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Riding out the weather
23 January 2025
Riding out the weather
It may be the middle of winter but with appropriate care and protective gear to match, many of us are still enjoying time on the road.
Among them is 365-rider, Paul Browne.
Here he talks through the kit he wears and will be wearing to ward off the weather and protect his vitals.
This winter the weather around my way has been pretty extreme.
It’s rained so hard that the drops have bounced off the ground and come down a second time.
Then there’s the snow. While the roads are well gritted, going out in it is not for the feint of heart. Once it stops and our four wheeled friends have cut a groove into it that’s when it’s ok to go out again.
When temperatures go back up and the rain starts it’s an actual improvement as the tyres on my Tenere 700 are more than good on the wet stuff.
When it all blows away and I get a few clear days it’s still very, very cold in my part of the world.
Get yer kit on
Good kit isn’t a luxury it’s a necessity.
Because I’m a two wheeled superhero I tend to ride out in all of this. That and I don’t own a car.
To that end I know what I want in the range and the adventure kit from most manufacturers works a treat.
The idea here is that the two piece suit – they’re always two piece – will keep the rider both warm and dry.
For the last number of years I’ve being using an Alpine Stars jacket and trousers.
They zip together, are lined with GoreTex and have armour in all the right places. The jacket is even prepped for an airbag. They’ve served me well and caused me no problems.
Last year I switched to Halvarssons (pictured right) and once again there’s no issue with the rain.
On both suits I take out the winter lining and wear thermals and a mid-layer in the winter. This is more of an old habit from back in the day when fabric clothing was simply awful!
When the good weather does return both have vents that can be incredibly refreshing in the heat, while keeping me waterproof for those summer showers.
Being someone who can cover substantial mileage this type of kit is invaluable.
Well leathered
Now the company that make my favourite leathers, French company Furygan, have added a line of adventure gear to their range.
It definitely looks the part and if it’s half as good as their traditional leather gear then it’s going to be good.
The warm bit on the inside of both top and bottoms is a long sleeved, seam free, affair called Thermo 37.5.
As I’d expect it’s fully breathable, which will keep me from being a sweaty mess when I’ve reached my destination. This is because it maintains the wearer’s body temperature.
Because it’s seam-free my perfect, porcelain skin will also remain un-chafed.
Once again the pants and top are independent pieces.
The two new additions that I’m looking forward to are the ‘Apalaches’ jacket (pictured left) and the wonderfully Irish weather inspired ‘Ciaran’ pants.
Both can be joined together with a full waist zip and both represent a significant step up from the company’s previous offerings.
They come with a removable thermal layer as standard and are fitted with D30 armour.
That last one is a very clever reactive armour. In its resting state it’s light, flexible and pretty much unnoticeable. I – and hopefully I won’t be filing a first hand report on how well it works – it hits the ground it ‘locks’ upon impact and absorbs a huge amount of the shock.
Booty talk
Then there’s the boots.
They’re called Chattan. Whilst I’ve long ago given up trying to figure out how, where and why they come up with these names, these look fantastic. See for yourself – they’re pictured top left!
Being waterproof and breathable they’ve got everything I need.
As with my Knox gloves, this neat set of footwear comes with a Boa twist button closer to ensure a perfect fit.
Then there’s the sole. It’s made by Michelin and carries their name. As someone who really likes their tyres I’m looking forward to checking their grip.
Furygan kit is available at selected retailers and bike dealers and via furygan.com.
