GEAR Q & A
Q If I wear a road-legal daytime tinted visor and then drop my sun visor, would I be breaking the law? Especially at night.
A No. Technically, a legal visor must allow 50% of light to pass through it — anything darker is illegal. Layering up a legal tint with a sun visor will let less light get to your eyes but there are no laws governing that. There are plenty of darker visors available — all sold with a “not for road use” warning — but the reality is that you won’t be stopped for riding with them in daylight. After dark is another matter, but why would you want to ride with a solid black visor – or the sun visor flipped down behind your road-legal tint?
Q How do I stop my textile clothing from leaking?
A The first thing is to clean it, because most waterproof membranes start to leak when they’re clogged with dirt. There will be a care label inside the textiles telling you how to wash and dry them: follow the instructions.
The key points are to remove the armour, make sure zips and pockets are done up, then wash them with a cleaner such as Nikwax Techwash. Make sure there’s no fabric softener in the washing machine — run a load through the machine without softener before. Some waterproof membranes are reactivated by heat, so the instructions may suggest the kit is tumble-dried or even ironed.
Washing alone may not be enough, though. We’d usually consider applying a reproofing treatment like Nikwax TX Direct (about £7 online). Spray it on evenly, give it a couple of minutes to settle into the fabric, then wipe off the excess.