Riding to work at this time of year has its appeals. You tough out the cold morning, the street still untouched by the warming massage of all those particles of light, and you receive your afternoon reward of a beautiful fall ride past fields and fauna. These are, at least, my circumstances.

Tour Master ...

Nothing says, "I'm getting the heck out of Dodge" like a pair of saddlebags. Of course, they also say things like, "I don't have to drive my car to pick up my groceries." I like the heat resistance of leather but, so long as you're not supporting them on your pipes, synthetic ...

Where I live, riding year-round is out of the question due to iced-over roads, but there are other lands where the bold-blooded can ride all year. Sounds like a mythological fantasy land to me up in the northlands, but it's very likely you live in such a place.

If the frigid ...

I've been itching to get out for a fall camping trip lately. Perhaps it's because the weather is growing colder and I know the riding season will soon be ending. Either way, it's time to throw a bag on my bike and hit the road for a few days. If you ...

I'm a wuss. Once the snow starts to fly I'm off the road, and my machine goes into a 3 to 4 month hibernation. Last winter I sat in my car in awe of the sight before me. An early '70s Honda was parked in a structure downtown in ...

Here's something for the ladies: A textile riding jacket that is soft yet rugged and replete with CE-approved armor in the elbows and shoulders. Tour Master's Trinity Series jacket offers the rider more flexibility than leather, and nearly as much protection. No textile jacket is going to give the abrasion resistance ...

Riding with a good waterproof coat, or even a 2-piece rain suit, won't stop a torrent of rainwater from running down your back, into your pants, or through any tiny gap in your gear. If you know the weather will be foul on your trip, suck it up and throw on ...

The Tour Master Saber Series 2 jacket is prepared for anything. The design makes this a great riding jacket for rain, shine, cold, hot, day, or night riding. My first response to any textile is to balk at the thought of replacing my leather, but I've had to spend time under ...

Tour Master puts out some great textile accessories. They have superior textile jackets and luggage, including the their nylon slant saddlebags. Unlike jackets that move with the body, saddlebags are subject to consistent wear. I'm happy to see that Tour Master has given these bags all they need to wear well and ...

Last week, I noticed something disconcerting. The seams on my riding jacket are beginning to fray. I'm sure I can stitch it back together, but I will not put my money on dime store thread when it does battle with pavement. It might be time to look for some more robust ...

I've always worn a leather jacket with armor, but it isn't the most comfortable item in my closet. If everyone around you is ranting and raving about the leathers, but you're just not interested in cow hide, Tourmaster offers their Range denim jacket made for bikers.

In appearance the Range looks ...

Anyone who's ever had a job climbing telephone poles knows what lineman's boots look like. For those of you who don't, they are a waterproof, leather boot that comes up to the knee, and the laces must pass through thirty-six eyes and hooks to properly secure these things. One of my ...

After getting caught up for two hours in a September rain that just wouldn't end, my riding partner and I pulled into a little pub to dry out. My partner is a small, wiry fellow who didn't stop shaking for twenty minutes. He'd gotten a chill that took us off the road for ...

The best thing about a tail bag, in my opinion, is that it's out of the way. I'm talking about soft-sided, easily-removable tail bags. Because they're flexible, you can stuff a ton of clothing and sundry items in them -- and because they're small, they're easy to handle. Even ...

Last week was hot -- really, really hot. My leather jacket has great ventilation and I normally defend the leather to my lungs' end due to the superior abrasion protection. My vanity also lends me to suffer a little for that classic look, but last week made we wish I ...

If you've ever stopped for the sole purpose of pouring the water out of your boots, then you know the value of good raingear. If you've never had that experience, then you may just be smarter than the rest of us, or, you were well-advised at some point. Either way, ...

Tour Master's set of leather gloves will give you the essentials you need for a lightweight, classy riding accessory.

They're made of genuine cowhide leather, which is a great start.

The leather fingers are interspersed with cooling Spandex, enabling comfortable elastic movement, an easy grip, and breathable fabric.

There are a large ...

The Tour Master Short Caliber Pants are both comfortable and durable.

They feature a Rainguard barrier, which is like Gore-Tex in that it's breathable and waterproof.

They are easily adjustable at the waist via dual-elastic waist belts, and special materials in the calf and inseam stretch to provide a close fit.

A removable liner ...