Some gear reviews

[RaWarrior]

I wrote this up a few months ago at my "old" forum (v4hondabbs.com) when I had my Magna--- figured I'd share it here as well. If you don't wear a helmet on your bike there probably isn't anything here that will interest you.



Currently my gear setup is an Icon Alliance SSR helmet, Joe Rocket Phoenix 4.0 jacket, Icon Tarmac3 gloves, and Icon Field Armor boots, knee/shin pads, and vest.

I love the helmet and think it's one of the best bargains out there, it's the cheapest Snell-approved lid I've ever seen(retails most places for ~$150). I have the "rubatone black", which is this flat, almost rubbery black finish. The shield system is a simple no-tools removal, but it has never accidentally come off and has never fogged up on me. The interior of the helmet is this super comfy "hydra-dry" padding, it feels a little like under armor material, but it does do a good job of keeping sweat down and does not get overly hot. A nice touch is that the padding extends far enough down the strap so that when buckled the padding completely covers up the strap. There are two scoop vents on top that actually do a great job of a "ram air intake" and you can feel air blowing in. Going by Icon's sizing chart I was toward the upper end of a L, so that's what I bought. At first I thought it was a bit tight and almost exchanged it for an XL, but after a few rides it started to 'break in' a bit and now it fits great. Snug but not uncomfortably tight, just right. Got nearly 3 seasons on it now and it's holding up great(no fraying, no pads ripping, visor still "clicks" great). Highly recommended and can't beat the price. Plus the liner is removable and washable.

The gloves are almost like motocross/off-road style gloves. No gauntlet and a simple velco closure around the wrist. Goatskin palm, mesh on the backhand. Had these for 3 seasons and holding up well...no loose stitches or tears. Very comfortable, cool in hot weather, think they run about $40 or so.

The Phoenix jacket is of the textile mesh variety with a removable waterproof liner. It's got the CE-rated pads in the shoulders and elbows, with a simple foam pad over the back. Without the liner it's like you're not even wearing it, even at city-traffic speeds air blows right through it and you stay cool. I pop the liner in when it gets cool and that blocks some of the wind from blowing through, but it's still too airy for any riding much below 45-50 degrees. Without the liner it affords very little water protection, since air blows right through it, so does water. But the upshot is that it dries very quickly after being caught in a surprise storm, after 30 min of dry riding the jacket was almost totally dry again. It's also been holding up great, no fraying, all zippers work great, ect. Again, I'm happy with it and it's great protection in "t-shirt weather".

Seems recently that the "Field Armor" line of products has gotten more popular. More retailers are carrying it, it's pretty easy to find at any bike e-tailer and almost any bike store should carry it. I can see why, from my experience it's quality gear and it's priced much less than other armor manufacturers.


Now my second season with the boots. I'll admit they sucked at first, quite stiff and seemed a bit clumsy, I almost returned them. I adjusted my shifter up a couple turns to accommodate the fatter toe. After a couple uses though, they eased up A LOT. Now I love 'em. They're easy to put on/off, just cram your foot in, yank up the side zipper and fold over the buckles. They're great for me on the baby maggie, being in that now I can rest the side of my ankles comfortably on the pegs and have my legs be totally straight(though can't do any cornering like this...heh). I wouldn't want to run a marathon wearing them, but they are comfortable enough to wear all day long, on and off the bike. They have mesh inserts along the sides, so when I have my feet out on the pegs, I can actually feel air blowing through them. Very cool. Not waterproof at all though. They lock onto your foot pretty good and they are definetly very solid boots.

I've had the shin pads for almost as long, almost two seasons. I was a bit skeptical about wearing knee pads while riding, but a friend-of-a-friend recommended them, and I didn't want to change pants whenever I went riding. They're actually very comfortable and vent very well, air blows right through them even under jeans. First knee pads I've worn that don't make you walk like a robot. Not surprisingly, when paired with the Field Armor boots, at least for me they match up perfectly, the bottom of the shin pad slips into the top of the boot, giving complete coverage and also prevents the pad from slipping down as you walk. At least for me, the kevlar fabric flaps completely encircle my calf, so there's almost complete abrasion coverage. Like the boots, they're comfortable enough to put on and wear all day, on and off the bike. They're also very low-profile. Under regular cargo pants they're virtually invisible, I rode with one of my good friends for weeks before he even noticed. However they only come in one size and are definitely for the "average" build guy, so if you have really twiggy or buff legs they probably won't fit. I consider it a good compromise between expensive riding pants that you have to change in and out of all day, and nothing at all. A few motorcycle safety articles/videos I've seen all indicate that the legs are the most likely part to be injured in a crash, and also least likely to be protected. Pretty sure they go for $60 most places.

I recently picked up the vest, which had rave reviews at pretty much every site that sells it. Again, very affordable protection, I saw it at kneedraggers.com for $90 shipped. It drops over your head and then fastens with two large velcro straps around the chest. The back is like an armadillo, like a dozen overlapping plates. What's nice about this as opposed to other back protectors is that it isn't quite as long and more suitable for upright riding positions..i.e on a cruiser instead of a crotch rocket. Longer ones hit the seat and ride up and get annoying. It's very comfortable, I usually wear just a t-shirt or tank top, then the vest, then my jacket. Sitting around on a hot day it gets a little hot, but moving it is not an issue at all. I'm the type that would rather be a little uncomfortable now to prevent a lot of pain later. The velcro is super strong, you really gotta crank on it to get it apart so it seems like it would hold up well in an off. Plus I think it looks pretty damn cool, kinda gives you the gladiator look. It was rather funny once when a H-D rider that I "sorta" know commented that it was what all the squids on crotch rockets wore...as he wore a novelty helmet, wife beater, shorts, and sneakers.


Hope this helps some people choose their gear. Dress to go down. Several of the people I ride with have been riding for 15-20-30 years and go out wearing a tank top, novelty helmet/no helmet, and jeans, citing that it's too hot to wear all the gear, or that it doesn't look cool, or the one cynic guy that claims that if you go off you're done and all the gear in the world won't help so why bother. Believe it or not, I get a lot more compliments on my gear/armor than I do criticism or comments. A lot of people think it looks pretty sweet, and women seem to find it pretty hot. Rarely ever does anybody notice the knee pads, and the people I ride with just chock me up as "one of those people" who stubbornly insists on wearing a full-face helmet. People have asked me when I'm going to get a "normal" helmet- i.e a beanie. I tell them I might as wear a baseball cap.

I guess to each his own, but to me going out into everyday traffic with all the clueless drivers that are out there with zero protection makes no sense. Espically when it's not that expensive and can be totally comfortable, and only has to work once to pay for itself a hundred times over in medical bills.

 

[naughtyG]

Great review, thank you!

I live in Florida, and even in the summer heat I wear gear when riding.

I use a Schuberth C1 helmet - and I love it. I bought it second-hand (it was as new - almost never worn) for $100 off Craigslist, a great bargain as these are usually more around $5-600.

It's a flip-up full face helmet, which really helps in the heat when sitting in traffic. It's got an inner sun shield that flips up and down - brilliant as it eliminates the need to wear shades. The main shield can be clicked 'in' or 'out', when in it seals, when out it lets air through the edges.
It's equipped with a quick-release chin strap which is SO much better than any double-D rings, I won't ever buy a helmet with D rings again.
The air vents work great, the liner is removable and washable, and it's a very quiet helmet considering it's a flip-up. It fits me perfectly too, nice and snug all round. The only thing that's a bit different from other helmets, is that the front part is a little closer to my chin than usual, but it's not a problem for me. I've been wearing it for a year now, and it's holding up very well.

I also use a mesh jacket with elbow, shoulder and back armor. Very much like yours, it has a waterproof liner (which I never wear cos it's too hot n sticky) and lets air right through, keeping me cool in the Florida sun. When it cools down at night the liner can come in handy, but when it rains I wear a Boss rain jacket and pants which are properly waterproof. Can't remember the jacket brand off the top of my head, but I got it in the sales this January for less than $100 - 50% off bargain

My Tourmaster mesh gloves are falling apart after 18 months of use, but at $20 I have no complaints and will just buy another pair soon. For rain and colder weather, I have a pair of Alpinestars I bought for about $50 earlier this year, and while they're not that warm, they are reasonably watertight.

I've been using a pair of Harley-Davidson boots, but they are complete rubbish. Not waterproof at all, they turn into leather sponges after about 40 miles in the rain, then take forever to dry. I have another pair of boots (more like cowboy boots than bike boots) which are much better, and am using those in the summer happily. One day I'll buy real summer bike boots lol..

I guess my weak part is the legs, I usually like wearing leather pants but in this heat it's simply not an option. So I stick to jeans or cargo pants, not ideal I know so I may look into these shin pads you talked about.

 

[RaWarrior]

Glad to help!

The only complaint about the Icon helmet is that it's not that quiet. I mean it's loads better than the old bargain-bin $50 helmet I started with, but compared to some high-dollar brands you get a lot of wind noise.


Give the Icon shin pads a try, but I would suggest trying them on first if possible. They only come in one size, and the straps don't have a tremendous amount of adjustment. They fit me (5-10 about 180) perfectly but I've heard that if you have very skinny or fat legs they won't fit. Like I said they're surprisingly comfortable and virtually invisible and only take a few seconds to slip on. I was skeptical at first but I wouldn't ride without them now.

 

[RaWarrior]

Figured I'd post an update here, since I recently tried out the "new" versions of the gear detailed above. Icon released the new "Stryker" series of field armor, which is now all CE approved like the spendy brands and they managed to make it look even more bad-ass.

The new Stryker vest is the same idea as the original but it's got some noticeable tweaks. There's more cutouts in the hard plates with mesh underneath so it should vent a bit better. Like I mentioned it's now CE certified as a back protector, so I guess that's better than not. The chest plate is also a hard plate instead of a rubber patch, and also a bit larger. More padding in the shoulder area as well. I kind of wish the new version would have included shoulder plates, since that still prevents this from being a real hot-day substitute for a jacket in my book, but still a huge improvement over the flimsy blue pad that comes in most jackets. It also now comes in three sizes instead of two, and there's a pretty wide range of adjustment. MSRP seems to be the norm, $110. Nothing revolutionary but some noticeable improvements to the original.

On the other hand, the new knee/shins are terrible. Rather than just work the styling a bit, IMO Icon totally ruined it. They're considerably shorter than the originals, and only use two straps instead of four. They're like a miniature hockey shin guard in that the whole thing moves with your lower leg. Except my hockey guards are more comfortable by a long shot. The velcro on the strap isn't just a tab at the end, it goes pretty much the entire length, and it starts right in the crook of your knee. It's instantly annoying and seems like a tremendous oversight. The curve of the panels above the knee also don't straighten enough, so when you walk it digs the bottom part of it into your shin, which after walking around for about 30 seconds was already irritating. You get the straps velcro chafing the hell out of the back of your leg and your shin getting rubbed raw the second you stand up. The overall shape of the lining is strange and just doesn't fit well...the part right above the knee is totally flat and very hard foam. They couldn't make these more uncomfortable if they tried. After 5 minutes I couldn't wait to take them off...I routinely wore the originals for 12+ hours on day trips and forgot I was wearing them.

Horrible...the original design is infinitely better. Icon really dropped the ball here. How they went from a fantastic design to total garbage is beyond me...did anyone actually try these on before selling them?

 

[Diablotin]

I'm using a Shoei Multitec and a Icon Leather TiMax II jacket.
Shoei is far better than my previous Icon Domain, feel lighter even if it's not and much more silent.
Jacket is really high quality stuff, and protecting very well. It's just a bit hot here

 

[zippo6]

I'll say this.... the gear you described would have prevented some of my injuries last summer..... Kudos to you and I need to go shopping.... helmet, jacket and gloves just don't cut it...