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Can you please measure height and width of Cerros armor (shoulder, elbow, back) without stretching it?

For such a irregularly shaped item it would be best if you check it out personally at some store in your town to fulfill your requirements.

Cheers...

Received my Royal Enfield heated gloves today :Cheering:





It is seen that the gloves were imported in March 2021. So that brings up a concern : Should I be worried about the Lithium ion batteries that were idling for 2 years ?

Other wise, the build quality of the gloves are excellent. The batteries reached full power (LED turned green) on 2 hours of charging ( charging time shown as 3.30 hrs from fully depleted state). The gloves are heating up just fine.

regards adrian

I had a major gripe with the RE TCX Stelvio boots, in that they don't come with a hard plastic/rubber gear shift pad. This was causing the left boot to have scarring (or whatever the word is) on the leather. Before the situation escalated, I decided to take matter into my own hands (or rather, into a friendly neighbourhood cobbler's hands :)).
I got the rubber inserts from Amazon. They're basically rubber pads that are meant to provide better grip on stilettos and high-heel footwear. But hey, jugaad is the name of the game no ;)
Went to a cobbler who did a thorough job at sticking this onto the boots.
So far they've held up over a 1000+ kms. Still need a better solution though.

The only foolproof method to waterproof one's riding gloves is to use a long reusable nitrile glove.
This is a rynox storm evo 2.5 full gauntlet medium size. The green glove(got on amazon) is xl sized. Not available in that size anymore. Works every time. I also have a viaterra grid 2 for regular use. Ideally if we can source 3xl or 4xl nitrile gloves, then no need for a second pair of gloves for rain. XL nitrile gloves is snug fit on M sized riding gloves so its not easy to take on-off.

I have used Royal enfield's waterproof, ce level ,knox protected gloves which tore apart at the fingers from regular use within a week or two in rains.Twice replaced under warranty after which I gave up. This is more economical and durable being thick nitrile. Need to find something similar for boots as well.

P.S . All the so called waterproof gloves by viaterra/Rynox/brands skimp on protection. No ce level or knox. Why compromise. If anything, the chance of accidents are more during the rain. This is a better solution I feel.

Gear Review for Rynox Cypher Jacket and Viaterra Grid Gloves

Starting with Rynox Cypher Jacket

Reason for purchase - I own a Rynox Tornado, which is a textile jacket and been my trusted jacket for a long time for any ride that had me leaving Mumbai's borders. However for a while I have been on the look out for a 'city' riding jacket. My minimum safety gear regardless of distance is gloves + the gloves but because I use my KTM 390 Adventure for commuting to the office on a daily basis and the kind of riding I've seen around me I was seriously looking around to add a protection of riding jacket which

1. light
2. low-key in appearance. Not making me look like I'm about to leave for Ladakh after office
3. not skimp on protection level

My research led me to Cypher GT. As I mentioned earlier on the thread before purchasing about how little information / review is there on this jacket. I tried it on for myself in the store and purchased it just before the summers in Mumbai kicked in.

Key observations for anyone looking to purchase a jacket for similar purpose:

• the jacket in black and blue are low-key. They can be worn without getting too much in the notice of the public eye, especially at the office. The black one rather looks like a smart additional layer when heading out in the evening. So that checked my first box. I've worn it to the office multiple times and while I do get a second glance for people to confirm what I am wearing, it's definitely much less distracting than what my Tornado would demand.
  
• this jacket is light. As soon as you pick it up you'd feel a difference especially if you're used to a full textile jacket
  
• no safety is skimped upon with CE Level 2 armors in shoulders, back, and arms. Chest pads are foam by default but can be upgraded to L2 by paying another 1k. The armor is comfortable and fits perfectly if you've sized it right. For reference I am just over 5ft 7inches with relatively lean body and wear an S.
  
• Rynox has added thoughtful additions for city users. The collar is short which makes the jacket less annoying in heat and city traffic. There is a zip pouch below the wrists on the left arm. I use it to carry change for parking and then to store the smart parking card from the office. This is easily operable with gloves on. This should be added to all jackets IMO.
  
• Two girth adjusters are provided on the arm, this allows me to get just the perfect fit while riding. When it is too hot and stuck in traffic, with a flick I can loosen them to allow gap between the jacket and my shirt. Again easily operable with gloves on.
  
• Overall build quality is decent. No stitches jutting out. No chain issues (all YKK). Color remains dark black with repeated usage and mild cleaning.
  
• How does it perform in the mad heat of Mumbai with traffic - as good as it can. We cannot defy physics here. Regardless of how much mesh Rynox adds, you cannot engineer anything to make wind flow when stationary. So if you're in stop and go traffic - you.will.sweat. So while I do have a city jacket in my wardrobe now, I prefer reaching my office without bad odor while compromising on safety. My ownership of this jacket has solely been through the summers, so if it's too hot and if I am riding in the day - I am avoiding the jacket. To the jacket's credit - when I am riding back home in the evening with the jacket and traffic - it works as advertised. Well ventilated and safe. I expect this jacket to be great in the monsoon (with my trusted Rynox Rain Jacket over it) and winters (or what we call 'not summer' in Mumbai).
  
• A testament to usability - I recently travelled to Kovalam, Kerela for a team outing and had already made plans to rent a bike to visit Kanyakumari and back before the rest of the team arrived. I was able to carry the Rynox Cypher GT in my backpack without the back armor and comfortably use it for then journey. I barely added weight to my luggage and folded in well. Back armor separately went in my check-in luggage. This added versatility is appreciable.

Hope this helps buying decision for people looking at the jacket. Happy to address any specific queries.

Review for Viaterra Grid Gloves

I wanted to upgrade my gloves to the safest on the market within a decent budget. Just under a year back, I concluded it's the safest to get a full gauntlet glove and there are only two options - Viaterra Grid and Rynox Storm Evo. I did not particularly like the build quality of Storm Evo and heard good reviews of Viaterra's Grid (including Toll Free Rider's on YoutTube). Decided to go with it and purchased it for Rs. 5,000.

Key observations -

• The glove did not take too long to well... fit like a glove. Very quickly I got used to clutch and brake action on my bike.
  
• I hear people complaining about sweating in such gloves but I face no such issues in my experience.
  
• Full-gauntlet - as I mentioned, I use these as my sole pair of gloves and they're on me every single time I turn on my bike. It is honestly one extra velcro to strap and takes 2 extra seconds. Comfort wise - it does not impede on any kind of comfort except for blocking your watch / smartwatch if you wear one.
  
• Compatibility with riding jacket- this fits perfects well over my Rynox Tornado and Cypher GT. No issues. However, would always recommend you try gloves on with your jacket on before you buy it. That's what I did to ensure no regrets.
  
• It has been just under a year of wearing it. The leather is held on really well (never exposed to the rain). I have conditioned them twice (I forget to) but reflects no sign of hardening or cracking. I do not exaggerate that they've been worn every single day for almost 8-9 months. So they have enough mileage on them. Latest photos are attached for reference.
  
• It covers the basic safety requirement - CE rated, large Knox sliders, Knuckle guards, pinky bridge (underrated; never hope to find out how useful).

Overall, extremely happy with my purchase and worth every penny spent. Would recommend.


Additional updates -

1. With monsoon approach, this year I wanted to get proper 'waterproof' riding gloves as I use my bike as my primary mode of transport for work. Last year, I was almost dry with helmet, rain jacket + pants and RE TCX Stelvio's. Hence to complete the ensemble of the madmen riding to work in monsoon, I purchased the Rynox Dry Ice Gloves yesterday. Understand that they were launch yesterday itself. They felt very comfortable on the ride home and I hope they live up to the promise. Caveat, they have no CE rating or sliders but have knuckle protectors and abrasion resistant material over the scaphoid area. Will add first impressions and review only post usage in monsoons (which are not far away).
   
2. I notice the thread is missing discussion on women-specific riding safety gears. My partner has been my pillion for the past year and is now riding herself. yesterday we finally finished her riding wardrobe upgrade with pants and gloves. Indian market is still highly lacking for women centric safety wear. I will sit with her and pen her experience of all of her riding gear in a further post. For now, listing down the current gears purchased for reference.

• Helmet - Axor Apex Hunter. SMK and MT just did not fit her relatively smaller head size well. Been using for a year. No complaints. Slightly heavy
• Jacket - Raida Bolt - no complaints. Fits her 5feet 2inch body perfectly.
• Pants - Raida Rover - the only pant we could find in her size. Fit her perfectly. Purchased yesterday so no comments yet.
• Gloves - Rynox Urban X - 'S' size fit her well. Purchased yesterday so no comments
• Boots - RE TCX Klausen Lady WP. Only boots we could find made specifically for women feet. Fit her perfectly with a UK 5 size. Local brands have no size even close to this. You need to see it in person to realize how narrow and well designed it is for women feet. The shoe will be tested in the upcoming monsoon rides. My TCX boots have been extremely comfortable to walk in all day long (literally) so I expect no different from her Ortholite sole.

Happy to answer any queries on any of the products. Ride safe everyone.

A small hack for waterproofing your normal gloves - credit to Ryan (FortNine) : get a pair of surgical (latex gloves) and wear it inside the normal gloves. It will keep your hands waterproof and can be removed when the sun shines after a downpour.

This would waterproof your hands but won't this leave the gloves, well, soggy? So if I were to take off the surgical gloves post the rain, I'd be riding around with a moist glove rl: There are a few gloves (The fabric-based ones) I've seen that tend to harden and develop peeling if continually exposed to water.

Romins, I feel the surgical gloves should be of a larger size and worn over your normal gloves for this to work.

Cheers

Surgical gloves worn inside prevents the black colour residue left with the the wet leather on our fingers. Also, it keeps our hands warm and dry during the ride. Once back home, we can dry the leather gloves in the sun or using a hair dryer depending on the weather conditions. Apply shoe polish liberally once in a while and leather gets back to shape. Yes, soggy leather gloves is not a nice thing, but riding in the rains is more fun and some compromises. I have been using the same leather gloves (XDI Stealth) for 5years/50k and I ride a lot during the rains.


Then we will not the get the protection intended with the use of the leather gloves, right? Never tried this.


Another tip for waterproofing the regular shoes: I use Decathlon or Wildcraft trekking shoes for riding. Get a piece of candle and rub it all over the shoes with candle wax smeared and leaving a white coating. Get a hair dryer and apply enough heat to melt the wax, until the white wax disappears and leaves a glossy finish. Wax will get into the pores of the shoe's material and it will keep your shoes at least water resistant for one season.

If you wear a surgical gloves for a long time, due to the lack of ventilation, your hands will start to sweat and overtime this sweat will pool inside the gloves making it sticky, drippy and wet. Believe me, hands getting wet is better than that.:)

regards adrian

Protection is provided by the gloves which are worn as normal. If large size, thick surgical gloves are worn over the top of your riding gloves, they will keep your gloves (hands) dry because water will not get inside.

In the event of a fall, the surgical glove will tear but the riding glove will do its job. I don’t see any issue with it.

Cheers

So recently I'd gotten a pair of Rynox Tornado Pro 3 gloves primarily because of the Knox Scaphoid protection offered. Put them on and went for a ride although the Rynox gloves come pre-curved and don't require a break-in (had the Air GT ones previously). Unlike the Air GT pair these seem to be poorly built as they seem to have started disintegrating already! Attaching a few pictures I took after around 40km of riding, barely 45min on the saddle:









Disheartening to see, I'm planning on contacting Rynox about them. I talked to a fellow rider who's been using these for about a year and he tells me his gloves had stopped working on touch screens within 6 months and he's now habituated to removing gloves for using his phones! As far as I know, Rynox would either replace these or issue a store credit which doesn't really address the quality issue. Should I insist on getting a different model instead?

@//R, they have a 'contact senior management ' option in their customer care section. First make a complaint or warranty claim,get the ticket or token number and then contact senior management immediately with this number. Rynox in general have mediocre Q&C. I have replaced my stealth evo twice under warranty getting upgraded from gen 1 to 2 in the process. Their velcro is also mediocre-poor( I had the tornado pro 4). But credit where it's due, their customer care is good comapred to solace gears for example. We have an option to contact higher management atleast. And their gauntlet did its job well in an accident for me. As a rule,leather will always last more than textile/mesh gloves any day. I only get full leather gloves/boots when possible.

@Romins, ideally we have rain overgloves as the solution to be worn over our full gauntlet. But none of the Indian brands do this. The one by Dainese for example costs 5700inr. Which is basically luxury tax. If an entire raincoat can be made for 1000inr, no issue making an overglove with same material. I hope Rynox does this cause (contrary to most reviews) their h2go pro 2 raincoat works well for me in Kerala rains. I think I'm a lone reviewer here praising their latest raincoat. It's very light to wear but not as easy to put on due to non-slick inner lining.

Finally if you can source a 3xl or 4xl green, thick, chemical resistant nitrile gloves for 150 bucks, it'll do. Will slip on-off easily when needed, grips well due to pattern on palm side and will be 100% WP.

And the wax method for boots is good. Saw it on Fortnine YouTube as well. The inner surgical gloves method is fine if you're used to it.