There are three factors to consider when choosing what you wear when riding; safety, comfort, and cost. Fashion is also a consideration but it is the least important. Never let fashion considerations compromise safety or comfort. Your clothing is at least as important as the bike itself in making you comfortable on tour. Marginal riding gear can be just fine for short rides or even a day-trip but it can make a long tour less enjoyable at best and miserable at worst. I'll just start at the head and work down to the feet.
I always wear a helmet. Most people only consider the safety purpose of helmets but even
if I could be guaranteed that I would never whack my skull on the pavement I'd still wear a helmet because wearing
one is more comfortable than not wearing one. Even though I never have put so much as a scratch on any helmet in
28 years of street riding I would never even consider not wearing a helmet.
I only wear full-face helmets. They provide more protection in a crash as well as being more comfortable. A full-face helmet will keep the wind and sun off your face -- both are very fatiguing. It will also prevent various flying squishy critters from splattering all over your face (ouch!) or flying into your mouth (yech!). Some people think that full-face helmets are too confining or uncomfortable. Unless you have claustrophobia you will get used to having your face surrounded by the helmet.
A couple years ago I read about some pinhead university professor form Australia who said that full-face helmets were dangerous because, under some circumstances, the chin bar can break your jaw. The only circumstance I can think of where you'd break your jaw is when you go flying off your bike and land face first. Yeah, in that circumstance you'll probably break your jaw, so what? If you'd been wearing an open face helmet you'd have no face left. Personally, I'd rather have a broken jaw. Come on people, think a little bit here.
I'd only consider an open face helmet if I was sitting behind a big windscreen. Big windscreens stop so much air that in hot weather they restrict the helmet's ventilation to the point that can get very hot and uncomfortable in a full-face helmet. In this situation I would prefer to cut down the windshield and improve the airflow enough so that the full-face helmet's ventilation worked properly. I just don't like open face helmets. I just feel too exposed when wearing them.
Remember, you'll be wearing your helmet most of your waking hours while on tour so it better be comfortable. That means proper fit! If you have a helmet that's too big, it won't protect you in a crash and while you're riding it will flop around battering your head into oblivion. If it's too small it will squish your skull and give you a headache like you wouldn't believe. Improper fit will even cause problems riding down to the corner market for a loaf of bread but the effects are much more pronounced on tour.
So, how do you check the fit of a helmet? First, put on the helmet and fasten the chinstrap. Did you have to pull sideways on the base of the helmet with your thumbs to spread it a bit so you didn't chop off your ears while pulling the helmet on? If you didn't it's probably too big. Does the helmet pinch or can you feel pressure points on your skull? If so, it may be too small.
This next part is best done in front of a mirror or with someone looking at your face. Place the palms of your hands on either side of the helmet and try to move it around on your head. Is the skin on your forehead and cheeks moving? If the helmet can be moved without tugging at the skin a bit the helmet it's too big. If the skin doesn't move at all but your head still moves with the helmet, the helmet is too small. Note that some of the high-end helmets have different size pieces of foam that you can use to adjust the size of the cheek pads.
Now, reach over the top to the back of the helmet, grab the bottom rear edge of the helmet, and pull up and forward. Try to pull the helmet off your head. If the chinstrap is choking you and the helmet won't come off the fit is ok. If the helmet comes off, it's too big.
The position of the chin bar varies a lot from one style helmet to another. With the helmet in a normal position, is the chin bar against your lips? If so, the helmet's too small. The chin bar shouldn't touch your lips when the helmet is in its normal position. However, you may be able to touch the chin bar with your pursed lips - this is ok.
Different helmet manufacturers use different head forms when designing their helmets. A given manufacturer may even use different head forms for different model helmets. Arai uses the same head form for the Quantum and Regent models but the Signet series uses a different head form. As a result, a large Arai Quantum won't necessarily fit you the same as a large Arai Signet. It's even more likely that a large Arai Quantum won't fit you the same as a large Shoei X9. This means that buying a helmet mail order is risky. I know that helmets are expensive and mail order helmets are a lot cheaper but it's your head.
Because I've been whacked in the head several times in a couple different places over the years (not on motorcycles) I have a few lumps on my head. On a particularly perfectly fitting helmet the lumps create pressure points that cause serious headaches. This is because these pressure points are not noticeable in the shop when I first try on the helmet. I only notice them after wearing it for a while on the bike, usually at highway speeds. If you notice pressure points in the shop just walking around, the helmet is either too small or the wrong shape and you shouldn't buy it.
If the helmet is an otherwise good fit I will alter the helmet to eliminate the pressure point. I pull back the helmet liner to expose the polystyrene inner liner. I then use a spoon to gently compress the polystyrene just enough to remove the pressure point. Do this in very small increments. This sort of alteration will reduce the crash effectiveness of the helmet so you don't want to compress the polystyrene any more than necessary to eliminate the pressure point. NOTE: The helmet manufacturers do not endorse this technique and doing this to your helmet will void the warranty of the helmet.
I have not always had to alter my helmet in this way. My current helmet is an Arai Quantum/e and is just fine as manufactured. Don't automatically alter a new helmet. Wear it for a while (a few hundreds of miles) and let it get broken in before you start altering it. It may not need any changes after it gets broken in.
The effectiveness of the vent system on full-face helmets varies widely. Generally, the higher end (more expensive) helmets have better ventilation. They also have a plusher liner material that soaks up sweat better and they just feel nicer. On some helmets the liner is even removable so that you can wash it -- helmets can get pretty a nasty aroma after a two week tour in hot weather. If the helmet liner is not removable you can get rid of most of the nasty odors by stuffing the inside with crumpled newspaper when you're not using it. If it really stinks it may take several weeks to get rid of the odor but it will work eventually -- put in fresh newspaper often. At home I always have newspaper in the helmet when it's sitting on the shelf.
I always buy white helmets. They are cheaper than the same helmet with cool graphics. I think that white helmets are more visible, even more than some of the neon or brightly colored helmets. Some people claim that white helmets are cooler but I don't know about that. Certainly the surface of a black helmet will get hotter but remember that a helmet has about an inch of expanded polystyrene plus the liner and liner padding between the shell and your head. Expanded polystyrene is a very good thermal insulator that's why they use it for those white disposable coffee cups. Some motorcycle magazine did a test about ten years ago where they actually used thermocouples to measure the temperature inside various colors of helmets while they were being worn while riding and found no significant difference in the temperature insie the helmet. I don't remember which the magazine did the test.
I've tried tinted faceshields but I think that they are more trouble than they're worth. You can't, or at least shouldn't, wear a tinted faceshield at night. Since I can't necessarily predict whether I'm going to be riding at night during a particular ride and I don't want deal with the hassle of bring two faceshields with me, I just stick with a clear faceshield. If it's sunny out, I wear sunglasses. When the sun goes down or I encounter a severe thunderstorm, I just put on my regular glasses. Life is complicated enough without going out of your way to make it even more complicated. There is a bit more information on glasses in the Tips page.
Helmet faceshields are fragile and a pain in the ass to pack. If you insist on carrying a second faceshield I've found that the best way to pack it is to slide it inside of a tube sock. That will prevent most scratches. However, since most faceshields are curved they don't really fit anywhere and that makes it tough to pack it such that there is nothing near it that will break it or penetrate the sock that covers it.
In recent years several manufacturers have released iridescent faceshields. These are even more expensive ordinary faceshields (which are already too expensive) and, even though they do the job, they don't work any better than an ordinary tinted faceshield. Iridescent faceshields are essentially a fashion accessory and spending money on one instead of, say, something useful like better tires, is just plain foolish. Iridescent faceshields are made for posers so if that's you, go for it. At least you'll be adding to the profit margins of the helmet manufacturers thus helping them stay in business.
I don't just use a plain clear faceshield. I've added a couple accessories to deal with a couple of common problems.
I have added a Fog City faceshield liner. The Fog City is relatively inexpensive, about $13, and well worth the price. I install it when I buy a new helmet (about every five years) or a new faceshield (about every two years). The purpose of the Fog City, as the name implies, is to get rid of faceshield fogging in cold and high humidity conditions. The liner is a piece of plastic that you stick to the inside of your faceshield such that a dead air space is created between the faceshield and the liner. The liner is also coated with an anti-fogging film.
Simply stated, the Fog City works. When properly installed it completely eliminates faceshield fogging. Some people complain that the liner distorts their vision, particularly at night. Fog City recommends not using their product at night. During the day, I notice some additional reflection when the Fog City is installed. I can see my nose if I concentrate. While it's not the prettiest sight, if I focus on the road ahead, where I should be looking, I don't notice the additional reflections. There is also some distortion at night but it's not bad enough to cause me to not use it.
Helmets
and Shielding the Sun The second thing I've added is a tinted film to the top of the outside of the faceshield. The purpose of this film is to make it easier to ride directly into the sun when it's low in the sky. This film is a tinted transparent sheet of plastic that I originally bought as an attempt to create a tinted faceshield without having to actually have two faceshields. The film has the property that it will adhere to any smooth surface, that's not too curved, without the use of adhesive. This film is made for private pilots. They place it on the inside of their windscreen when flying into the sun. I found that the film is not optically pure enough to look through so my attempt at making a tinted faceshield failed. The film is available from Sporty's Pilot Shop.
Being cheap I wanted to salvage something form my failed experiment so I cut the film into a strip about 1" (25 mm) tall and 8" (200 mm) wide. I placed it on the outside of the faceshield such that the bottom edge of the film is just slightly above my normal sight line. For normal lighting conditions the film has no effect. When the sun is low in the sky, I just tilt my head down a bit so that the sun is shining through the film. This is not a perfect solution but it's better than nothing.
Some people use electrical tape for this same purpose. This does work to some extent but since the tape is opaque you can't see through it so it's a bit less useful than the film I use. I know that the film isn't optically pure but you still can see through it. Things are just distorted a bit. I've given pieces of this film to many people. Some like it most don't. I don't know why. I think that it's a great solution to the problem.
Helmet-hair is the consequence of wearing your helmet for a while. You know the look --
little clumps of hair sticking out in random directions. I sort of like the look; It makes you look a little dorky
and therefore a bit less intimidating. Most people don't like helmet hair. I know people who use helmet-hair as
an excuse to not wear a helmet. The only way to get rid of helmet hair is to wash your hair.
Helmet hair can be prevented. There are three methods I know of. 1) You can cut your hair so short that helmet-hair isn't a problem. 2) If your hair is long enough, you can wear a ponytail. 3) Wear a helmet skullcap. A helmet skullcap is thin piece of cloth that covers your head (see lousy picture on the right). You put on the skullcap before you put on the helmet. It prevents the hair clumping but it's not a perfect solution. Your hair will still be mashed down but at least it's uniformly mashed down. I know of two manufacturers of helmet liners: Texas Headskins and Silks. Both usually have ads in the back of the major American motorcycle magazines.
Some people wear skullcaps to make the helmet more comfortable. They say that the skullcap absorbs perspiration. This may be true on some of the cheaper helmets with poor quality liner material but I'm not sure that a skullcap would help very much, if at all, on a good helmet with a decent liner. Still, if a skullcap makes you more comfortable, be my guest.
If your helmet fits perfectly you may not have enough room for a skullcap. My Arai Quantum/r helmet fit so well that even the single layer of cloth in a skullcap created a pressure point that made wearing it impossible. My new Quantum/e is just loose enough that a skullcap fits perfectly.
Helmet skullcaps also make it harder to put on your glasses but with the proper technique it's not that much more hassle.
Most helmets don't do anything to attenuate the wind roar -- some may even make it worse. Eventually the wind noise will cause tinnitus and permanent hearing loss. Wind noise also contributes substantially to fatigue. Earplugs will minimize both of these problems. You won't realize how much the wind roar tires you out until you ride all day with a decent pair of ear plugs; You'll be amazed how much more relaxed you feel.
I've tried every type and brand of earplugs that I've been able to find. IMO, the only types of plugs worth using on a motorcycle are the disposable expanded foam type. There are a lot of different brands of this type but they all work the same way; you roll them between your fingers to compress them, insert them in your ear canal, and wait for them to expand and seal the canal. I've tried most of the brands out there and found that the Howard Leight MAX-1 works the best. These have a NRR of 33, better than the typical 29.
If you buy earplugs in the drug store you'll pay about $1 or more a pair. I buy them 200 pair at a time for about $28 at a local industrial safety supply distributor. Look them up in your yellow pages. There are also a couple places on the web that sell earplugs. I wear one pair for one day and then throw them away and use a new pair the next day. Some people use the same pair for a month or more and they get pretty gross, talk about being cheap, sheesh! If you buy them in bulk they cost about $0.15 each. If you can afford to put gas in your bike you can afford fifteen cents a day for earplugs.
Sometimes earplugs can be a bear to insert. I've discovered a couple tricks. My ear canal is more oval than circular with the long diameter vertical. After I roll the plug into a small cylinder, I squish them flat and insert them with the flat dimension vertical -- they just slide right in.
If you're putting a earplug in the right ear, reach around the back of your head with your left hand and pull back on your right ear and maybe open your mouth all the way. Doing these two things helps straighten your ear canal and makes it easier to insert the plugs.
After you've inserted the plugs, release your ear, close your mouth and gently hold the plug in position until the foam fully expands -- usually about 10-15 seconds. Don't move the plug as it's expanding or it won't seal properly. If you screw it up, take it out and do it over. Then do the opposite for the left ear. Be sure that you insert the earplugs far enough so that they will not touch the helmet.
If your ears hurt after a while the plugs are either in too far and touching your ear drum (unlikely) or they're not in far enough and your helmet is rubbing on the exposed part of the plug. At the beginning of the season, it takes me a few long rides to get used to wearing earplugs. During that break-in period they do hurt a bit but after a couple weeks you won't even feel them.
If you are considering custom earplugs you might be interested in my experience. A couple of years ago I went to an audiologist and had them make me a set of custom ear plugs. They inject some liquid-like rubber into your ear. After a couple minutes the rubber cures and you now have a mold of your ear. About a week later you have some earplugs that fit your ear perfectly. These plugs cost me about $60. If you have these made be sure that you tell the audiologist that you will be wearing the under a helmet and that they should not include the insertion/removal handles.
The custom plugs I had made were a fairly hard rubber -- much harder than disposable expanding foam plugs. They do not fit as tightly as the foam type nor do they attenuate the sound as well as the foam type. I found that mine hurt a lot after about two hours and I have to remove them. I no longer use them -- they are sitting in a drawer and will probably stay there until I throw them away.
If your ears hurt after a while the plugs are either in too far and touching your ear drum (unlikely) or they're not in far enough and your helmet is rubbing on the exposed part of the plug.
At the beginning of the season, it takes me a few long rides to get used to wearing earplugs. During this annual spring break in period my ears do hurt and I have to remove the plugs after a few hours. After a couple weeks I don't even feel them. I have found that I have to wear them at least 10 hours a week or they will cause a fair amount of pain after a couple days on the road. I don't know if you have to build up a callus in the ear canal or I just have sensitive ears but I do have to wear ear plugs a lot in order to be able to wear them all day, every day, for weeks at a time. I know some riders who have the same experience and more who have not had these problems.
I've heard that in some states it's illegal to wear earplugs (but it's legal to drive if you're deaf, go figure). I looked through the Minnesota statutes and there isn't a word in there about earplugs, just headphones. I can't say what the law is in your state but I will continue to wear them. If I get a ticket, so be it. Earplugs do cut out a lot of the sound around you -- hey, that's why you wear them -- but you can still hear sirens, car horns, screeching tires, and all that important stuff.
There are some general considerations for jacket selection and a few extra things you may want to think about for touring. You may have several riding jackets to choose from depending on the weather, duration of the ride, or whatever. On tour you'll only have room for one jacket -- at least I only have room for one -- so you need to make sure that it's as versatile as possible. This means that it can cover the greatest possible range of conditions.
I always wear a leather jacket on tour. Actually, I always wear a leather jacket when riding, period. In the last couple years I've bought two Cordura-Gortex jackets, an Aerostich Darien and First Gear Kenya. I wear the synthetic jackets on day trips and riding around town but on tour I still wear leather. I'm not sure that this still makes sense and that perhaps I should change to more modern jacket but that's what I do. It's probably habit as much as anything. There are also some well-made synthetic riding suits out there like the Aerostich Roadcrafter II. I know several people who have these suits and love them but I've never owned one.
Not all leather jackets are appropriate for motorcycle use. You need to be able to recognize the difference between a motorcycle "style" jacket and a real motorcycle jacket. Both jackets may look similar but they differ in the weight of the leather, cut of the jacket, and perhaps the presence of armor. In an accident, a fashion leather jacket will shred instantly -- they offer zero crash protection. Decent motorcycle jackets start at about $300 new and go up from there. If you're looking at a jacket that's new and cheaper than that it's probably missing something. Real motorcycle jackets are heavy. They have some heft to them because they use thick leather. Because of the thick leather they are often pretty stiff when new. These jackets always use top grain, not the weaker split grain leathers. Motorcycle leather jackets always have a smooth finish - they're never suede. Never wear a suede jacket on a motorcycle. Suede jackets don't slide well. They grab the pavement and cause you to tumble. If you tumble you significantly increase the probability you'll break something, usually several things and in several places.
Motorcycle jackets are not cut the same way as normal jackets. A motorcycle jacket is cut so that it's most comfortable when riding a bike -- that is with slight forward lean and arms raised and extended. This means that when just standing the arms are too long and in the wrong position, the top of the back tends to bunch, and the bottom edge of the back is lower than the front. I prefer that the jacket not extend below the waist, as they tend to bunch up. To me, the extra leather below the waist just gets in the way.
You only have room for one jacket so make sure that it can cover the greatest possible range of temperatures. When it's really hot you want as much ventilation as possible. A good jacket will have vents front and back so that you can get decent airflow through the jacket. It seems to me that under-arm vents by themselves don't work all that well. Vertical zippered vents, two in front and two in back seem to give the best airflow around the torso.
As the temperatures cool you need to block the vents - either by zipping them shut or somehow covering the openings. Zippered vents are nice as you can operate the front vents without stopping. Operating the zipper pulls with gloves on can be a problem. Just go down to your local hardware store and buy those little split steel rings for holding keys. Get one of the smaller sizes, like about 1/2 inch diameter and attach it to the zipper pull. You'll now be able to operate the zipper even while wearing winter gloves.
As temperatures continue to drop you want to be able to snap or zip in an insulating liner. Depending on what you wear under the jacket and the material of the liner, these features will allow you to cover a range of temperatures from about 50° F to over 100° F.
I always wear at least a long sleeved cotton t-shirt under my leather jacket, even when it's really hot. This makes a big difference in comfort, especially when it's hot. You don't want any bare skin touching the jacket or liner. If you do, it will feel real clammy and yucky. The cotton will absorb your perspiration and then allow it to evaporate. You'll still be hot but you'll be more comfortable.
Unlike most leather motorcycle jackets, my jacket has a regular dress shirt type collar and it's not lined with any cloth so the leather touches my neck and gives that same clammy feeling. I solve this problem by wearing a cotton bandana. It works really well and when it gets hot out I can soak it in water to give a bit more cooling.
The problem with sizing leather jackets is that if it's big enough to take several layers underneath for cold weather, when it's hot and you're just wearing a t-shirt underneath it it's too big and will flop around. Conversely, if it's snug in warmer weather, you'll never be able to wear enough under it when it's cold. My jacket tends toward being too loose when it's hot out, but if I stay below 75 mph the flapping is not too bad. I've gained about 20 pounds since I bought the jacket and it's approaching being too tight in the cold. I guess I need to buy a bigger jacket or loose some weight.
Given the capricious nature of life and realizing that God really does have a sense of humor, you soon realize that all actions have unexpected consequences, even wearing bandanas. Here's what happened to me.
I wouldn't even consider not wearing gloves -- they just give too much protection from small rocks, June Bugs (not that different from a rock in effect), and the like. Over the years I've tried just about every kind of glove there is and none seem to be perfect. Right now I wear Z-Custom Deer Traks. They are the most comfortable and sturdy gloves I've ever had. They have external seams. There is some debate as to whether or not external seams are which are much more comfortable when you are wearing them all day. The deerskin seems to breath better and is much softer than cow leather. The Deer Traks are also a gauntlet style glove. Gauntlet gloves give much better coverage than a regular style glove.
I really dislike gloves with studs on the palm. I know that the Ricky-racer types think they're cool but I don't like the way they feel on the controls -- they feel too stiff. From what I've seen the studs don't protect any better than a properly attached extra layer of leather in the palm.
When it's really hot out some people like to wear warm weather gloves. I have a pair of O'Neal gloves that are pretty nice. They have leather palms and a slab of leather over the knuckles. I'm not really confident wearing these gloves because I'm not all that sure how well they'd fare in a crash - not too well I suspect. I don't wear them unless it's really hot out (like >95° F).
I won't ever wear those wimpy fingerless gloves with the paper-thin leather. Those would shred in about 0.5 seconds if they hit the pavement at speed, stupid. Those are a complete waste of money.
I only buy white or natural color gloves. The dye used in leather gloves is somewhat water-soluble and if they get wet (like in the rain) the black (or green or blue or red or whatever) dye will dye your hands and it will not wash off. It takes about a week or two for it to wear off. White gloves do not have this problem. I've heard of ways to remove the dye so that gloves won't bleed but I can't remember the details. It just seems easier to get gloves that don't bleed in the first place.
You can go down to Wall Mart and buy a rain coat and pants but this stuff is so poorly built that you probably won't be able to seal the openings well enoungh to keep out the rain and that's assuming it will last more than a few hours highway speeds. You could go to a local camping supply or sailing supply stor and get some of their gear. Camping and sailing rain gear is usually much higher quality than the Wall Mart junk but it is still not the best choice for motorcycling.
I prefer rain gear specifically made for motorcycling. Motorcycle specific rain gear has a few useful features that you will not find on normal rain gear mentioned in the above paragraph. Motorcycle rain gear usually has straps on the bottom of the pant legs. These straps prevent the pants from riding up your legs in the windblast. This is a very useful feature. Motorcycle rain gear also tends to have tighter neck and wrist closures (at least the better stuff does). Motorcycle rain gear also tends to be cut a bit larger so that you can wear it over your normal riding gear. It should go without saying that just because it is raining that's no reason to remove your protective gear. Motorcycle rain gear comes in two types, one piece and two piece.
A lot of riders prefer one piece suits.
Text
Text
Text
Leather pants offer better crash protection than any other clothing and I wear them whenever I'm going to spend more than a few hours on the bike. I don't wear leather pants when running errands, commuting to work, or going where leather wouldn't be appropriate, like a wedding (see, I do have some social graces).
I know that leather pants are expensive but they offer the best protection. As with jackets, the synthetic pants (like Aerostich) and the various Kevlar reinforced jeans may be fine but I have very little experience with them. There are three basic styles of leather motorcycle pants. I call them jeans style, racing style, and over-pant style. These are my own descriptive terms and I just made them up.
Jeans style pants are exactly that. Many are cut and styled similar to jeans. There are jeans style leather pants that are not suitable for motorcycling (i.e. fashion leather). As with fashion leather jackets, fashion leather pants are made of a lighter grade of leather and offer essentially same crash protection as regular jeans. Cotton jeans work just as well and are cheaper. Don't buy fashion leather pants for any purpose other than making a fashion statement -- off the bike.
Some jeans style pants are cut as exact duplicates of cotton jeans, pockets and all. Some, like my Hein Gerik Dakar pants, are only loosely similar to jeans. What all these pants have in common is that they have a fairly lose fit, straight cut legs, and seldom have any armor. Jeans style pants are quite comfortable both on and off the bike. You can walk in them just as easily as with cloth pants.
Racing style pants have a tight fit and are armored. They can have either hard or soft armor. Most often they have hard armor in the knees and soft armor in the hips. Usually, the fit is so tight that there are vertical zippers on the lower leg opening. You open the zipper when you put the pants on and then close the zipper before you put on your boots. Racing style pants are almost always worn inside your boot tops.
These pants often have expansion panels in the waistband, and they often do not have belt loops or any facility for a belt. I guess that they figure that the fit is going to be tight enough that you won't need a belt. They often have perforations in the leather behind the knee or a cloth stretch panel. If there is leather behind the knee, perforations or not, and the fit is not nearly perfect the leather will bunch up and they can be quite uncomfortable when riding. This is usually not a problem with jeans style pants as the fit is loose enough that they seldom bunch behind the knee.
Racing style pants are cut in a sportbike rider s crouch. They are quite comfortable if they fit properly and you're riding your bike. If you're walking or even standing they can be quite uncomfortable -- the knees bulge out and the butt sags. You really can't walk in these pants; you just sort of waddle. That's OK; they're for riding not walking, right?
Racing style pants
The key to being comfortable in leather pants is what you wear under them. I wear spandex exercise tights - the full-length kind that goes from waist to your ankles. Don't laugh, it really helps and here's why. Like with the jacket, you don't want your skin touching the leather. You want to slide around in the leather. Further, you want something that will absorb the sweat and allows it to evaporate. Sweat will evaporate through leather that's been properly cared for and NOT waterproofed. It won't evaporate fast but it will evaporate.
Another advantage of the spandex is that there are no seams on any of the pressure points (your butt or thighs). Some people use bicycling shorts but I found that since they stop above the knee my knee sticks to the leather and in a sport riders crouch it pulls at knee and hurts. Also, the elastic at the bottom to the bicycle shorts digs into my thigh.
My current riding boots are Aerostich Combat Touring Boots. I've worn them in three days of continuous rain without my feet even getting damp. This is a good thing as they are so big that you'd never fit totes or boot covers over them. These are big, heavy, clunky; all leather boots that look more like motocross boots than street/touring boots. They took quite a while to break in but once broken-in they are the most comfortable boots I've ever had. Twice a year I treat them with silicone leather waterproofing liquid.
