view you can't beat a fit guys behind in tight leather trousers lol. But that's just me :-)

I always wear a leather posing pouch, you just can't beat them. On top of that it does depend on the weather, nearly always a textile jacket, the trousers change day to day, today was wet so textile, tomorrow is surpose to be dry and up to 14c, so i'll wear leathers                                                                                                                                                                             

orange thong and bra...ooopps wrong site...                                                                                                                                                                             

wear full leather suit and must say if i do to much gym work they get tight   Its a job getting them on and off to in the very hot weather..jokes to follow                                                                                                                                                                                 

does leather shrink in the gym then ?                                                                                                                                                                             

Without a doubt, good quality leathers are stronger and more protective than textiles.  But they aren't as practical.

I for one have never liked textile trousers as I've never felt safe in them.  Many however steer away from leather trousers because they find them uncomfortable.  But this is usually because they don't fit properly.  The answer to this is to get a pair made to measure.  This is often a lot cheaper than people think with a couple of manufacturers offering made to measure trousers for about the same price as an off the peg pair on the high street.  And made to measure leathers are generally made from better quality, thicker leather, better stitching and have higher quality armour and they fit perfectly.

The other thing to remember is that over three quarters of injuries to bikers in accidents are to the legs.  So a good quality jacket with denim jeans is plain silly apart from the shortest journeys.  Good quality leather trousers are the way to go in my opinion.

I also have a made to measure leather jacket, but as I mentioned above, it's not that practical.  It's designed specifically to restrict your movement unless you're in a riding position, which makes it noticeable off the bike.  It isn't very warm and isn't waterproof.

The answer therefore is a textile jacket.  I use my bike every day and so get good quality gear.  As such my jacket is a £500 Hein Gericke gore-tex pro shell item and it's ace.  Easily the best bit of kit I own.  Warm in winter with the thermal lining in, easily warm enough to ride the seven miles to work with just a T shirt underneath, even on mornings when the temperature fails to get to the dizzy heights of zero!  And yet with the thermal lining removed, remains cool enough on even the hottest days.

Many can't justify this of course.  But there is a huge variety of textile jackets out there.  When looking for one, I'd look at the quality of the stitching (any loose strands, uneven stitch lengths, meandering stitch runs etc).  Make sure the jacket has a well known waterproof membrane; shell-tex is good, gore-tex Z liner is better, gore-tex pro shell is the best.

Check for the quality of the armour; most jackets have CE approved armour fitted now, but there are many varieties of this.  In my opinion, soft armour is better than hard armour in an accident as it doesn't concentrate the force of a blow onto a particular area and feels far, far more comfortable.

Check out the fit of the collar and the cuffs.  A loose collar is going to let the cold and rain in very quickly, whereas a tight collar is likely to be uncomfortable.  Can you get gloves both inside and outside the cuffs?  No point buying waterproof gloves if you can't get them inside your jacket cuffs when it rains, because all that'll happen is the rain will run down into them.

Finally, have a look at the waterproofing of and the position of the pockets.  A simple zip is going to leak like a teabag.  A sealing zip is better, but the best option is a sealing zip with a velcro'd flap over the top.  One or two napoleon pockets are extremely useful for your wallet and keys and side pockets (often behind the waterproof pocket) are nice to have somewhere warm to put your mitts once you get where you're going.

Boots and gloves are often the most awkward to get right.  But as with the trousers, leather is probably the best way to go, but this time with a waterproof membrane if you can.  Just remember you get what you pay for.  These need to be thick enough to be warm and protective, but not so thick that you can't feel/use the bike controls.

And that leaves the helmet.  Again I ride every day and so I wear a £500 helmet.  But get the best you can afford and make sure it is truly comfortable with firm pressure all around but without any particularly tight spots.  A good dealer will be able to advise you.

The biggest tip I could give someone about buying gear though, is try it on the bike before you buy.  If the dealer won't allow you to nip outside to sit on your bike with a potential new jacket, then walk away.  Clothing may well feel fine whilst stood up in the shop but could easily be instantly restrictive or just too small, often at the lower back or around the knee area, as soon as you sit on the bike.

Chapter 2 .......... only joking!!                                                                                                                                                                              

combats and textile jacket,,long boots,,AGVhelmet,,,                                                                                                                                                                             

LOL .. well I dont like leather, its too heavy, soaks through when wet and so gets very heavy! 

Saying that ... I paid £400 for jacket & trousers from girls bike too, great fit on both, both excellent protection & waterproof ( I know no good for you as are girls fit) ... However ... I picked up a pair of trousers & a jacket at a rally for £80 and they are fantastic, have worn them in all weathers and they have never let me down. 

So yeah as Sandi said, prepare to be confused                                                                                                                                                                              

Well, WOW!

Geoff, thanks for the excellent detailed report!  If I had the money to spend I would buy the best that fit me but at this time it's a case of finding what I can at the right price!

I do prefer leather but as has been said find the jackets to be too short at the back when on the bike.

So I actually like the idea of leather trousers and textile jacket.  Again the advice you have given, Geoff, is valuable and I will certainly take this into account.

Thanks for all the comments from you all.  Will let you know what I end up with and also how they perform.                                                                                                                                                                             

 @ Geoff - loads of tips, thank you                                                                                                                                                                                     

Another tip regarding leathers.  If your leathers soak up water in the rain then they need throwing away!  This is because the leather is probably dry beyond saving and very dry leather is at risk of cracking and tearing in an accident.

One problem with leather is that it needs regular conditioning.  Remember it is skin and as with any skin it dries out.  However, with no natural oils or blood supply to feed it, you have to feed it instead.

Regular cleaning, feeding and conditioning with something like Renapur will result in supple, protective leather.  Also, the leather itself will remain waterproof (like any skin) and will not soak up water.  This doesn't mean that leathers don't leak, because they do.  They leak through stitching and any kevlar stretch panels.  As such in heavy rain I wear leggings over my leathers, but because I condition my leathers regularly, it really is only heavy rain that I need to do this.

Saying all this, some people really can't do with leathers, in which case textile trousers are the only real answer.  (Biking specific jeans such as Draggin' Jeans are very good, but I'd only really recommend them for shorter rides again).  Fully armoured and abrasion resistant textile trousers are much safer.

But not as safe as leathers lol!                                                                                                                                                                             

boot polish restorer works a treat on your leathers ..                                                                                                                                                                              

saddle soap!!                                                                                                                                                                             

Yep - saddle soap is good stuff boody.  Just be wary as I'm told (although never really seen any evidence) that saddle soap can soften and weaken some forms of stitching.                                                                                                                                                                             

Go to the BMF in May and you can kit yourself out with leathers or textiles for peanuts compared with shop prices.  But make sure you inspect the gear properly because there's loads of "seconds".                                                                                                                                                                                 

saddle soap is made for leather ,, and most cotton threads are bonded and are very strong                                                                                                                                                                              

good advice there folks. my leathers are 30 years old. jacket shaped down at back for leaning forward without bare bit.  textiles from lidl 3 years ago,usualy on sale start of season. not belstaff quality but good value,room for tidy gear underneath. always have one piece waterproofs with me for rain and cold. anyone tried fladen immersion suit available from ships chandlers. lacking the desingner label but so much better value than bike gear for cold wet weather.