Thursday, May 30, 2013

Following in ErikR's footsteps

A while ago Erik wrote about fixing his snow blower (link here).    You know how it is, you fix the snow blower and it stops snowing.  Well his trick nearly worked.   It seems to rain a lot in Vancouver, so you carry an umbrella and guess what ?   It doesn't rain.   You wear a heavy warm jacket and you are sweating but if you forget your jacket you will be cold

Most of the riding jackets I have, have the rain liner underneath so your jacket gets waterlogged and the liner under the jacket keeps the water away from your skin.  In the meantime your jacket now weighs 20 lbs and you have to dry it every night and if it is too wet then it will be uncomfortable the next day.  I just don't understand why this is the way.   I have an Olympia AST Hi Viz Orange Jacket which has a membrane built into the outer layer which acts as the rain barrier so the jacket does not get soaked but for some reason they leak in the elbow region


Anyway, I bought a JR: Joe Rocket alter ego ballistic 11.0 riding jacket last year which I wore to Oregon.  It changes into a full mesh jacket by removing fabric panels.   This year I will be riding through some hot places and my plan is to use the mesh feature but it seems silly to have the rain layer underneath so I decided to purchase a rain jacket which you wear "on top" of your jacket.   This is a motorcycle specific rain jacket which is more than nylon.  It is made of high tech stuff which breathes like gortex, and it also folds into its own pocket


I flip the pocket inside out to let the jacket "fall out".   Most low end jackets are all black, this one is sort of Hi Viz Yellow and has reflector tape integrated into its design

In hot weather I usually wear my shorts under my riding pants which are Tourmaster Flex and also turns into full mesh with removeable panels


When it is hot I wear a muscle type shirt under my riding jacket


and now I am wearing the rain jacket OVER my riding jacket.  If I do it this way then my jacket will keep dry and not be waterlogged anymore.  Since I plan to ride during the heat of summer, being July and August it is my plan to not bring the factory rain liner, nor the vest.   I will bring a thin summer jacket instead


I am not used to wearing a jacket over a jacket


I am also not used to modeling but I wanted to show you the rear


and the front view.  It has pockets on the front and a nice tight collar to keep the rain out


I think I like it.   What do you think ?  Of course I don't have any plans to test it out.   I bought it because I know that if I have a rain jacket, then it won't rain, right ?


I already had rain pants so I put them on to show you the whole outfit.   Yes Richard, I know that the tags are still attached.


it was getting warm under all that rain gear so I had to get that jacket folded back into its own pocket


and here it is, folded and ready for use .   It's one of those things you buy and hope to never use, at least that's what I'm thinking . . .



26 comments:

  1. I think in order for it not to rain you not only need to have the rain gear with you but also have it on. I have an 1-piece suit for raingear and it fits over your other gear. It makes me feel like the Michelin Man. Last summer on my trip I discovered that there is no way to plug in the heated gear when wearing the 1-piece rain suit. I guess I need to figure out s path for the cables. I like the last photo. You could get rid of the others.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Richard:

      How about routing your cable through the sleeves. You could put a connecter near the cuff and the other plug near the handlebar and just plug it in when you mount your bike. That's the way heated gloves are

      I don't even know how the last photo came to be. It just appeared as a GIF in my picassa album. I just have selected using the Shift/click and the option may have been selected, I don't know but I would like to do that again. When I selected X-large it didn't work, but the Large size worked

      Delete
  2. Wet, heavy gear is always a bit of a pain. I have gore-tex gear now and it still gets wet and heavy but is pretty good stuff. Previously I was like Richard and had a one piece oversuit. I still have it and although it's a bit tired I still use it on adventure rides when I don't wear my "good gear" and when it's more likely to get grubby.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Andrew:

      I know what you mean about having older more disposable gear to use but I am downsizing and clearing out stuff. I gave all my used jackets already. I am getting of the opinion that I should just start buying more expensive better equipment which lasts longer. I really like my JR jacket but I couldn't find anything better that converts to a full mesh in the summer

      Delete
  3. Bob, that's a great final photo of you moving thro the stages of undress! Very clever. I also have bought a rain over jacket in the express hope it doesn't rain, but mines a cheap black one that will probably start leaking after 10 mins, guess this means it will rain?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. El D:

      I should have taken photos of the tags and posted up the model and make but they are packed away because I needed to take my bike to the dealer for a brake line recall so I removed all the luggage and tools and riding my R, Naked, after all it's a naked bike

      Feels so nimble without the luggage and top case

      Delete
  4. Bob, I too am a firm believer in real rain gear instead of rain liners. Like you, I think the water proof liners next to my skin or clothing is very uncomfortable. With liners, when it rains, you have to stop, undress, zip in the liners, and re-dress. The gear gets dirty from all the rain water and you still have wet gear when it quits raining.

    With a separate rain suit, the gear stays dry and clean. It quits raining and all you have to do is take off the outer layer.

    Oh, I hope your theory works better for you that it did for me...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Erik:

      I think having a rain jacket will be much easier, as you say, all I need to do is to put it on. Two years ago in Oregon we had to stop because it started to sprinkle. I pulled into a picnic area and we were immediately swarmed with an army of mosquitos whom hadn't drawn blood for a decade. We couldn't get rid of them, but then we had to remove our jackets, zip in the liners etc. This was just east of John Day, Oregon area.

      Delete
  5. I like that jacket, thanks for finding and demonstrating. I currently wear something similar under my armor. But would rather have something over it instead. However, many times, I actually enjoy riding in the rain (unless it is a real heavy thunderstorm) because it will cool me off in the heat of summer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lori:

      I'll have to go home and snap photos of the labels so I can report back the make and model. I looked at several models and most were just all black. I wanted one with more visibility, esp when it is raining.

      Last year in nearly 100°F Oregon heat, we found the rain refreshing, actually we were happy that it was raining but it didn't last long

      Delete
  6. It worked. The rain stopped and we have nothing but blue sky. Thanks Bob!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Trobairitz:

      You're welcome. I think this weekend is going to be much better than the weather we have been getting lately. Next week is supposed to be even better. Time for you to ride the 3 miles to work

      Delete
    2. Yeah, thanks a lot... This morning it is sunny and rainy. When I arrived at the university it was sunny and after going through campus for a mile it was pouring rain (but still sunny). I think the rain just doesn't like the administration building.

      Delete
  7. It did the trick. Also no more rain here. Thanks! Phew, I am getting in sweat just by watching you put on that gear, but this is exactly how I do it, too during the warmer days. Leather jacket and Kevlar jeans covered by rain gear, that is when precipitation is happening of course.

    Love the montage of you changing ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sonja:

      always glad to be of help. Phew, I am getting a headache looking at it too. That GIF was created by accident and I don't know how I did it. I was in Picassa and suddenly the GIF appeared. I'll have to check the next time I upload photos. I selected the range and then it was there, like black magic

      Delete
  8. Love your modeling gif Bob. And the new backyard. How is Mrs. Skoot doing with her recuperation? Praying for a quick and complete recovery!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chris:

      All seems to be going well with recovery, thank you for your well wishes. I am not afraid of being a subject, but modeling is a new experience for me

      Delete
  9. Hey Bob - would you mind putting all of your gear on this weekend so it doesn't rain here!
    On the rain gear topic ... I've given up. I don't bother with it anymore. If I get wet, I get wet. If I don't want to get wet, I wait it out. I have rain gear that keeps me positively dry (check the sailing section at MEC.) But it's also a bit like being in a sauna when you have it on. I've made a decision to prioritize.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Karen:

      You know that I would rather wear less than more. Feels so cumbersome with multi layers of jackets on. I know what you are saying with "waiting it out" but only you have unlimited time during summer vacations. The rest of us have finite vacation times and we can't afford to waste a day waiting for the rain to stop.

      Delete
  10. That rain had to go somewhere .. ta Bob :( Oh well the farmers like it .. even if it means another weekend of no riding for me. I have all the rain gear and it still rains, but only long enough for me to get it on, then it stops.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brenda:

      I know it has to be raining somewhere . . . Too bad it couldn't just rain at nights, or only from Monday to Friday. We need rain or we wouldn't have food, you're right

      Delete
  11. That's good looking gear Bob.

    I've gone the frogg togg route, wind and waterproof and light....worn over my riding gear though and like RichardM, I look like the Michelin man

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dom:

      I have never seen a Frog Togg. I have heard of them but I don't think youl can find them up here. I see them for sale on-line but I can't buy something I have never seen. This riding jacket that I bought was at the Beemer dealer so it should be good

      Delete
  12. Bob

    You are so talenetd in may respects not least of which is production of dynamic photo montages (how do you do it?)

    The concept of internal waterproof lines is completely stupid as you point out and as I found out this year in Wales. I have now invested in a nifty one piece fluoro yellow oversuit for my forthcoming 2000 mile tour to the BMW 90th celebration at Garmisch .

    N

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nikos:

      I don't know how that montage was done, it just showed up so obviously I clicked something in error. I am not that smart

      Delete
  13. Ed:

    You're not going to believe this but that GIF "just showed up" in Picassa. I must have pushed or clicked a button my accident and there it was

    ReplyDelete