EXTRA
COMFORT
ALL YEAR
ROUND
It's not much to look at, but a well
chosen mid layer can make all the
difference to your riding comfort,
whatever the weather
New to the UK, Dane offer a wide range of
Scandinavian-designed gear for the serious
motorcyclist, much of it using Gore-Tex
membranes and other top-quality materials.
www.daneclothing.uk
A NEW NAME
IN RIDER
WEAR
✱ On the bike
Like all good mid layers, the
Thor does two main jobs on
the bike: helping the outer
fight off the wind and rain, and
helping the base layer regulate
the rider's temperature.
✱ Off the bike
✱ Mighty Thor
This is the Thor from Dane, a
soft shell jacket designed as
part of their impressively wide
motorcycle collection.
✱ Three layers
Although it's thin and light, it's
constructed from three layers.
Between them, they make it
water resistant, wind resistant
and breathable.
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No need to take a casual jacket
with you on tour if your mid
layer has the Thor's weatherbeating qualities and its handy
variety of pockets: this is all
you need for walking off
in search of the local curry
house in the evening.
Dane's range of rider wear has been around for a
while in Scandinavia and elsewhere, but it will be
a new name to many British bikers.
They'll be pleasantly surprised by how
complete and rider-focused the range is. From
balaclavas, kidney belts and backpacks up to
boots, gloves and textile suits, everything the
serious rider needs is there, and the prices are
seriously competitive.
Just take a look at this glove – one of more
than a dozen offered by Dane. Called the Tyril
Gore-Tex, its spec sheet reads like a RiDE editor's
dream: goat skin, cow hide, nubuck, flexible
armour, an easy-to-adjust Velcro wrist restraint
and a Velcro flap on the cuff. It has touchscreenfriendly pads on the fingers, to make GPS and
smartphone operation easier.
But perhaps the most remarkable feature of
this three-season glove is that it's so light,
flexible and slender, while feeling supportive and
protective. They've got it just right. It won't clash
with your jacket's sleeves or your bike's hand
guards. Why can't all gloves be this good?
And you may struggle to believe the price: just
under £100. The rest of the range is similarly well
priced, considering the high spec and quality
materials involved – a choice of Gore-Tex jackets
for less than £400 , for instance.
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THE ART OF LAYERING
A few simple guidelines can minimise bulk and maximise comfort
There are no hard and fast rules about layering, but there is a little
science involved. Don't worry – you don't need to understand a
single one of the laws of physics, or indeed human anatomy. You
just need to trust us and the people who made the kit we're
recommending here.
Start with a base layer. Summer base layers are there essentially
to wick away sweat, thereby keeping you more comfortable.
Winter base layers do the same but also need to have some thermal
properties to keep you warm. A mid layer is not critical, but is
generally a good idea. It's mostly there to provide some extra
thermal control by drawing moisture from the body in hot weather,
and trapping pockets of warm air in cold weather. It will also help
the outer layer fend off incoming cold and wet.
Sometimes that mid layer will be electrically heated. Not
everyone's cup of tea, but an idea championed by many yearround and long-distance riders. Modern bike electrics are generally
well able to cope with the strain. A simpler option is heated grips
for your bike, or a heated vest that carries its own battery.
Your top layer is what you'd normally think of merely as your
bike jacket and trousers. It keeps the wind and water off. And don't
be shy about carrying a simple waterproof over
jacket for those times when it's about to tip
down. Even the best jackets can soak up a lot
of rain and then take a long while to dry out.
Follow a variation of this plan and the
end result should be that you're cooler on
hot days, warmer on cold days, comfortable
all year round, not weighed down by
unnecessarily bulky kit.
BASE LAYERS, MID LAYERS, HEATED KIT
MANUFACTURERMODEL
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PRICE DETAILS
CONTACT
Biketek
Heated jacket liner£180
Easy to use, highly effective
biketek-heated-clothing.co.uk
EDZ
All-Climate£29.99
Base layer top with a short zip
www.edzlayering.com
Innershell Shirt
www.edzlayering.com
Exo2
Stormwalker 2 heated jacket£109.99
With zip-off sleeves
www.exo2.co.uk
Forecefield
Base Layer Shirt£54.99
Tailored fit, well made, very effective
forcefieldbodyarmour.com
Gerbing's
Heated jacket liner£169.99
Fits under your jacket, wired in to your bike
www.gerbing.co.uk
XR-12 heated glove£159.99
Proper armoured waterproof heated glove
www.gerbing.co.uk
Keiss
Sleeved heated jacket
www.motohaus.com
£50 Packs away really small: take it everywhere
£169.99 Cosy jacket even when it's switched off
Knox Cold Killers Wind Buddy£79.99
Zip-front soft shell mid layer
www.planet-knox.com
Dry Inside Long Sleeve T-Shirt £39.99 Feels like cotton, but wicks sweat
www.planet-knox.com
Dry Inside Base Layer Pants
www.planet-knox.com
Oxford
Cool Dry long-sleeve top£29.29
Lightweight base layer for year-round use
www.oxprod.com
Cool Dry trousers£29.29
Close-fitting under trousers
www.oxprod.com
Warm Dry long-sleeve top£29.29
Warmer winter base layer
www.oxprod.com
Warm Dry trousers£29.29
Thicker than Cool Dry, but still close fitting
www.oxprod.com
Hot Vest£149.99
Zip-up vest with its own battery (or wires)
www.oxprod.com
Hot Hands£64.99
Simplest of Oxford's many heated grips
www.oxprod.com
Spada
Chill Factor 2 Inner Gloves www.spadaclothing.co.uk
Tucano Urbano
Polo Nord£23.99
Simple and effective base layer top
www.urbanrider.co.uk
Polo Sud£20.99
Simple and effective base layer trousers
www.urbanrider.co.uk
£34.99 Designed to minimise bunching
£9.95
Extra layer when needed; good off the bike