Hein Gericke

[Nareef]

Hi All,

I'm going to be looking at new boots, trousers and jacket before winter kicks in again.
I've always liked Hein Gericke kit, but worried about the quality.

My old Tuareg suffers badly from velcro fluffing the cordura <sp?> and has been back for new zips and is generally well past it's best.
I'm looking at the Cruise GTX Daylite Jacket in the hope of stopping any SMIDSY's I know it'll get grubby but so does my sam brown

My Datona Road star boots are fantastic but again well past their best, HG boots any good?

So, thoughts.... views... opinions...?

[StumpyFingers]

Don't get blinkered by the Name.
There are a few kits out there that may serve just as well and have the same issues with quality.
Try different kits for fit and comfort, most kit is now made to a budget and is designed to last for a couple of years.
Otherwise they would not be able to sell the new stuff when it arrives.

[Twickers]

If you can wait, I'd say get yourself up to either the BMF Tail-end show in Peterborough or go up to the NEC for discounted jackets , and most importantly try them on . With / without jumpers ; inner liner in / inner liner out , check jips / velcro / press-studs / pockets / ventilation flaps / zips are all as you want them. Check the cuffs with your own gloves , etc. Ignore the label. Hein gericke are OK, but as with all kit it's a personal thing as to what you get on with.

I'm still trying to find my perfect jacket - I know what have been the good bits of my last three jackets ( and the bad bits ) , but trying to find one jacket with all of the good bits is still proving elusive !

Oh , and all outer pockets will let water in eventually.

[Buggles]

I've got some HG Gear that's holding up well, but hasn't been used much to date. I've got 4 year old EVO gear that's lost its waterproofness/waterproofability (are those even words???) recently, but had massive mileage on it.

Your mileage may vary with any kit, Vader loves his HG, I like mine as well.

That said, there's not much out there that'll survive for much longer than 4 years (depending on your usage of course) without losing some of its lustre...

Get something that fits on you and in your budget

JB

[tramp]

hi nareef,
i swwar by frank thomas stuff, use all year and just give it a squirt if silicone spray in spring before the really wet stuff arrives and no probs, comes with detachable inner windblock that does the stuff.

for trousers use the aldi/lidl type brill, but i bet frank does somes thing similar.
as stumpy said the name means nothing its the material and quality of build that counts.
got stuck on the m25 today and boy was it hot
tramp

[blue skies]

slightly diverting from your original question but velcro fluffing on the HG gear is a very common problem, so much so that they with their 2 yr warrenty they get quite a few returns (some unused) which they then flog off at discounted prices.
If HG gear meets your needs and you can live with some fluffing then there are some bargains to be had. I got Cruise Gortex Jacket (nearly new, it had the original labels in the pocket!!) for £70 and matching trousers for £45.

[StumpyFingers]

Remember as you mature your measurements grow, therefore it is not always about how long the kit lasts but how long it fits.

[Nareef]

Remember as you mature your measurements grow, therefore it is not always about how long the kit lasts but how long it fits.

That, sadly, is very true...

Well if anyone can suggest some boots, jacket and trousers that'll stand up to 70ish miles a day in all weathers at reasonable price (i.e. I'm interested in an HG cruse jacket @ £300 odd but a £700 Rukka one is out of the question...)

[digitalcaptive]

As far as boots go, I can't recomend TCX Infinity formally (Oxtar Infinity) goretex lined boots enough in eighteen months I've never had wet feet in these and have always felt well protected .....at £180 they're a bit on the expensive side but in my opinion worth every penny

[Steve T]

HG jackets = in my estimation. Got well over 4 years continuos wear from my Voyager jacket & it never really let in water. I got used to "trimming" the "fluffing" off on a semi regular basis. I've just bought a 2nd hand Cruise jacket off of a pal to replace the Voyager - yet another ace jacket that'll get well used all year round.
Instead of going for the Daylite jacket (which do look shabby really quickly from what I've seen of them - never had one though), get a good Gortex one from the HG range and wear a sleeved hi-viz jacket over the top - approx £16 to replace after a years wear plus they keep most of the real dirt off of your jacket. Try ICU-UCME for hi-viz motorcycle jackets.

Trousers - I tend to got for breathable, armoured non water-proof trousers which get protected by Military surplus gortex camo over trousers when it rains. These over trousers have had to with stand some really severe weather - both at home and in the South Atlantic - and they just can't be beaten for water-proofness! IMHO

Boots - Altberg All Weather's for me. Expensive but after 5 years of hard use the toe re-inforcing bit has just started to come off. Altbergs answer - £56 for complete boot overhaul = bargain to this tight fisted Welshman .

Just my ramblings . . . .


Shuffling off for a lie down now . . . . .




Steve T