Tag: klim gear

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SIDI Adventure 2 Gore-Tex

Wet feet are one of those things that can really impact your enjoyment of a ride.  In the best case scenario, you’re looking at a minor annoyance when you can dry your feet and all your gear when you get home from a day’s ride.  Yet, ADV rides are typically multiday if not multi-week outings, and when you’re shoving your feet into the same wet gear day after day it can really wear on even the hardiest of riders.  Throw in some cold temperatures, and things can quickly go from ‘adventure’ to suffer fest.  Yet, with the right boots, all of the wet in the world can’t keep you from enjoying an awesome ride.

For the last eight months I’ve been wearing Sidi’s Adventure 2 Gore-Tex boot in desert heat, on frosty fall mornings, through flood inducing summer monsoons, and on plenty of bluebird days.  I’ve worn them on dual sport rides, off road rides, adventure rides, and even spent a little bit of time on a trials bike while wearing these boots.  If this sounds like a lot, that was exactly the point – my objective was to throw as many different conditions and types of riding at these boots to see how they would hold up.

The Adventure 2 is an update of SIDI’s well-loved Adventure Gore-Tex boot, and just as you would expect, SIDI has improved on the original Adventure Gore-Tex boot for this second revision.  One of the most notable changes is that the Gore-Tex gaiter has been extended further up the boot, making it even harder for water to find it’s way to your feet.  Out in the world, that translates into riding in wet conditions without concern for getting wet feet.  You can overcook water crossings for ‘gram-worthy (that’s how the kids refer to a photo for social media) photos, ride in microbursts that turn roads into rivers and just about anything else you can think of.  About the only way you’re going to get wet in the Adventure 2 is if you have to put a foot down in knee-deep water or if your pants aren’t waterproof.

In summer heat that feels like you’re riding in a hair-dryer, the Adventure 2s are still quite comfortable.  Considering that water vapor in the microclimate inside your boot has to go through a Gore-Tex laminate and all of the other materials that make up the Adventure 2, breathability is still quite good, and I’d go as far as to say they’re more comfortable in the heat than other brand’s non-Gore-Tex moto boots I’ve worn in the past.  Make no mistake – your feet are going to be warm, but if you’re worried about feeling like you’re wearing plastic bags on your feet – you won’t get that feeling in the Adventure 2.

In the cold, the Adventure 2 does a good job of keeping your toes warm, even though the boots aren’t insulated.  Toe warmth is obviously helped by having a core body temperature that’s in the right range, and a good sock on your foot, so as long as you have these first two things in place you should be good to go for a ride in the cold with cozy feet.

Extending the Gore-Tex cuff up the boot wasn’t the only revision that Sidi made to the Adventure 2 – the ankle flex system, Achillies protector, TPU placement, and other features have all been updated for this second revision.  You’ll feel these refinements the first time you slip a pair on and notice that the boots already feel (nearly) broken-in.  About the only gripe I can find with the Adventure 2, is that it isn’t a great boot for hiking for miles in.  On several occasions, I’ve found myself going for multi-mile hikes while out riding and on a few occasions this resulted in hot spots on my feet.  But I don’t fault the Adventure 2 for that – after all they’re motorcycle boots and not hiking boots, and there is no way that two buckles and a Velcro closure can embrace your foot the way a proper lace-up boot can.  Therefore, my wishlist for Adventure 3 would be better hiking performance.

In the course of normal amounts of walking around and all day riding, I didn’t have any uncomfortable fit issues.  I could spend nearly all of my time on a long ride standing and my feet would feel great at the end of the day.   With the Adventure 2 as part of my gear system, I stopped bringing extra footwear on my rides (unless I knew I was going to be hiking) as I was quite comfortable living in these boots 24/7.

On the bike, the Adventure 2 Gore-Tex works great transmitting input from your feet to the bike, and at no point on any bike ranging from a trials bike to a big ADV bike did I feel like the boots were impacting my ability to ride.  After a few minutes of riding in these boots, and you’ll feel like you’ve been wearing them for months so there is no learning curve associated with incorporating a new piece of gear into your system.

The SIDI Adventure 2 Gore-Tex boots have been a great addition to my riding gear system.  Even when I’m using the boots for types of riding other than what they’re intended for, they’ve handled everything I’ve done with ease.  Wearing the Adventure 2’s on not-adventure rides started out as a test for the sake of this review, but quickly became a standard practice because I just enjoyed wearing these boots so much – and the whole dry feet thing is pretty nice too.  The Adventure 2 is a well-made boot that has held up great to countless miles of riding, and I only expect continued comfort and worry free performance from them.  SIDI makes some of the best boots out there, and it shows in Adventure 2 Gore-Tex.  They’ve taken the well-loved original boot and only made it better in it’s second revision to create one of the best adventure / dual-sport / keep your feet dry when you’re riding boots money can buy.

Full Disclosure: SIDI generously contributed a pair of Adventure 2 Gore-Tex boots for review at no cost to Chad de Alva or American Adventurist.
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Klim 626 Collection

The folks at Klim have created something in the world of technical riding gear that blurs the lines on exactly who this gear is made for – and that is precisely what makes it so good.  Think worn-in work wear all-day comfort fused with the technical function and performance you would expect from Klim, yet priced to fit in any rider’s budget.  It‘s gear that goes great with any motorcycle, on just about any ride, and looks so good and is so comfortable that you may find yourself wearing it when motorcycles aren’t even involved with whatever you’re doing.

According to Klim, the 626 collection is “less about what you’re on, and more about what you’re doing. 626 is about riding. And riding gear that can do anything.”  You won’t find the uber high tech materials and every last feature that some of Klim’s most iconic pieces of riding gear have, but what you will find in the 626 collection is timeless design, function, and style.  If you’ve ever felt like a power ranger decked out in your adventure riding gear, the 626 collection will have you looking great in addition to keeping you comfortable and well protected.

The 626 collection is currently a line of two jackets, a pair of pants and a pair gloves.  We’ve been hard at work putting this gear through the ringer over the last few months doing just about everything we can while wearing the gear.  We’ve built and cleared single track.  We’ve ridden on cold spring mornings and hot afternoons under the Arizona sun.  We’ve spent time wrenching and working hard, and we’ve spent time enjoying adult beverages and holding the bar down.  After all of this, the gear is no worse for the wear, and just as double knee work pants get better with each use, so does the 626 collection.

REVENER JACKET:

A jacket with classic four-pocket military style gets a healthy serving of technical function to create the Revener.  A fully featured Gore-Tex Performance Shell keeps you dry when things get wet outside, and Klim’s awesome plaid lining keeps things super comfy on the inside.  Think of the comfort of a flannel shirt and you’ll get an idea of what being in this jacket is like.  D3O CE Level 1 Armor on the elbows, shoulders, and back provide impact protection and four large vents in the torso move a great deal of air when you need to vent.  A double zipper allows you to open things up even further for more airflow, and magnetic snaps are used all over the jacket to close pockets and the zipper flaps on the front of the jacket.

In use, the Revener jacket seals up tight when the weather gets ugly, and it’s here I need to mention the collars on the 626 jackets are awesome.  If you’ve heard bad things about Klim collars in the past, the Revener and the Drifter jacket both have great collars that won’t chafe your neck, or affix themselves to your base layer no matter how you run the collar.  Long, hot days battling stupid amounts of wind didn’t faze the Revener, and with the cuffs on the sleeves opened up, I felt like I was getting more than enough airflow to stay cool.  We haven’t been able to give the Revener a proper monsoon rain test, but a spirited ride in a spring storm didn’t end up with any water making it’s way past the jacket.

The Revener packs a great feature set into a jacket that looks terrific and works just about anywhere, in any weather.  All day rides that start with a cool morning, get warm at lunchtime, and then wet in the afternoon are no worries in the Revener.  The jacket moves great and fits quite well, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself kicking back by the campfire still wearing the Revener jacket.

DRIFTER JACKET:

When I first handed the Drifter jacket to one of my riding buddies, his response was; “Wow.  This thing is awesome!  What a cool jacket.”  Made from a waxed cordura cotton canvas, and sporting the same magnets and D3O CE Level 1 elbow, shoulder, and back armor as the Revener, the Drifter jacket is an excellent choice for spring and fall riding.  I say spring and fall because a double zipper and pit holes are going to be the only ways to move air through the jacket, which can cause things to get a bit warm when it’s hot out.  Like any tool, the Drifter has a best use case, and as long as it’s not too hot out, this jacket is quite comfortable.  Klim’s super-comfy plaid is also used for lining the inside of the jacket, and after an entire day riding in the Drifter, you’re still happy to hang out with it on.

 

The Drifter jacket is at home on any bike going on just about any ride.  The jacket looks great, so you can take the dirt on your way to work, hop off your bike and walk right into the board room for a meeting without having to stash your riding gear.  The waxed cotton canvas offers an impressive degree of water resistance, and the jacket moves and fits great thanks to an action back and a cut that works with your body’s movements.

OUTRIDER PANT:

Double-knee work pants have officially become riding pants – and they may just happen to be the most comfortable riding pants that I’ve ever worn.  The Outrider pant is the type of pant that you can do just about anything in – I’m pretty sure Klim’s gear designers cherry-picked their favorite features from existing work pants and then applied the Klim technical wizardy treatment to make the Outrider pant.  From a few feet away, the Outrider pant looks just like any five-pocket double knee work pant, and you would be hard pressed to tell that these pants are also packing removable D3O CE Level-1 armor at the hips and the knees.  That awesome Klim plaid lining is also used to line the pockets in the Outrider pant, and the leg cuffs are cut to fit over moto or adventure style boots.

The armor can be installed and removed while wearing the pants, so going from fully armored to no armor takes just a few seconds.  The knee pads can be positioned in the pockets so you can enjoy the benefits of perfectly placed knee pads which is a welcome thing for some tasks you’ll find yourself doing in the Outrider pants.  If you’ve ever felt like your lower half was comparatively naked in regular work pants while riding, the Outrider pants have what it takes to help keep your protected on the bike, and in a few seconds go to work pants that will hold up to countless hours on the job.  Unlike some riding pants, these allow you to go just about anywhere and arrive dressed for the destination. The Outrider pant will hold up to any task at work, keep you protected on any ride where you’re not in the wet all day, and look great in town or out in the dirt.

RAMBLER GLOVE:

Rounding out the 626 Collection is the Rambler Glove, Klim’s take on the classic deer skin glove.  Deer skin is an awesome material to make gloves out of, and if you’ve ever had a pair of work gloves or riding gloves made from deer skin, you know what I’m on about.  When you add in Klim’s technical gear wizardry in the form of strategic padding, you get a pair of gloves that you’ll find yourself reaching for just about any time you need gloves.

The Rambler is cut in a classic roper style and they fit like a second skin.  In addition to hours riding, I’ve thrown everything from TIG welding to chainsaw trail clearing and building at the Rambler gloves, and they’ve handled everything with ease.  On 100 degree desert crossing days, the Rambler gloves kept my hands cooler than expected, and I didn’t feel like I was wearing a pair of nitrile gloves and soaking in sweat.  On the cold end of the spectrum, the gloves have no insulation so your hands can certainly get cold if the temps get low enough, but it’s important to remember that these gloves aren’t sold as a cold weather glove.  Klim makes some of the most technically advanced gloves that money can buy, and their take on a classic is no less impressive.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

I appreciate the fact that Klim’s 626 collection is just like a good multi tool – It works for so many rides, on any motorcycle, and is very well priced.  For what you pay, you’re getting gear with technical features and timeless style that’s going to hold up to thousands of miles and countless days playing in the dirt.  It’s important to remember that the words ‘water resistant’ appear several times in this article, so as long as you’re not heading out to ride in the monsoons you’ll be quite happy (use the right tool…).  On weekend getaway rides, I’ve really come to appreciate that the Outrider pants are the only pants I need for a weekend – Armor in to ride, and armor out to relax and do everything else off-bike.  Likewise with either of the 626 jackets, I don’t feel like a power ranger, so I can have one jacket for every need on the trip.  The Rambler gloves are awesome because they fit so well, and being able to do actual work in them is a huge plus when you’re clearing or working on single track.

The gear in this collection is about the adventure and experience of riding.  It’s about playing outside in gear that just works.  From dirt roads to downtown, from building single track to beers with your buddies, the 626 collection is a great choice for riding gear that comes in at a great price point and offers solid value and multi-purpose performance.