You may or may not have heard of the up and coming Bike Shed™ scene, a movement set around retro-style motorcycles with thoroughly modern tech for the bikes and their riders. It focusses on back-to-basics motorcycling with simple style backed up with strong performance.
The ‘Bike Shed™’ itself is a pair of motorcycle shops/restaurants/barber shops in London’s Shoreditch and in Los Angeles, USA. Ordinarily every year there’s a Bike Shed™ show at Tobacco Dock in London where some of the finest retro motorcycles can be found to be gawped at, alongside a multitude of attractions. Likewise, there’s the Bike Shed™ Festival which is due to be held in Kent this year with several races taking place from riders of all walks of life and abilities.
Cafe Racer Clothing
What to wear if you’ve got one of these bikes though? Back in the day, what is now retro was all you could choose from and its protective qualities weren’t that great. Waxed cotton, denim and leather were the materials of the day, however waterproofing, armour and abrasion protection were limited. Fast forward to the present day and these materials are still very much in use, however the design and technologies working alongside them have come on in leaps and bounds.
A couple of brands that really illustrate that you can truly have your cake and eat it when it comes to stylish but effective motorcycle gear are Resurgence and Stylmartin.
Resurgence Retro Biker Gear
Starting with Resurgence, they focus mainly on jackets and trousers for riders, using their own abrasion protection solution ‘PEKEV’. This allows for extremely lightweight and effective abrasion protection with their own blend of ethylene and aramid fibres creating a fabric that can withstand between 5 and 10 seconds of sliding depending on the version. Combined with excellent D3O armour and you’ve got a garment that even achieves CE ratings, while looking like something you’d wear out and about.
When it comes to old-school style, denim is often king. Resurgence offer a super-toasty Sherpa denim jacket that is 100% PEKEV lined, alongside including D3O Ghost armour in the elbows and shoulders and a D3O Viper back protector. A AAA-CE rating means this a properly protective jacket, with only a lack of waterproofing holding it back.
Retro Motorcycle Jeans
Of course, no casual look for a biker would be complete without a pair of decent jeans – there’s a wide range of styles for both men and women. They also do cargo pants for practicality, and even chinos for when you want to look semi-smart.
A superb example of their jeans is the Ultra Lite, utilising their PEKEV Ultra Lite lining which is combined with the denim into a single layer, providing CE AA-rated full abrasion protection alongside D3O Ghost armour in the knees and hips – these are truly jeans that work in the event of a spill and in everyday life.
Stylmartin Boots
Moving onto your feet and we come to the Italian brand of Stylmartin. Perfect for a casual style but with the performance of a proper pair of boots. They’ve a wide range to choose from, going from hi-top trainer styles to combat boots, all with key protective technologies integrated to keep your feet and ankles safer.
The Marshall is an example of one of their high-top trainer-boots that can look great with a pair of aramid fibre jeans on and off the bike, with the added benefit of breathable waterproofing and PU protection on the sides of the ankle to protect the joint from impact. Laces offer a secure fit at the loss of some practicality; something to bear in mind.
If you’re after that classic combat boot style, then look no further than the Ace boot which features a super convenient side-zip and a gorgeous full-grain leather upper. PU protection in the ankles rounds off the package. While the boot does lack a waterproof membrane it’s worth mentioning that well-cared for leather with liberal applications of good quality polish can be as waterproof as the best membrane, although the zip won’t protect you from the most torrential of downpours.
For female riders they’ve got a couple of choices, including the Pearl J which features all of what makes their other boots great – PU armour on the ankle, gear-shift pad as well as water repellent leather alongside a breathable waterproof membrane. A small heel means this wouldn’t look out of place in a high street shop but allows it to be all-day comfortable.
Both Stylmartin and Resurgence are both relatively new additions to the Bike Stop range, and there are a great many other brands, both well-known and less so, that offer some top-of-the-line protective gear that looks superb for any bike that belongs in the Bike Shed scene.
If you need some expert advice then you can have a chat online with us via web chat on our website. The Bike Stop shop in Stevenage is unfortunately closed once again in line with Government guidelines, however our online shop is alive and well, and taking orders for delivery. We will be of course reopening fully as soon as it is safe and permitted. You can also check out our full range on our website with free delivery for any order over £50 on the UK mainland, and delivery possible to almost anywhere else. Not only that but our ‘No Quibble’ returns policy allows for returns within a 365-day period – see our returns page for more details.
