Picked up new gear

The Mountain

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Sep 28, 2017
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MassiveTwoS#hits
When I got my bike back from storage this past weekend, I picked up some new riding gear too. Here's my initial impression:

Helmet: Shoei RF1200 - I got a Medium, as that's the size the Shoei size chart says I should have. Fit is good, no pressure points. The helmet has a fair amount of low-frequency "boom" from wind noise, though highs are mercifully well-muffled. I was riding without the chin curtain, so that may make a difference. The helmet feels a bit short on the back of my neck, but it also seemed a bit low on my forehead, so I may just have to experiment with putting it on more carefully. Visibility is fine, no distortion in the visor and nothing obstructing my vision. Definitely need to get a tinted visor for daytime riding though; have to save my pennies because replacement shields are freaking expensive.

Jacket: Firstgear Kathmandu - Fit is good (bought an XL). Lots of adjustment straps, so it's easy to get the jacket "just right". Insulated liner works well, at least in the upper 40s. Nice selection of pockets on the jacket, and easy to get into, though it would be nice if the front outside pockets were deeper. The little hydration backpack is a nice touch, but there's no loop inside it to hang the bladder from, so it just sags down into the bottom of the pack, and no dedicated port for the drinking tube to pass through. I can't say how good the waterproofing is, or the rain hood; we'll have to see.

Gloves: Moose Racing ADV1 - I got the size XL per their chart. It's a little snug and uncomfortable, but since the gloves are textile they should stretch some with wear. The fleece liner is warm, but since it's not attached anywhere inside the glove, it becomes tangled easily, and is equally easy to pull out of the glove while taking the glove off. The fingers are a little long compared to the palm (at least for my hand) so operating some of the controls is a little difficult (almost a centimeter of loose material at the end of some fingers). I'm hoping that wear and stretch will improve the fit.
 

Cycledude

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Jan 29, 2016
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Rib lake wi
Congratulations on the new gear and thanks for the early reviews, I have been considering getting a Katmandu myself for a Inuvik trip in August.
 

The Mountain

Active Member
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Sep 28, 2017
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MassiveTwoS#hits
An update now that I've had some time to use the gear more:

The helmet: I added the breath guard and the chin curtain, but there is still quite a bit of low-frequency wind noise. The helmet still fits fine, though I'm finding that the neck opening is just small enough that my right ear often gets folded over when putting the helmet on. If the neck opening were just slightly larger, and with thicker padding to make up the difference, it would be perfect. As it is, there's not quite enough "give" to comfortably put the helmet on. Once it's on correctly, though, it fits great. Vents work nicely and the shield seals well.

Jacket: I still haven't had the opportunity to test the waterproofing. The insulated liner is very effective on chilly mornings, and the jacket has great storage capabilities. When the weather warms up, removing the liner makes the jacket very comfortable with great airflow. I haven't tried it yet in really hot weather, but I don't think I'll have much to complain about. One small complaint is that the velcro on the outer pockets is very "grabby" and is even pulling out some of the thread used to sew the velcro patches on the pocket flaps. I'm going to have to keep an eye on that.

Gloves: After wearing them for a while, they do seem to have stretched a bit, and the fit got better. They also seem to do pretty well at keeping my hands warm even when the temps are in the 30s-40s. However, I did find that once the temps climb and my hands get steamy, the liner pulls out really easily. If I'm not extremely careful about removing them, the fingers of the liner get really snarled up. I had to take one of the gloves back off yesterday to take something out of a pocket, and the thumb in that glove's liner became twisted. It took me a good ten minutes and having to take the other glove off too just to get the liner untangled enough to put the gloves back on, and even then it still didn't really fit properly. I had to use the handle of a wooden kitchen spoon to re-align the liner when I got home and it still doesn't fit like it did before. For the price, they're pretty good "chilly weather" gloves i.e. for early spring or late fall, especially at the price. They're probably not true "cold weather/winter" gloves. They're also better-suited for a long trip where you don't take them off until you arrive at your destination, rather than short trips around town.
 

WJBertrand

Ventura Highway
Joined
Jun 20, 2015
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4,516
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Ventura, CA
The Mountain said:
An update now that I've had some time to use the gear more:

The helmet: I added the breath guard and the chin curtain, but there is still quite a bit of low-frequency wind noise. The helmet still fits fine, though I'm finding that the neck opening is just small enough that my right ear often gets folded over when putting the helmet on. If the neck opening were just slightly larger, and with thicker padding to make up the difference, it would be perfect. As it is, there's not quite enough "give" to comfortably put the helmet on. Once it's on correctly, though, it fits great. Vents work nicely and the shield seals well.
Do you use ear plugs? That should stop that booming. Also note that studies have found that loud, low frequency wind noise has lead to hearing loss. With respect to ears folding over, you might try a helmet liner, that just covers the upper part of your ear. They let the helmet slip on easier in my experience as well as helping keep the helmet interior cleaner.
 
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