Great new women's gear

[operaflute]

Here's a great, fairly new line of QUALITY gear, actually designed for women. (Wow!) It's called G-Line and made by Hein Gericke.
I splurged on the "Del Mar" jacket - it just arrived a few days ago, and I absolutely love it!
The leather is nice and soft, the vents are generous with good sized perfs, and it fits my small size perfectly. The "comfort" armor certainly is comfortable - at first I thought it was missing - but since I'm used to the feeling of an ironing board strapped to my back, I feel a little exposed - maybe I'll get new armor in the future.
Anyway, I thought I'd share that, since quality women's gear is so tough to find.
http://www.g-line-store.com/intro.html

[YammiGirl]

Nice find! Products look good.

[OnTheGo]

I want purple!!!!:tongue :tongue

[ersigh]

I got to see the "show" where they showed off their new product line at last years femmoto (http://www.femmoto.com) event. I'm happy to see more gear being made for women. My body type still requires customization though. *sniffles* My only real complaint is that all the pants have straight legs rather than legs that will fit comfortably under riding boots, it would be nice if they had some that tapered to fit under boots for those who prefer that.

[Killer Curves]

Anybody got a line on some good used leathers?

[ersigh]

Anybody got a line on some good used leathers?

I have a two piece custom bates that I picked up years ago (it wasn't custom made for me), but I have yet to find anyone who would fit in it, as it's made for someone who I guess is between size 14-16 and 5 ft 4.

You can find used stuff occasionally on ebay, but you're better off looking at new enough. They are pretty helpful too.

http://www.newenough.com/index2.htm

[Bootsy Kay]

Motostrano has a good selection of gear, too.

http://www.motostrano.com

[operaflute]

I got my gloves there (Motostrano, online) - the only place I could find them anywhere. It's an Austrian brand "Racer" And real women's sizes, too!
Here's a review.

http://www.svrider.com/articles/oct05/glove_test.htm

I really like 'em. Obviously my career demans that I not skimp on gloves! And they're really breezy - great for summer. Pretty cold for winter, though - I want to get the Aerostitch overgloves for colder weather.

[ST_Lisa]

Honestly, as a motorcycle dealer who deals with apparel all of the time, I think the G-line from Hein Gericke is not that good. The quality isn't really there and the fitting isn't going to work for anyone with much of a full figure. And if you add to that that the US distributor is having cash-flow problems, I wouldn't seriously even look at it.

There are other lines out there to try including BMW (even if you don't ride one the gear is great), Rukka, and Olympia. Obviously I'm biased since I'm a BMW dealer, but let's ensure that we don't sell our needs short as settling for G-line is having your partner miss your G-spot.

Lisa

[operaflute]

Curious - what do you find lacking in the G-Line stuff, specifically? (Aside from fit.)
Thanks!

[ersigh]

Curious - what do you find lacking in the G-Line stuff, specifically? (Aside from fit.)
Thanks!

haha ... your avatar. lmao! :lol

I haven't been in as close contact with the gear as St_Lisa but I saw the line when they were announcing the new gear at Femmoto and I wasn't particularly impressed (removing all my dislike for flowery girlie prints and what not from my judgement). The leather looked thin, especially the pants, like something a cruiser rider would wear to go to the movies. The gear didn't look to have much in the way of protective padding/armor ... and like I said before, none of it appealed to the girl who rides more than around town.

I agree that it's good to have gear that fits women and appeals to women but I think they focused more on appealing to girlie types than making gear for passionate riders. I'm sure they would deny that but I know that if gear I look at doesn't have as much armor as the cheap crap that men can buy off the shelves, I won't even consider it because it's not protective enough. I also feel that companies that are making that gear aren't taking the "riding" aspect in Women Rider very seriously.

There were a few women showing the gear who had some shape (although the size difference between hip and waist wasn't much in those girls) and extra weight so I'm not sure that the fits are that limiting but I do know they wouldn't fit me, not due to size but shape (my waist is uber smaller than my hips).

I figure even if the gear isn't that great
and doesn't really apply to those of us who are "hardcore" riders, it's still good that the company is making more gear for women. I had a hein gericke 2 piece, women specific suit a few years back that I loved and had tons of armor, I actually think it was better made than some of the stuff they are selling in their G-line.

[ersigh]

I got my gloves there (Motostrano, online) - the only place I could find them anywhere. It's an Austrian brand "Racer" And real women's sizes, too!
Here's a review.

http://www.svrider.com/articles/oct05/glove_test.htm

I really like 'em. Obviously my career demans that I not skimp on gloves! And they're really breezy - great for summer. Pretty cold for winter, though - I want to get the Aerostitch overgloves for colder weather.

Thanks for the link on the gloves. I'll have to check them out. I wonder if there's a shop that sells them so I can figure out what size I wear.

[operaflute]

I hadn't any luck trying to try them on for size (Racer gloves). I even tried to fax an outline I drew of my hands to Motostrano, but the fax didn't really maintain it's size or something.
Luckily, I guessed correctly, although I can't remember if I got S or XS!

[VampMiztress]

I was at Road Rider yesterday, and they carry those gloves. And let me tell you how yummy they feel on my hands.

From the top of my middle finger to the top of my wrist, I measure a little over 6.5" and I wore a XS. The small gloves weren't completely out of the realm of possibility, they fit very close to the XS, the main difference was the fingers were long, I could bend back some leather.

The glove feel very comfortable on my hands, and while I didn't buy them, I just can't get them out of my mind. For the price it seems you get more, compared to other gloves. They're not so high tech looking that I feel as though I'm part robot or some other non-organic organism.

The problem I'm finding in buying a pair of gloves is them rubbing on my knuckles. No rubs, and I know they're leather so they'll stretch a bit, but they really were super yummy, and super comfortable when I put them on.

They don't seem to have skimped on anything. Methinks I found my gloves, but first I need to get over the sticker shock ($150).

[KansasKawboy]

I have trouble with gloves, my right index finger and left pinky are 1/4 of an inch shorter than the other hand and I get the folded over leather thing.

[ridingAK]

$150 is pricey for gloves, but it is so hard to find them that fit well, I think you should go for it. Spending $150 for gloves that you like and wear is a lot cheaper than buying 3 or 4 pair of cheaper gloves that you don't like and only wear because you have to. Don't ask me how I know.:mgbanghead:

[VampMiztress]

$150 is pricey for gloves, but it is so hard to find them that fit well, I think you should go for it. Spending $150 for gloves that you like and wear is a lot cheaper than buying 3 or 4 pair of cheaper gloves that you don't like and only wear because you have to. Don't ask me how I know.:mgbanghead:

:lol: When I was riding dirt, I don't know how many pairs of gloves I went through, trying to find a pair where the seam didn't bug me or attempt to blister the skin between my thumb and index finger. Finally, I gave up and put moleskin over the area. :: rolleyes ::

I thought that was a bit pricey, but man, they fit like a dream, and seem to be a good all-around weather glove. Not too light for autumn, but not too heavy for summer.

One of their selling points is they keep moisture from getting in, and allow any moisture (sweat, I'm guessing) to evaporate. So no clamminess, I'm guessing.

[ridingAK]

That is cool. I wear my summer gloves down to about 35 degrees. I'm chilly at that point, but with grip heaters I do ok. The problem is that they aren't waterproof, and even the sweat from my hands causes them to bleed so much black dye onto my hands that my hands look bruised for a day or two after riding in hot weather, or any rain.

I have winter/waterproof gloves now that I don't dislike, but I don't like them either. I just wish I could design my own.

[Johnny_5]

I bought a cheap set of gloves on sale from cycle gear that were a touch too tight. Took them home, soaked them in water and wore them around the house while flexing my hands to stretch them out. Now they fit perfect. Got a little black dye at the start but none now.

[KCDakar]

Just make sure that when you make a fist that the back of the glove is not tight. If it is it will lead to numb hands. Also any folds on the palm and fingers if they are too loose will cause problems too.
Gloves are hard to fit. If you find a pair you think will work you should take the plunge as they will be hard to find again if you don't. No two pair are exactly the same...
:thumbup:

[Maleficent]

Just a tip for breaking in new gloves....I had a very nice pair of a* SP 1's. They felt thick and stiff and for a new rider just getting the hang of clutch control it proved to be troublesome. So, I put lexol like crazy thick on them, rolled them up starting at the fingertips all the back so they looked like a cinnamon roll, then put them in one of my socks to keep them rolled up. Lefth them that way for a week. Took them out, Lexoled them again and then I wore them when I drove my car for awhile. Worked great, now they are fitted to my hands and don't cause me any problems.

No I'm going to find something to eat...that cinnamon roll analogy has got me craving something sweet and fattening....:lol:

[Lucky_Devil]

I've also heard that you can soak them in water and then throw them in the freezer to stretch them out. When the water expands from freezing, it stretches out the glove. Then you can thaw it out, let 'em dry, and away you go.

I've never tried this myself though... so YMMV

[gomoto]

Just my 2 cents not trying to make anyone upset but I did not think that a previous post fairly represented "G" and it is insulting to anyone who has spent her earned dollars on motorcycle gear to read such a biased report.

Just wanted to say I am a full figured rider/racer and the only 2 piece suit I could find to fit me comfortably and properly was the Bonzai by G. They are the only line with full leathers that will fit women up to size 16 and 18 off the shelf. The Bonzai is very comfortable, ventilated and perfect for drag racing since it zips together and I have done a few track days with it as well. A friend of mine crashed in the same suit on a track day and there is only scuffs on the leather nothing tore or came apart.There is no way I would put on that suit every race day, every track day, every trip from work and home if I did not think it would protect my skin.

Someone said the quality is not there but Hein Gericke has been making leathers for over 35 years.
They offer 5 year Replacement on Leather Goods and 3 Year on Textile.

They listened to women who wanted comfortable and safe armor so they developed Hiprotec CE armor. As we all know how much protection each of us choses to wear is a balance between how comfortable and how protected we want to be I believe G by Hein Gericke struck that balance.

I have a teammate who crash in a Dainese one piece for women and the seams blew open and she got road rash up her backside. 2 other girls apart of Plush Racing (all girls race team I am apart of) crashed in Alpinestars suits with out a scratch on them. So can you really tell by the price tag on the suit how well it will protect you?

I know BMW and Olympia make great gear no one would disagree but do you really think the way to sell that is by knocking other brands why not highlight why you think it is better instead of tearing down other brands.

I am not new to gear I worked for a company with over 60 motorcycle shops throughout the US for 3 years as an assistant manager and I after I tried to convince that company to bring in more womens gear, and was laughed at, I went after the American dream and now own an all women's motorcycle shop. Because I thought it was important that women had access to the same gear as men, access to information, access to a knowledgeable person who would not judge them or turn to the man standing next to her to carry a conversation.

I ride everyday rain or shine, I drag race, I promote women in the sport through Plush. I sponsor women events (like the all female drag race in June, the Women's VIP track day by ZoomZoom) and I support women in this industry who are making MX gear and street gear for women. I am small business owner and I struggle everyday just to positively promote women riders and it is a shame when I see other women knocking on company's that actually care about women riders and racers.

Let's try not to sell women short and the progress we are making in this industry. Even if these company's that are either women owned or are taking steps to bring in women designers and women leaders are struggling at least they are trying by not only designing gear for women but removing glass ceilings internally . Any of us could take the cush road and work for a huge corporation and thats great but bandwagons are not for us pioneers we would rather blaze trails and take a chance than have to say we never tried.

:wootrock:Rock on ladies and keep the rubber side down:thumbup:

[sweptwingnut]

No worries GoMoto. No one here is offended. :thumbup:

While the experiences and opinions may vary among the individuals, it is a shame to see a vendor slamming another vendor on the forums. I hope you will trust us when we say that the atmosphere here today is much different than it was two years ago.

Everyone here is very pro-female rider and ready to lend a hand whenever possible. We will always strive to keep it that way.

Thanks for bringing this to light and helping us set the record straight. :cheers:

[Luna Tique]

No worries GoMoto. No one here is offended. :thumbup:

While the experiences and opinions may vary among the individuals, it is a shame to see a vendor slamming another vendor on the forums. I hope you will trust us when we say that the atmosphere here today is much different than it was two years ago.

Everyone here is very pro-female rider and ready to lend a hand whenever possible. We will always strive to keep it that way.

Thanks for bringing this to light and helping us set the record straight. :cheers:

+1:thumbup: I agree