Colin’s column December 2011

Motorcyclists don’t want clingy rubber round the neck or wrists

Laying on my back in the Silent, staring up at the Needles as I bob about in my completely waterproof ocean survival suit, supported by the air trapped inside, I realise the error of my ways. My mistake is in habitually arguing that today’s outdoor stuff is pretty much the same, whether it’s for hiking, climbing, sailing or motorcycling.

I’m not completely wrong. There are huge areas of crossover, such as base layers, socks, knee armor, the Buff and waterproof bags. Whether these things started among skiers, skateboarders or cyclists, they’re useful to us and them and many more besides. Velcro, Lycra, Gore-Tex and Cardura are among the technologies that span disciplines; it’s the same stuff.

But there are, in truth, as many differences as there are similarities. You won’t get far trying to sell waterproof gear to skateboarders. Yachtsmen and ramblers don’t want body armor. And motorcyclists don’t want clingy rubber around the neck and wrists. That includes me – it can be pretty unpleasant, especially on a hot day.

But in some ways we’re the ones missing out. The fact that I can float around in my borrowed Must HPX Ocean Dry suit is proof that the clingy rubber works when properly attached to a suit constructed with the Gore-Tex Pro Shell membrane, provided it is also blessed with a zip that can keep water out.

We all know that frustrating feeling of wearing a genuinely waterproof bike jacket, only to find the rain creeping in through the cuffs and neck. That would be a thing of the past if somebody could find a way of adapting this sailor suit’s cuff and neck closures, without the unpleasantness of the rubber.

Motorcycling is a small world, and not a particularly rich one, and that limits the amount of research and development money that will be put into clothes for bikers. But all the while smart people like Alpine stars and WL Gore are spotting the parallels between different weekend pursuits, we can also benefit from the money being invested in wealthier worlds like skiing and yachting.

I was wearing my bright yellow £1000 suit on a six-meter RIB that had successfully tackled the Arctic Circle, but was now reduced to the rather humbler task of introducing journalists and other non-essential personnel to the joys of crashing through the waves around the Isle of Wight, sometimes stopping to get out and explore a cave or waddle our way on to a beach for lunch.

It reminded me of some of the extremes involved in motorcycling. When you’re flat out at 30-something knots on a choppy bit of sea, it’s every bit as invigorating as the BMW Off Road Skills course. Slowing to walking pace and watching some dolphin’s frolic nearby is perhaps analogous to halting a Sunday morning ride near Woburn Abbey to watch deer feeding under the trees.

And on a boat it’s okay not to wear a helmet, so you get the full impact of the fresh, salty air too. Lovely.