Chaps Versus Bibs

[alberta]

a lot of you who make for bikers also ride , so has anyone got experience with leather bib overalls in specific ones from Stone Lake Leatherworks , I do leather work but not on big garments , so why reinvent the wheel. if you know about there products please reply. I want American made quality .not interested in off shore, maybe one of you makes bibs let me know. thanks

[Itch]

I ride quite a bit in the winter here in Tennessee and do use heated gear. However his bibs do look very nice and I have heard that his quality is excellant.

[KateC]

Bib Pros: multiple chest pockets to configure things to be kept handy. Crotch is covered for warmth. Nothing tight on the waist or Spine. You dont even have to button them.

Bib Cons: Getting the riding length is tricky. You pretty much have to break them in "high and tight" for riding. If you walk in them, dropped down a bit, than they are too short for riding when you straddle a seat in them. Thus your ankles get cold. Break in period they kind of feel like they are going to cut you in two That will go away. When on long rides and you want to reposition your riding seat, you pretty much have to stand on the pegs to do so. The leather against leather just never slides into place like denim and leather. This can become tiresome to you or hard on your back if you have a history of back troubles.

I have made them out of horsehide fronts that is naturally waterproof for customers and they love them. The straps need to be out of a very pliable or glovey leather so that they still form to you when you are sitting down, because in that position there is a couple of inches of slack when sitting. The bibs on the website look beautiful, but I guaranteee no leather is comfortable damp and wet when riding long distance. You will still need raingear to be comfortable when riding any distance in the rain. I mention this only because the website kind of touts them all weather. Kind of depends on the rider.

Best advice I can give you is not to cut them until youve marked them straddling your saddle. They are much trickier to get the length right than chaps. Hope this helped! If you still get the after all this said...Then I bet you will love them!