Gearing up – What we Wear on an Adventure Rally

Sidi adventure for long distance/adv riding. Good solid all round water proof boot.

Sidi Crossfire for off road riding. Excellent protection, very comfortable for an mx boot. Not waterproof

Gaerne All Terrain trials boot. Off road wet multi day. Waterproof, supremely comfortable. A lot less protection than the Crossfire.

Adventure Spec Core top and bottoms

Really comfortable. When worn in association with other AdvSpec gear its versatile and copes with a broad temperature range, from temperate to sub 0.

Adventure Spec Mongolia with forcefield protection.

Superb pant with an excellent fit. Pleanty of pockets and ventilation when needed. Generous length. Pleanty of room for knee braces when required. Very robust but light weight. Excellent protection.

Aadventure Spec Linesman with Forcefield protection.

Excellent cut. Very comfortable to ride in. Doesn’t restrict movement and is in no way baggy. Pleanty of pockets and ventilation. I don’t ride in anything else.

In really cold conditions I use Rab mid layers of varying weight depending on temperature.

Adventure Spec Aqua Pac waterproof.

Very light weight. Very waterproof. Simple but effective.

Coming from an outdoor background, the Adventure Spec layering system suits me because it is simple yet very effective and comfortable. Its all lightweight but very tough protection and as warm or cool as you want it by adding or removing layers. I couldn’t ask for better.

Klim Krios

Comfortable,  light and copes well with adverse weather. Excellent coms with the Sena fitted.

Adventure spec linesman jacket. Best jacket by a long way

Adventure spec in boot trousers or Klim Dakar pants in black and yellow (best fit)

Alpinestars Spartan gloves

Klim winter gloves

Adventure spec thermal layer

Alpinestars Tech 10 boots

Arai Tour x4 helmet

EVS knee guards

Helmet:

BMW GS Enduro Carbon (I won this for free after filling in an online survey for BMW), very light and comfortable. Fitted with a Sena SMH10 bluetooth intercom for communication on events.

Gloves:

BMW GS, best gloves i’ve found for dual sport use, bought my first pair in 2006 and currently on my third pair. MX style but leather for good protection and a decent price too!

Jacket:

Currently Klim Traverse, not exactly cheap and fitted with D3O armour that you have to buy separately but comfortable, waterproof and breathable with plenty of ventilation zips! Not lined so usually worn over a Dare2b fleece (see below).

Soon to be replaced by an Adventure Spec Linesman Jacket (with RallyMoto logos of course).

The Linesman Jacket isn’t waterproof so will be teamed up with a cheap Dare2b cycling waterproof over the top, I have a load of their walking and cycling kit as they sponsor a cycle race that I’m the Assistant Race Director for so although I’ve received loads of kit for free over the years (shame they don’t make motorcycling gear), I’ve always been impressed by the design and quality even if they are a budget brand (albeit the ‘posh’ label of Regatta Clothing). This jacket I bought myself off their clearance website for the ridiculously low price of £12! Waterproof and breathable and has not let me down so far.

Trousers:

Klim Traverse if wet, nicely cut and reasonably well ventilated but again expensive. I bought mine (and the jacket) at the same time as the bike so I got a healthy discount and they even threw in some of the D3O armour for free. So either used with the integrated armour or over Pod K4 Knee braces (due to having torn both Right ACL and left MCL in the past)!

If it’s dry and especially when hot I wear Klim Dakar over boot pants, again with integrated armour, they are comfortable and very well ventilated although my pair are looking distinctly second hand as a result of having been worn on the Tuareg Rally in 2015 where they took a hammering but still going strong.  In case of unexpected rain I have a pair of the ubiquitous British Army goretex overtrousers, another bargain at only £20.

Again I am due to get some replacement trousers in the shape of Adventure Spec as soon as Mr Lomax pulls his finger out 😂

Boots:

TCX 2.1 Pro. Another favourite, I have worn these since 2011 after injuring my foot on the very first RallyMoto training weekend due to wearing too flexible adventure style boots. Now on my second pair and they are in need of replacement but sadly no longer manufactured, so the jury is still out on their replacements. Possibly AlpineStarts Tech 7s (I tried the 10s and they were uncomfortable by comparison).