instead of buying expensive lined jeans get an old pair and sew in a pair of longjohns [Potato - UK]
Lard, butter, frying pan fat, old greasy kebab/burger leftovers these are a few of my favorite things for waterproofing leather. [jaye, stuffntings@hotmail.com, UK]
want to water proof a cotton jacket, then recycle your bacon grease. You know that white crap in the pan after you fry pig flesh. its waterproof and you'll be a hit with the local dogs. [jordanmacfarlane@hotmail.com, Canada]
to stay warm buy or steal newspapers and
stuff em in your leathers. If you caught in a rain storm and your camping out in that cheap tent and you laying in the beginings of a large puddle go dumpster diving for some garbage bags to cover your tent with. [fabian@ratbike.org, US]
Cheap waterproofs are easily made by carrying hot take away food in your pockets, the grease soaks out a treat! Use a cheap Surplus canvas jacket and spray it with nicwax, silicone spray, or old egine oil if you must.
[Chris <chris@zoogang.com>]
garbage bags can do wonders. just strap one around each leg, punch a head and two arm holes in one to make a poncho, and grocery bags around your feet inside your boots keeps them dry. Also, invest in spikes, particularly conical ones on your leather jacket cause when you hit the pavement they help you just skid across instead of gettin your leather shreded, it saved my friend when he was being a dumbass doing donuts in a parking garage and hit an oil slick... and it scares old people and christians!
[Steve <sioux81@angelfire.com>]
Boots, Helmets, Jackets, Rainsuits etc from RideGear.com
NB: Stuff bought via the banner above helps to pay for this website.
Good chaps can be found at any tyre store. Inner tubes, leave valve stem so you can tell right from left.
[Clyd <triumph@bright.net>]
If you like to commute on cold snowy days but don't want to electrocute yourself
with that homade electric vest you bought at a yard sale, go to a convinience
store and get one or two breakfast burritos, nuke till hot, the stuff em in your
jacket. Not only will this keep you warm but you'll have some food when you get
to your destination. Word of caution, do not do this with mcdonalds or you will
get grease all over your shirt. [Beemer Dan <moto667@dimensional.com> from the United Terrorist Motorcycle Cult]
Get some thick cotton working gloves, cut of the fingertips and hey presto real cheap yet extremely comfortable fingerless choppergloves.
I use the ones that are heat resistant so i can fix my bike on the road without taking my gloves off. The added touch of oil makes them all the more rattier
[from Wouter in Holland <kadaver@ratbike.org >]
Have you lost weight? If so, you can take off faster now, but dammit, now your leather jacket inflates at speed and flaps around like a sail! Avoid frumpiness by sewing nylon webbing straps and d-rings from old helmets to the sides. Cinch the straps tight for flap free flight! Loosen the straps for bulky sweaters in the winter. As an added bonus, the dangling straps resemble those from a straight jacket
(hm, my old JTS jacket came with these as standard... S.)!
[Marlon <marlon@ratbike.org>]
When I was a courier, I wore a sheepskin flying jacket, that soaked up water,
but never let it touch your skin, let your mum's cat piss on it for added aroma; also nothing looks better
than luminous yellow trainers covered than gear oil, rub old oil on boots to waterproof them.
[from <jawa@ratbike.org>]
Silverman's british army goretex boot liners leak very quickly, not worth £18. probably why the army sold them off as surplus. ex-Falklands apparently, an emergency bodge to stop squaddies feet rotting in the Malvinas' mud.
Neoprene cyclists socks keep your feet warm (and wet) inside sodden boots. Though your feet stink summat awful.
Handlebar muffs - try 5 liter plastic containers cut to fit instead of soft 'proper' handlebar muffs. If your'e clever you can even make little struts onto the bar ends to hold them out so they don't collapse onto the brake/clutch/kill switch at higher speeds. They're much safer than thick bulky gloves that stop you working the controls.
And they cost nothing.
If you don't like them try motocross/enduro handlebar guards. They give a little shelter for your digits.
Bright yellow PVC oilskins look great I think (bright yellow? BRIGHT YELLOW??? BRIIIIIGHT YELLOW????, S.), especially when they're covered in oil and muck (OK that's more like it, S.). They're heavy and stiff so they don't flap like nylon. And they cost about £10 per suit (jacket and trousers)from surplus stores so you can leave them on your bike and not lose too much when the inevitable toerag pinches them.
To make cotton combat jackets 'waterproof' try Nikwax cottonproof. It's amazing stuff though it doesn't stop water being blown through the weave of the cloth.
Finally the best anti cold device of all, a hipflask. Be careful, not too much, just a little nip works wonders (until you get hypothermia, then it'll kill you. Ahhh! tingly fingertips!!
[all above from Bob <bob.cannell@virgin.net>, Yorkshire]
instead of buying expensive lined jeans get an old pair and sew in a pair of longjohns [Potato - UK]