Posts made by Carlos840

Two days ago i received my Klim Kodiak riding suite, i ordered it with the intention of using it when i go for long rides in winter, it is also better in the rain than leather.
It came with a thin down puffer jacket (800fill). Just out of interrest i decided to compared the down jacket to the primaloft IH and was blown away by how much warmer the Klim down jacket was.
Even when worn underneath my leather jacket i can sustain much higher speeds without ever feeling cold, it is far superior to the primaloft.

The only two advantages the IH has over the Kilm are the fact that primaloft retains warmth even when wet/damp, and the fact that the nylon outer shell is much stronget and less likely to be damaged if handled roughly.
Comfort wise i prefer the pattern of the Klim, it doesn't have the tight shoulders of the IH and it is much warmer. As long as the weather is cold enough to prevent overheating and sweating (sweating in down sucks as once it becomes damp it looses all warmth)

Basically i think that from now on i am just going to keep the IH as a "keep it in the paniers at all times just in case i get cold during the day", it is tought enough that i won't worry about it getting damaged in there.

If it is really cold and i am leaving home with layers on knowing the weather will be cold i will wear the Klim.

So, i have ridden around 2500km on the bike with this jacket and i am still happy with it.
My regular layering system is: merino T-shirt, cashmere jumper, IHJ-79-BLK, leather jacket.

Down to 8C it keeps me warm up to motorway speeds (140km/h) for long stretches of time.
Below 8C i cannot sustain motorway speeds for more than an hour before i start to get cold.
At slower speeds (say 50 to 90km/h) i can go as low as 3C and still feel nice and toasty for hours at a time.

All in all i am really satisfied, only thing i would change is the A shape to a more V shape, but that's a problem i have with all IH tops.

I still don't think i could justify paying this much for a casual jacket to walk around in, but on the bike it has a bunch of nice features that really work well.
Highly recommended if you ride in the cold.

400km of twisties in 6 hours today, temps ranging from 8c to 12c, i never felt uncomfortable, i really like this riding jacket.
I think the best thing i can say about it is that i never even think about it, it's a comfortable pattern and it regulates temperature really well. I just put it on and forget about it.
Very happy with it.

So i just came back from my first 200km ride with this jacket in 10c weather and i have to say i am impressed.
It is a bit too A shaped for me (a bit tight in the shoulders and a bit loose at the waist) but in use it isn't a problem.
The jacket is super slippery and it fits really well underneath a leather jacket. No binding, no thick seams in the shoulders, no bunching anywhere, it really disappears underneath your riding jacket.
The wrist knits create a really good seal, once i zipped up the wrist zippers of my leather jacket above them no air was coming in through the wrists even at motorway speeds.
The collar is really nice, it really seals well with the helmet and i never had a cold neck. The knit in the back of the neck is nice against drafts.
The elastic at the bottom hem is a nice touch, i had no air coming up from my waist at all. This jacket is 0.5" longer than my leather jacket so i barely have any overhang, it looks good.
I like that the edge of the bottom hem is doubled with a thick fabric, it looks like it will last a long time even if used heavily.
It is really fully windproof, even at motorway speed with my leather jacket zipped halfway i couldn't feel any wind going through the nylon shell.
All in all i wouldn't really change a thing, it is a good design, it feels like quality and it kept me warmer on the bike than anything else i have worn before. I am confident i could go down to freezing temps and still be warm enough.
It also feels sturdy enough not to worry about damaging it. Just shove it in the paniers and go…

My only issue with it is the price, it feels stupid spending that mych money on a bit of nylon and plastic knowing i could buy a Vanson for that amount, but i guess that comes with the brand...
If you are looking for a "regular jacket" i think it is hard to justify that price over a cheaper brand like NorthFace or Patagonia, but if you need the motorcycle specific characteristics of that design i think it is worth the asking price.

@jstark:

Hey long time voyeur here, thought I'd give a little back, it being Thanksgiving and all (here anyway)…
This was slightly box and a little longish on me. Took a 38 (which fits great in the LHT type 3). I'm 5'11", 165. Actually looking back, I think I'd have been just fine breaking it in without a soak. But decided to see if I couldn't get a little shrink out of it and set some creases. First cold soak didn't do much, so I gave it a hot soak and air dried, then wore it damp. An it's pretty perfect. Really super dig this jacket. Right in the wheelhouse of maintaining a classic type 2 vibe but without the boxiness on one hand and the complete redesign so many brands, i.e PBJ are doing.  The denim is fantastic. Here's some before soak and after. Yes at a gas station for the latter. Had about 40 gallons to kill.

PRE:

POST:

Hope that helps, folks!

Looks great! Shabbat shalom, motherf*ckers!

@Giles:

Shoulders 19.5
Length 26
P2P 22.5
Opening 20.5
Arm 25.25

Thanks, unfortunately everything is perfect apart from the sleeves that are a good inch to short for me…

@Giles:

Unfortunately #1 did not work out for @dudewuttheheck .  So it's up for grabs at USD1,000.  XL.

Black goat and red Ventile…

Is it possible to get the measurements?

Shoulders, P to P, bottom hem, arms and back please.

@Giles:

Wait till you get hold of the indigo/indigo duck…....

What is this Indigo/Indigo duck you speak of? I see no mention of it anywhere else than this thread.

When will it show itself? What weight is it? What will it be used for?

The hanger is a cheap eBay hanger like this one:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OVER-DOOR-2-BAR-CHROME-TWIN-RAIL-TOWEL-HANGER-CLOTH-HOLDER-LAUNDRY-DRYER-RAIL-/221657413501?pt=UK_Storage&hash=item339bcfb77d

With a bunch of S hooks like these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CHROME-S-HOOKS-S-HOOK-STORAGE-HOOKS-HANGING-HOOKS-HANGER-HOOKS-RACK-HOOKS-6-NEW-/270884121864?pt=UK_Storage&hash=item3f11f3ad08

Its easy, cheap, and i can fit 2 pairs of jeans per rail.

Thanks guys, happy i can help!

So, the jeans are dry. I measured them and they shrank to pretty much exactly the same size as a size 33 IH-634 UHR.
One thing worth noting, the inseam shrank noticeably more.
They are now both 36", but the UHR started at 36.5" and barely lost anything. The 634SII on the other hand started at 37.5" so it shrunk a lot more.

Now that it is dry, the denim lost a bit of the sheen it had in the beginning, but it still feels pretty rigid, and although it's only 18oz it still manages to stand on its own.

Looking at it closely you can really see that the indigo doesn't look like it is deep into the fiber. Scratching it lightly with your nail shows bright marks very easily.
I have a feeling this one is also going to be super quick to show fades, and might look awesome really fast.

I kinda wish i didn't have so many pairs to wear, speed up the evo!

Just in case you guys want to see this denim compared to the other IH denims have a look at this thread, page 2:

http://www.ironheart.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=6968.15

Well, as usual Iron Heart delivers! 24h after ordering, UPS man is at my door!

Fit wise, these do indeed come up one size large… I have always worn 33 IH 634, and these size 32 fit me pretty much just like the size 33 IH 634 UHR.

The fabric is very interesting, at 18oz, it is the lightest pair of IH jeans i own, but it is probably almost as rigid as the UHR. The most interesting thing to me is the density of the fabric. For some reason it feels very very tight and dense. No surface hair, it almost has a certain sheen going on.
It feels like if you were to rub a spot you would actually polish it.
I am pretty sure that although it is the thinnest it will be a very warm fabric, as it feels like no air is going through it.

Color wise, it's not actually that dark, somewhere in between the 634s and the 634 XHS, but the fact that is is fully dyed might give some interesting fades.
The jeans are in my bathtub right now, when they are dry i will update the thread to let you know how much they shrunk. I don't usually give them a pre wear wash, just a soak.

One thing i noticed, these are the only IH i have that don't need to be weighted down to stay at the bottom of the tub, they just sink like a stone, which to me confirms the fabric is super tight and doesn't store much air.
They also don't have that sulfur smell when soaked, i wonder if the dyeing method is different, and how this will influence fade.

Here are some pictures, they are shown from lightest to heaviest. So 18oz 634SII, 21oz 634s, 21/23oz 634UHR, 25oz 634 XHS.

Personally my favourite ones are still the XHS, but these could come in second!
Worth noting they are very long, meaning i will actually be able to cuff them, and am really looking forward the blue on blue cuff! Until now, only the XHS has been long enough for me to cuff it.

And to finish, my "Denim Organiser System" TM it fits 4 pairs of jeans without ruining your combs and stacks!

I ordered a pair last night!
These in size 32 pretty much match the UHR in size 33, which i own, so i went with a 32.

I have the 634s, the 634 UHR, and the 634 XHS, so it will be interesting to see how this 18oz compares to the other ones.
Will report back once i have given them a soak and worn them a little.

Thanks guys!

What had me worried was the fact that the 634S showed fade super fast at the bottom of the legs, where your legs sometimes rub against each other, a lot faster than the 634UHR…

I was scared that if i started washing them weekly i was going to end up with jeans looking like this in a couple months:

Giles, which ones would you say would keep their color the longest if washed regularly? The 634S, 634B or 634BLK?

Hi everyone,

First time poster, long time lurker!

I have a small question about color fade and washing.

It seems that the IH jeans fade a lot quicker than "regular" denim. I have some old Levis that have been washed on a weekly basis for years and they don't show much color loss or fade. On the other hand, i have a pair of IH-634s that shows fading after a few weeks wear, and no washes at all!
Arguably not much fading, but it seems that the indigo in the IH denim isn't fixed as strongly as in other denim.

I need a pair of jeans that i can wash on a weekly basis, what would happen to my IH-634s if i was to start washing them every week?

Would they hold up? or would they look like pale 80s denim in a couple months?

Now before you guys say anything, I understand that most of you are part of the "don't wash your jeans, get great fades" crew, and i do own a pair of IH-634UHR and IH-634XHS that i plan on not washing for a while!
I just need a pair that can be washed often.

Any experience from frequent washers would be appreciated.

Cheers