Let me start by saying, I love feedback. Good or bad, I use it to my benefit. Good rewards what I’m doing well and bad helps me get better.

That said, I think it’s a cowardly asshole who dumps vehement feedback to some one anonymously. Feedback, even harsh, can be done in a non-aggressive way and feedback should always be given with accountability and with the opportunity for follow up.

So, yesterday morning, I got both of these e-mails, back to back, from anonymous e-mail addresses via the site. One from “Lizard” and one from “Maddog”. My guess? Same asshole person with an ax to grind. None the less, let’s respond to this(ese) cowardly asshole(s) with the same dignity and care that we respond to all of our customer’s feedback with…

Number 1:
From: Lizard [noneedtohaveit@myrequest.com]
I would like to suggest to you that you are missing out on a whole category of bikers who are tall and do not have a 27″ thigh. I am 6 feet tall with a 36″ inseam with a 23″ thigh. Can you imagine how I would look with a 27″ thigh pair???

Taller doesn’t necessarily mean fatter legs. That is like saying that all tall people are fat. Most young in shape bikers that are tall are not overweight. You are loosing sales to these folks because you are not seeing their needs as well.

So I just thought that I would stay the bitch that I am and pass on this information to you. If you are in the business to make money, then you will consider it. If you are comfortable at your current rate of cash flow, then you will not.

Response: Lizard, you are right, tall does not necessarily insinuate fat or chunky. However, unlike most apparel manufacturers, we actually offer you, and other elegantly leggy riders like yourself, a solution. With the Biker Rain Chaps, having an adequate length is much more important than having a snug thigh fit. Quite the opposite is true, actually. You WANT the thigh to be a bit bigger because you often ride with jeans or leathers on which can take up a substantial amount of the space available in the thigh. As we say on our sizing chart, when in doubt, use the next size up. That’s why there’s 3 different sections of velcro on the Biker Rain Chaps and so many different sizes. The goal is to get close enough to your size so that you can use them, be comfortable and stay dry. Based upon all feedback to date, we are meeting this objective reasonably well.

As a matter of fact, we used to carry a slim long that was tailored more toward the needs you speak of but, the demand for that product was not there. That said, we do have a few left in stock that we were saving for any long-legged ladies that we came across who’d like to jump on our bikes, but we’d be happy to ship them to you, special order for $29.99 +S&H. E-mail me if you’d like them.

Thank you for your feedback and next time, please man up; don’t do it anonymously.

Number 2:
From: Maddog [yours@anyemail.com]
Phone number: mine
So these keep you dry in the rain. And I suppose that they magically keep your crotch from getting wet. Wow. what a concept. Legs covers that leave your crotch exposed, but yet magically keep your crotch dry. My leather jacket is rain proof and keeps my torso dry, my chaps are rain proof and keep my legs dry, but chaps don’t cover your crotch. And your testimonials talk of down pour rains and staying dry……..bullshit. You may be able to sell this kind of lying crap to stupid folks, but not to true bikers who know their shit. I really see no use for your item. Don’t do anything more than chaps do. And they both have an open crotch. I have yet to ride in the rain with chaps and not get my balls wet. So think about that one and redesign your chaps.

Response: Thanks for the question, Maddog. With a cursory examination, one would think, as you do, that Biker Rain Chaps would leave you with wet balls. If you consider what Biker Rain Chaps are designed for, “Being your first line of defense for the most exposed part of your body”, they really do meet their defined market quite well. They do keep you dry, from the thighs down, in 80% of the conditions that you will encounter while riding. This is similar to how your leather coat will meet the need in 80% of the conditions you’ll experience.

That said, if you get hit by a fire hose, you’re going to get wet with these, just like you will with your leather coat. In that situation, you need full rain gear. Biker Rain Chaps are not a replacement for full rain gear. They are an easy to use, compact and inexpensive solution to the vast majority of the situations you’ll encounter either or long-distance or short recreational rides. They keep your legs dry in situations of moderate rain and they work great at keeping the road spray off your legs. Downpours, not so much. But if you happen to have them on when you encounter a downpour, they will keep you dry and comfortable long enough to assess the situation, get off the highway and get out your rain gear. In such situations, just pull your full gear pants over your Biker Rain Chaps until you get to your destination where you can let both dry out.

Also, I’d like to add that if you do have a truly “water proof leather coat”, you probably paid an absolute fortune for it as leather IS NOT waterproof. As mentioned above, these are an inexpensive ($19.99) way to protect you from the elements and to buy yourself enough time to assess the situation.

Again, Maddog, thank you for the feedback. Next time you drop a bomb like this, please leave your name and e-mail address so that whomever you’re pitching shit at like an uneducated monkey can contact you, in private, and educate you to the benefits of their product. Perhaps, if able, you’ll learn something. Oh, and don’t forget to treat your leathers every 6 months (something that’s not necessary with Biker Rain Chaps, I might add) or they will be worthless and ruined and you’ll get wet, anyway. Just an FYI…

With those to responses handled, I’m going to go back to filling orders. If you have any questions, comments or just wanna chew the fat, feel free to contact us any time via the contact us form on the site. Just make sure that you give us a way to get back in touch with you!!! We promise we’ll be nice.

Thanks & Happy (and safe) Riding!

- Ray