Budget ADV Gear for Men

We've chatted before on Twitter and I listen to your Podcast from time to time. I know you are an expert on motorcycle gear so I thought I'd ask you for some advice.  

A friend of mine was looking for some good ADV pants on a budget and I thought you might be a good person to ask that question. 

Thanks, Rob

Hi Rob!

Thanks for your email. I'm thrilled to answer anyone's questions, regardless of gender :)

As far as ADV pants on a budget, how about these various Klim pants on sale? The nice thing about Klim is the construction, Cordura. For less than $100 you can't go wrong with any of these. Hopefully there's something left in his size:

Klim Revolt - $55.38 ; however only sizes 28-30ish are left, these are vented but you can close them if need be. these are designed to be worn over the boots

Klim Mojave - $93.49; only a few sizes left, these are permanently vented for summer riding only, these are designed to be worn over the boots

Klim Chinook - $93.49; again, only a few sizes left, these also have adjustable vents and are designed to wear inside the boots

Olympia Dakar - $189.99; also Cordura construction, which zip away above the knees to turn into shorts!

Summer Motorcycle Gloves for Men

Joanne,

I came across your GearChic blog & Moterrific podcast after listening to either the Wheelnerds or (more likely) The Pace Podcast.  I've caught up on all the podcasts & really appreciate all the great info & engaging interviews you & Christi have with people in the industry.  I listen quite a bit through my Sena while commuting to & from work & often on rides elsewhere (I'm a podcast addict, so I have something playing just about anytime).  

I have a gear question I've been trying to nail down for a while, since I ride mostly Kawasaki bikes - an '02 KLR650 (now 685) and an '09 Versys - both green.  I'm trying to find a comfortable summer-oriented glove for riding in the usual 80-100 degree summers we have here, and it would be a real bonus to find something in a Kawasaki green.  I currently wear a Sedici medium gauntlet style glove in the spring & fall, as well as some insulated Joe Rocket gauntlet gloves or Tourmaster heated gauntlets for winter.  During the summer, I will usually wear the Sedici gloves to work, but on the hot ride home, I will either wear some cheap dirt gloves or Mechanix gloves.  I know these won't give me the same protection as good street gloves in the event of a crash, so I'm hoping you can steer me in the right direction.

Thanks & I hope to boost your email count just a little :)

Cheers,

Aaron in Yuba City, CA

Hi Aaron!

Thanks for breaking my email record and making it 6 emails in the last week. I'm stoked to help you out. I'm going to warn you, these will all cost more than your budget gloves, but they are going to offer lots of protection, ventilation and comfort.

As far as Kawi Green, that's a tough one. As most of my recommendations aren't available in that color. Try not to think about that too much, you're not looking down at your hands while you're riding, right? :D But I found you one option below that is offered in green, just in case.

Here are my favorite men's summer gloves which also offer plenty of abrasion protection on the palms for street riding. They look like dual sport gloves, and they definitely work well for that but the protection on these are sweet for street riding.

1/ Rev'it Dirt 2 (my fave)

$109.99. These are extremely well ventilated and have a strong goatskin palm, reinforced palms and hard knuckle protection just in case. Like all Rev'it gloves, the fingers tend to run a tad longer.  A really neat feature about these gloves is that there is mesh above the thumbs, so if you have trouble with gloves that are too short over the thumb, these may work better. They're also touchscreen friendly, but please no texting and driving~!

Fitwise, they are a bit narrow at the wrist so if you have really wide hands/palms, go up a size. But they will stretch out in the palms after you break them in.

2/ Held Sambia

$108.00. The Sambias are very similar to the Rev'it, with different construction but the same general purpose/features. Lots of abrasion resistance in the palms for street protection, and ventilation for summer. They also have my favorite, kangaroo palms!

Fitwise, they're also a bit on the narrow side so if you have really wide hands then order a size up. Finger lengths are average, not too short, not too long.

3/ Alpinestars SMX-2 Air Carbon

$79.95 These were actually on my mind as I read through your email. What a coincidence they come in kawi green! These also have a nice leather/mesh construction with carbon fiber hard protections. Lots of air flow with lots of protection. They also happen to be touch screen friendly.

Fitwise, I have found that these will have slightly shorter fingers and accommodate a wide palm without going up a size.

What's Twitter all about?

This just about sums it up for why I'm on Twitter, how useful it can be and why I use it.

Some people just tweet and don't facebook. Some people facebook and don't tweet. Whatever method you use, I just hope that you're finding exactly what you need! 

Motorcycle glove recommendations

Ok, from time to time I have to give advice to the men of this world too!

This email just came in from Bill K.:

Motorcycle Glove fitment by brand question.... I have fat hands with short fingers. My last two purchases of higher quality gloves went poorly. I got some alpinestars based on finger length, and they were so tight around the palm the actually burst a seam. So I got a set of Lee Parks gloves ($ouch) based on girth around the knuckles (where they fit perfectly), and they are too long for my fingers. I'm hoping after a few good rain rides, they will shrink shorter to fit, but who knows...can you recommend a brand that caters to the "fat hands and short fingers" market?

Actually, I have found a few brands to fit wider hands and shorter fingers.  My favorite quality glove with this kind of fit and shape is Held. (http://www.heldusa.com) 

And the fit is not as narrow in the wrists/palms as other brands that I've seen (for men and women).  For an all around glove, I'd recommend the Steve Classic:

Not only does it start in a size 6 (perfect for teeny tiny, XS hands. I'm a 6.5/7) but you can order this glove in short or long sizes! I havent' seen any other gloves on the market that offer this option. 

If you want a glove with more protection, Held has a great line of sport gloves with stronger gauntlets and more armor too. Unfortunately those aren't offered in short/long. 

Also check out Olympia Gloves (which is different from the Olympia Motosports Apparel line).  

 The Kangaroo Curve is a slightly shorter, but well ventilated glove for summer: 

They have over 80 types of motorcycle gloves, so hopefully they offer something that you need!

And I almost forgot,  2 more brands to consider, Cortech and Tourmaster. They tend to have a wider stance in the palms and shorter fingers.