TCX Hero boot
City & Urban

Info

Sold under various brand names (Gore-Tex, Reissa, Tepor, Sympatex, Hipora, Porell, Helsapor, Enprotex, Nibo, Humax, Drygate etc.). Gore-Tex and Sympatex have patent protection. One thing all these membranes have in common is their basic function: exploiting a temperature gradient, perspiration is transported from the inside to the outside, yet wind and rain cannot get in. This effect makes both fabric and leather clothing highly weatherproof, and also very comfortable to wear. The membranes are manufactured from different base materials, depending on the brand, and are made either as a loose "liner", as a laminate (bonded to the outer material), or as a coating on a carrier material. The first product of this kind, the "Gore-Tex" membrane made of Teflon, fulfils its function due to its very fine pores, which allow moisture from the skin to move outwards, but prevent the larger raindrops from moving inwards. Gore-Tex is indeed highly effective, but the patented material comes at a price. All the other membranes consist of polyurethane or polyester, and transport water vapour molecules outwards by means of chemical reactions. Different materials have been adapted to the various applications in the field of motorcycle clothing. All of these climate membranes are sensitive to mechanical damage: if a membrane is pierced, clearly it can no longer provide protection. Damage can also result from the use of inappropriate washing agents. Softeners, including those contained in detergents, damage the membrane irreparably!