[RiderZone]

Originally Posted by Aarka

Thanks for your response!
I've heard that the steel toe in Orazo's can make the situation worse in an accident. Also, have doubts on reliability - have heard of few cases where the stitching comes off and all.

I'm unsure how a steel toe can make things worse, and I also haven't heard bad reviews of Orazo boots overall, my friend has been using them for a few months and no complaints yet. Even if they aren't perfect, Orazo boots will still be better than the Woodland shoes in my opinion, because of their height. Ankle protection will be better, and some level of shin protection will exist

[Sayan15]

+1 to what RiderZone said. Any laced shoe/boot is prone to lace tearing failure during impact. There are many such stories in Advrider and Stromtrooper forums. Orazo eliminates laces and provides a 'something better than nothing' shin and ankle protection. Steel toe cutting into toes is a possibility in the case of foot hitting a hard object head on. There are composite (FRP) toed safety boots from Allen Cooper and Liberty Warrior that are far tougher (I use them at work on daily basis), provide better protection and are available at a fraction of cost of the Woodlands - if budget is really tight. Would not recommend XDI, another local brand, as the crash protection is doubtful and the sole gets slippery in slush, and still cost a lot more than the aforesaid brands. Hope that helps.

Cheers,
Sayan

[TheDarkKnight]

Fellow BHPians, I am looking for advice as I am in the market to purchase my first pair of riding boots with a budget of about 20K (flexible). My riding is mostly limited to weekend rides currently and I am a bit inclined towards sport touring boots. The biggest issue I face is sizing, being UK 11/ EU 45 availability is scarce. I had a trip to Europe planned this year, but that doesn’t seem very likely in the foreseeable future.

In this scenario, I have a couple of boots available locally short listed and it would be pretty helpful if you can help me select one of these.

1) Gaerne GRW: Available in LABS Mumbai in size EU 45 and @surjaonwheelz’s excellent review of these have it as the top pick currently. I can even try and buy at the store as it’s pretty close by.

2) Falco Fenix 3 WTR: Pretty similar to the Gaerne mentioned above, and available at 6KIOM. The only advantage I see for these is the waterproof membrane, but not sure if that is really needed for me as I don’t ride much in the rains.

3) Royal Enfield x TCX Stelvio: The latest and surprising contender here, but being adventure boots, these would give me the most protection in case of any mishaps. Being waterproof is a plus.

Would love to hear opinions on these, and any other alternatives that I may have missed out in these.

Cheers,
TheDarkKnight

[RiderZone]

Originally Posted by TheDarkKnight

Fellow BHPians, I am looking for advice as I am in the market to purchase my first pair of riding boots with a budget of about 20K (flexible).

My choice would be TCX Stelvio, the full-length ones. The reason would be that all the available options are non-ventilated in any case, so might as well go full send on safety and sacrifice comfort a bit.

[Urban_Nomad]

Originally Posted by TheDarkKnight

Would love to hear opinions on these, and any other alternatives that I may have missed out in these.

Cheers,
TheDarkKnight

Not sure what kind of bike you ride. On A sporty naked / sport bike with flat rubberized footpegs... good luck getting a proper adv style lugged boot with a relatively high toe box, not a whole Lotta feel through the pegs, stiff enough to make it severely uncomfortable with a rearset riding position

The following again is my personal opinion but I find it quite strange when folks opt for waterproof options in our hot and muggy climate. I see you're in Bombay... where winters are unheard of

Simply put, my opinion is to buy something well ventilated that suits your riding style and complements your machine. You could buy the most protective boot, but it'd be useless of it is stored away in a corner somewhere

[RiderZone]

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

The following again is my personal opinion but I find it quite strange when folks opt for waterproof options in our hot and muggy climate. I see you're in Bombay... where winters are unheard of

That is a valid point, and my personal opinion too, but I'm not aware of any properly vented boot options available to buy in India. Do you know of any?

[Urban_Nomad]

Originally Posted by RiderZone

That is a valid point, and my personal opinion too, but I'm not aware of any properly vented boot options available to buy in India. Do you know of any?

Usually the leaky versions (aka non waterproof) are pretty alright. My Sidi crossfire 3 are very comfortable and don't get too hot. I found them surprisingly waterproof also when a couple weeks ago I asked the pressure washer guy to hose down my muddy boots along with the bike. Not a drop entered inside the boots. On the other hand, folks who wore Alpinestars tech 3 and 7 did get their socks wet

Its surprisingly difficult to find good vented boots in India, mainly because most people who buy motorcycles/ gear in India consider themselves year round tourers and not weekend hobbyists. Hence all that weather protection is a must. The market offers what the market demands. Just my opinion

[TheDarkKnight]

Originally Posted by RiderZone

My choice would be TCX Stelvio, the full-length ones.

Thank you for your recommendation, as they are based on the TCX Baja boots, I think are proven enough to have the most protection out of the three options I had listed out. But similar to the boots they are based on, these may seem to be suitable to a more off-the-road situation and may be a bit uncomfortable in humid Mumbai.

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

Not sure what kind of bike you ride. On A sporty naked / sport bike with flat rubberized footpegs... good luck getting a proper adv style lugged boot with a relatively high toe box, not a whole Lotta feel through the pegs, stiff enough to make it severely uncomfortable with a rearset riding position

The following again is my personal opinion but I find it quite strange when folks opt for waterproof options in our hot and muggy climate. I see you're in Bombay... where winters are unheard of

I currently ride a Dominar 400 and don’t really intend to ride off road that much, apart from whatever broken roads Mumbai has in store for us. I also may get a naked bike like a Street Triple couple of years down the line, but gear for that would be a discussion for another time.

I’ll try heading out and checking out all available options over the weekend, and also try and see if the RE gear is available in any of their showrooms yet to have a better understanding of how the boots would fit in my arsenal.

Cheers,
TheDarkKnight

[Aarka]

Originally Posted by Sayan15

+1 to what RiderZone said. Any laced shoe/boot is prone to lace tearing failure during impact. There are many such stories in Advrider and Stromtrooper forums. Orazo eliminates laces and provides a 'something better than nothing' shin and ankle protection. Steel toe cutting into toes is a possibility in the case of foot hitting a hard object head on. There are composite (FRP) toed safety boots from Allen Cooper and Liberty Warrior that are far tougher (I use them at work on daily basis), provide better protection and are available at a fraction of cost of the Woodlands - if budget is really tight. Would not recommend XDI, another local brand, as the crash protection is doubtful and the sole gets slippery in slush, and still cost a lot more than the aforesaid brands. Hope that helps.

Cheers,
Sayan

Thanks, Sayan. As I've been speaking to more and more people, I'm realising I shouldn't play the
Low cost game here. Therefore, thinking of spending more (upto 15-20k) (hoping I'll save money by preventing a twisted ankle somewhere down the line )

So for adventure touring, I've come across following options and my opinion
1. Falco avantour - perfect balance of comfort and protection
2. Forma adventure - very comfortable, but lesser protection
3. Tarmac adventure pro

I'm not looking of any water proofing, so any adv boots with decent comfort and protection work for me. I'd prefer a boot that is durable.

1. Any thoughts? The tarmac ones come in for about 14k. Are they good enough?
2. Separately, should I go for the long ones? Or mid ones are ok?

[TheVaas]

Originally Posted by Aarka

I'm not looking of any water proofing, so any adv boots with decent comfort and protection work for me. I'd prefer a boot that is durable.

1. Any thoughts? The tarmac ones come in for about 14k. Are they good enough?
2. Separately, should I go for the long ones? Or mid ones are ok?

I had written about it here, when I had just purchased it - Tarmac Adventure Pro Boots (The Riding Gear thread) Got it for 12k from the Bachoo Motors website (They're the official dealers of Tarmac).

Since you're planning Zanskar, I'd recommend a WP boot since there will be the inevitable water crossing and maybe erratic wet weather conditions. The Tarmac Adv Pro Boot checks all the points that you'd want - value for money, comfort, protection and looks. Go for the long, high ones - you won't regret it especially since you have a 390ADV - future trails or no-road riding compatible. Over the past couple of months, I've used it extensively in Mumbai monsoon conditions - highways, bad roads and slush trails. The WP is great and once broken-in you can walk around with them too - the comfort is of your regular shoes.

Cheers!

[rohitoasis]

Guys, since i ride a significant distance daily to office and back. I was thinking of investing on riding pants which can be worn above by office wear. From what i have been reviewing i have found these two. I would like to confirm if my understanding is correct and these can be worn above my regular pants. Seek your suggestion.

Scorpion Seattle WP

Alpinestars Gravity Drystar

And another point. If my waist size is 34" for my regular pants. Would that mean i select same waist size or select a size higher to be on the safer side?

[Thamps]

Originally Posted by rohitoasis

Guys, since i ride a significant distance daily to office and back. I was thinking of investing on riding pants which can be worn above by office wear. From what i have been reviewing i have found these two. I would like to confirm if my understanding is correct and these can be worn above my regular pants. Seek your suggestion.

Scorpion Seattle WP

Alpinestars Gravity Drystar

And another point. If my waist size is 34" for my regular pants. Would that mean i select same waist size or select a size higher to be on the safer side?

From my understanding these are just regular riding pants.If you insist on wearing one over your regular office pants,then search for motorcycle overpants. However,you can size up regular riding pants to be worn over your clothes,but this would make it too loose to be worn for Sunday rides/touring. I used to wear cramster riding pants (regular size) over my office clothes before. But it was too baggy for normal use and quite uncomfortable in daily commute in stop an go traffic
The sizing and fitting may also differ from brand to brand.

[Aarka]

Originally Posted by TheVaas

I had written about it here, when I had just purchased it - Tarmac Adventure Pro Boots (The Riding Gear thread) Got it for 12k from the Bachoo Motors website (They're the official dealers of Tarmac).

Since you're planning Zanskar, I'd recommend a WP boot since there will be the inevitable water crossing and maybe erratic wet weather conditions. The Tarmac Adv Pro Boot checks all the points that you'd want - value for money, comfort, protection and looks. Go for the long, high ones - you won't regret it especially since you have a 390ADV - future trails or no-road riding compatible. Over the past couple of months, I've used it extensively in Mumbai monsoon conditions - highways, bad roads and slush trails. The WP is great and once broken-in you can walk around with them too - the comfort is of your regular shoes.

Cheers!

Thanks a lot!
I have almost finalized these ones. For what I am paying, they seem good. Although, they don't have a lot of reviews.
Since I will have to buy online, how is their sizing? Is it similar to other casual/ formal shoes that we get in market? Or they run slightly bigger/ smaller?

[JoeTheWanderer]

Originally Posted by rohitoasis

Guys, since i ride a significant distance daily to office and back. I was thinking of investing on riding pants which can be worn above by office wear. From what i have been reviewing i have found these two. I would like to confirm if my understanding is correct and these can be worn above my regular pants. Seek your suggestion.

If your office doesn't have a strict dress code you can also consider riding jeans.

I have the Bikeratti riding jeans that I used to wear to office before COVID. They come with D30 hip & knee armor as standard along with Kevlar lining around the pelvic area & the knee.

https://www.bikeratti.com/product/raven

The knee armors can be removed easily when you're in office. You hardly feel the hip armors so they're not an issue.

I have worn them to work regularly before the lockdown. I've also ridden through peak traffic in Hyderabad while wearing them so comfort shouldn't be an issue.

Sizing is similar to other jeans - just pick the waist size you normally wear.

[rohitoasis]

Originally Posted by Thamps

.If you insist on wearing one over your regular office pants,then search for motorcycle overpants.

These two do come under the category of overpants. There are few more, but i was more interested in one for wet weather riding. So needed to have water proof lining at least.

Originally Posted by JoeTheWanderer

If your office doesn't have a strict dress code you can also consider riding jeans.

Formals 6 days a week sir. Riding jeans ruled out for this reason and the weather proof element. I needed one for rain or shine. I tried other riding pants with rain lining, but none in Spartan were suitable to be worn over pants. I was thinking of improvising with rain coat pants and adding foam inside for cushion, but never went through with than plan. Now back to revzilla for this reason.

Thanks for recommendation on fit. I am a 34 waist. So i think i should be going with size LG based on the sizing sheet.