One-year review
IN-DEPTH TESTING OVER MONTHS AND MILES
Dane Sealand jacket £749 Dane Lyngby trousers £460
THIS IS TOP-END riding gear, using the most rugged and expensive Gore-tex Pro laminate material, where the waterproofing is applied to the outside layer. I’ve done a lot of miles in this suit in the past year and the short version of the review is that it’s very, very good — as it should be at this price.
Jacket first. It doesn’t leak, even in day-long downpours — but as it’s a laminate item, it dries really quickly when you get out of the rain. The external pockets have never shipped any water, either. It’s reasonably warm with its quilted liner in, but remove that and open the long vents for sunny days and it’s cool and non-sweaty, noticeably lighter than other Gore-tex Pro jackets. There’s full CE Level 2 armour in shoulders, elbows and back and an excellent double-cuff that is easy to use and gives a faultless draught-free seal.
My only niggles are collar related. The collar-sealing flap is retained by a magnet, but I feel Velcro would be better: if I’m on any half-sporty bike, it comes undone when I lean forward and flaps annoyingly. And while a low collar is great in summer, personally I like a high storm collar for winter but there’s no option to zip one on with this jacket.
The trousers are equally good. There’s Level 2 armour in the knees, though hip armour is £12 extra. The braces (only just long enough for me, at 6ft 5in) are another £15 extra. There are good-sized, watertight pockets, two connecting zips and an effective thermal liner, which attaches with zips at feet as well as waist. The cuffs open wide, adjust with a clever string system, and seal well.
Like the jacket, the trousers have never let water in — though after about 10,000 miles, they started to suffer from ‘wet out’. This where it feels like they’re leaking, though they’re not. It’s normally caused by dirt holding onto water. A careful wash cured this and I’d say they are the best textile trousers I’ve used.
Part of that is, of course, that they fit me really well. The Dane sizes include a proper tall-fit, so the jacket has long enough sleeves without a baggy body and the trousers have a long leg without enough room for two at the waist.
Overall, this is a high-spec suit that really performs — and even after a tough year and lots of miles, it still looks like new. It is an expensive suit but, if you do a lot of miles, it’s good value.