Universal : Riding Gear Thread

[hunterjack]

Finally bought riding jacket.
Thanks to @B7ACKTHORN comment went ahead and invested in cramster eclipse.
Got it for 6.5k at travel outdoor gear as they are having a sale period till 31st March.

[B7ACKTHORN]

Finally bought riding jacket.
Thanks to @B7ACKTHORN comment went ahead and invested in cramster eclipse.
Got it for 6.5k at travel outdoor gear as they are having a sale period till 31st March.

Great. Do post your reviews without fail. Thanks.

Cheers!
VJ

[aditya_iyer]

100 % agree, i have personally seen this jacket at laxmi automobiles, j.m. road, pune, and it felt cheap and fake, with very little protection, the back protection was a joke.i have seen this LS2 jacket in person at laxmi automobiles, j.m. road, pune. it is not of good quality and back protector is very very thin.

at that time i saw this LS2 and fake looking A* jacket, point to note is this store is a branch of laxmi automobiles, nanapeth, pune which is the all india distributor of LS2 & CROSS helmets. so it was shocking for me too.

another point worth mentioning, to which lots of you guys may differ is--- i had a CROSS helmet and my friend Gopa (also xbhpian) has a LS2, and we both are not satisfied with the quality of LS2 & CROSS helmets, my helmet padding (thermocoal type) had a hole in it, not to mention foam padding was also of cheap quality and its velvet like material wore off within a week of purchasing and dealer refused to replace (champion sports). also its cloth near stitching on the strap tore off within a month. the foam/sponge liner used to protrude out of helmet from below and used to get wet in rains.

similarly gopa's helmet also had some quality issues with sun visor and its actuating mechanism. could not be repaired.

also these helmets are heavy 1650 gms as compared to say a studds ninja (1350 gms)

i genuinely think LS2 and CROSS are not very good quality helmets, but we don't have much options iin that price range.

sorry for posting about helmets in this thread, but i have never mentioned this on xbhp and it automatically came out while remembering laxmi automobiles. though the owner is a good person, and lack of options may force me to again opt for an LS2 or CROSS. quality of materials and workmanship of studds is much better

Hi @princesirohi, i agree with you on LS2 jackets that retail for 6k but dnt look worth it. It's sad in some terms that Pune has some limited Bike gear shops which also seems to have flooded with fake goods as i got my LS2 helmet from Pro-biker,MG road, Pune & first saw the LS2 jacket ther along with fake A* to which i might add sheepishly that i brought it ( *facepalm for not finding this forum earlier & making the earlier choice of getting the fake A* ), but i am happy with the build quality of my LS2 helmet. Of course as said by @B7ACKTHORN,even though quality may seem same but branding & recognition of brand is just as important as in case of KNOX. besides did try Vega, they also seem to have some decent build though personally i felt that Studds kinda has some solid but outdated design which makes them heavy & uncomfortable in some cases

PS - it seems that DSG has stopped stocking Daijya & we dnt have SOL in Pune yet as per my knowledge but if you can lay your hands on a SOL or Daijya helmet, even those two seem great

[princesirohi]

i felt that Studds kinda has some solid but outdated design which makes them heavy & uncomfortable in some cases

studds is actually lighter than CROSS and LS2, you can weigh them yourself, or check the sticker on helmet that mentions weight.

Now regarding the holes, there are certain holes in helmets inside the EPS layer for ventilation purposes, where you see the vents. How do you think the inlet/exhaust vents work? There definitely has to be a way inside the helmet to breathe or let the air in, so holes in the EPS layer isn't a big deal. You'll have to differentiate which hole is what and what it's intended to do.

i was not talking about ventilation holes, but a defect.

Finally bought riding jacket.
Thanks to @B7ACKTHORN comment went ahead and invested in cramster eclipse.
Got it for 6.5k at travel outdoor gear as they are having a sale period till 31st March.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]97064[/ATTACH]

i too have my eyes on this jacket, plz post detailed review with lots of pics, inside out too, and with protectors taken out, i want to see them, mention the thickness of back protector and mention the CE approval markings on protectors etc etc...

[B7ACKTHORN]

i was not talking about ventilation holes, but a defect.

Okay. Next time, make sure you mention it clearly as to what you're conferring to, because it's just hard to discern to a plain term as opposed to a detailed one.

Cheers!
VJ

[padfootmoony2006]

Hi guys, im usually active on the ownership thread and mumbai G2g thread....!
thought of dropping here jus to tell that i have started off with dealing of riding gears like alpinestars balaclava, AXO knee n elbow set, probiker gloves, etc. at present i ship orders only to Mumbai and Pune. But as demand from other places are also picking up i will soon start shipping stuff in other locations also.!!!
For any of the above biking gear requirement do let me know...for that instance for any gear requirement mail me at [email protected] will make the stuff available if i dont have it with me. Will try to give xbhp members the best competitive price in the market.


Regards,
Padfootmoony

[email protected]

['nYsus']

Been using the Reflex for about 4 years now, and has worked wonderfully well barring the knee cup issue that you mentioned. But it is something one can get used to and find means to make it work. Plus I've always liked the extra long length of the shin area of the Reflex which covers up a good area even if I'm not wearing riding boots. That being said this Vapor at just about 10$ more seems pretty good considering that its got a thigh strap but looks like the shin area is a tad smaller than the Reflex. Would be wearing the knee guards above pants.


But my Reflex guards are old now and have been crash tested as well (see pics for reference). They have come out with flying colours ...I would really want to stick A* for knee protection, but some how don't like the pivoting knee joint of the bionic guard. Also, the elasticity of the velcro straps are almost gone now.





Posting pics of my Reflex Knee guards, the 'melted scratches' are from a crash 3 years back. I don't know what would have happened to my knees if I was wearing a lesser than A* quality knee guards.



Folks please "invest" in riding gears wisely, you never know which element of your riding gear will be tested by the road....

Price of what are you exqctly quoting here?? Is vapour a knee gqurd?? And 10$ means a pair of kneegaurds in 500 bucks??
Sorry i know i sound stupid but havnt got any idea about knee protectors... Still 500 seems a really small amount for the protection kneegaurds would o ffer...

[B7ACKTHORN]

Price of what are you exqctly quoting here?? Is vapour a knee gqurd?? And 10$ means a pair of kneegaurds in 500 bucks??
Sorry i know i sound stupid but havnt got any idea about knee protectors... Still 500 seems a really small amount for the protection kneegaurds would o ffer...

You got it wrong. Praful meant Reflex was $10 cheaper than Vapour, not 500 bucks, even the Cramster sells at 1k and above . If you want decent protection without spending much and for a locally made "genuine" one. Go for Cramster.

Cheers!
VJ

[arunrk85]

Finally bought myself a couple of riding gears (apart from helmet of course) from The Outdoor Travel Gear in Bandra, Mumbai. Loved their service, both, over the phone and in person.

1) DSG Rage Jacket (grey colour) - 5200

2) Knox Flex Lite Knee guard - 2800
So that i can wear them inside my trousers/jeans and remove them and stuff it in my bag when needed

3) A rain jacket.
Although not a protective gear per se, I'm planing on wearing it inside the jacket during the monsoons. I hate getting wet while going to office.

Next in line for purchase:
1) Cramster MX3 gloves (OTG only had size L. Going over next weekend to get size M)
2) DAIJYA G-Fit Awake D-220 helmet (grey)

[B7ACKTHORN]

Finally bought myself a couple of riding gears (apart from helmet of course) from The Outdoor Travel Gear in Bandra, Mumbai. Loved their service, both, over the phone and in person.

1) DSG Rage Jacket (grey colour) - 5200

2) Knox Flex Lite Knee guard - 2800
So that i can wear them inside my trousers/jeans and remove them and stuff it in my bag when needed

3) A rain jacket.
Although not a protective gear per se, I'm planing on wearing it inside the jacket during the monsoons. I hate getting wet while going to office.

Next in line for purchase:
1) Cramster MX3 gloves (OTG only had size L. Going over next weekend to get size M)
2) DAIJYA G-Fit Awake D-220 helmet (grey)

Nice! Wearing a rain jacket inside of the jacket? You mean something like waterproof nylon stuff. Excellent. Please post your reviews of the KNOX Flex Lite Knee Guard.

Cheers!
VJ

[arunrk85]

Nice! Wearing a rain jacket inside of the jacket? You mean something like waterproof nylon stuff. Excellent. Please post your reviews of the KNOX Flex Lite Knee Guard.

Cheers!
VJ

Yes. A nylon pull over rain jacket which can be bundled inside its own pocket to the size of a stuffed/fat wallet.

Wore both, the jacket (sans the water repellent liner) and the knee guards all the way from Bandra to Andheri.

A quick word on my thought process and review:

Jacket -
The mesh does its work perfectly and it felt super nice and cool while riding back home. Had tried on the Tritron with the quilted liner but unfortunately the store only had size Small and I felt it too heavy and tight my liking. I would suggest the Tritron for places where the temperature really dips like up north. For places like Mumbai and down below, the quilt would not be used as much and thus would make it an impractical buy IMO.
I felt the Rage to be VFM and the only con (if one can call it that) I can think of is the lack of velcro straps on the wrists. My wrists are skinny and unlike Tritron sleeves which I could strap up, the sleeves dangle around my wrist. Good chances of water getting collected through the gap during the rains...
I'll try giving my views after I wear it to work this coming week. 20 odd kilometres under 11 o'clock Mumbai sun will definitely put it to test...

Kneeguards -
I initially planned on getting waterproof riding pants but soon chucked the plan out when I realized that I couldn't wear it over my jeans and then had a pretty tough time getting into it (it being DSG Nero waterproof pants)... Tried out Knox Cross Max Bionic knee guards, Knox Cross Knee Guards and finally the Knox Flex Lite. The bionic ones were straight away crossed out for its sheer size and for the time it took me to strap it on and then take it off. Between the other 2 options I felt Flex Lite would do the job for me and I liked its simplicity and size. I am planning on removing the guards and put them in my bag when I'm at work and didn't want anything that would stuff my bag up.
The Flex lite sat perfectly in place and after initial 10 minutes I didn't feel as if wearing them. Checked twice or thrice at signals to see if they were still there ... I did feel a little uncomfortable when I tried to grip the tank with my knees/thighs but I'm jotting it down to first time experience. The only thing that has me worried is the elastic band at the top. By the time I reached home I felt as if my blood circulation had been cut off at my lower thighs. Can only confirm after I ride with it for a couple of weeks.

Hope this helps...

[B7ACKTHORN]

A quick word on my thought process and review:
......
Hope this helps...

Fair enough. Thanks!

[aditya_iyer]

Yes. A nylon pull over rain jacket which can be bundled inside its own pocket to the size of a stuffed/fat wallet.

Kneeguards -
I initially planned on getting waterproof riding pants but soon chucked the plan out when I realized that I couldn't wear it over my jeans and then had a pretty tough time getting into it (it being DSG Nero waterproof pants)... Tried out Knox Cross Max Bionic knee guards, Knox Cross Knee Guards and finally the Knox Flex Lite. The bionic ones were straight away crossed out for its sheer size and for the time it took me to strap it on and then take it off. Between the other 2 options I felt Flex Lite would do the job for me and I liked its simplicity and size. I am planning on removing the guards and put them in my bag when I'm at work and didn't want anything that would stuff my bag up.
The Flex lite sat perfectly in place and after initial 10 minutes I didn't feel as if wearing them. Checked twice or thrice at signals to see if they were still there ... I did feel a little uncomfortable when I tried to grip the tank with my knees/thighs but I'm jotting it down to first time experience. The only thing that has me worried is the elastic band at the top. By the time I reached home I felt as if my blood circulation had been cut off at my lower thighs. Can only confirm after I ride with it for a couple of weeks.

Both the Nylon pull over rain jacket & Knox Flex Lite Knee guard seem to be VFM. @B7ACKTHORN, what all other alternatives do we have like the Knox Flex Lite Knee guard as i once read about the Forcefield Limb Tube Knee Protector (Forcefield Limb Tube Knee Protector | Forcefield Body Armour) but don't think they will be available in India. Besides, i guess these type of gear can provide good safety without much hassle for commuting/office

[B7ACKTHORN]

Both the Nylon pull over rain jacket & Knox Flex Lite Knee guard seem to be VFM. @B7ACKTHORN, what all other alternatives do we have like the Knox Flex Lite Knee guard as i once read about the Forcefield Limb Tube Knee Protector (Forcefield Limb Tube Knee Protector | Forcefield Body Armour) but don't think they will be available in India. Besides, i guess these type of gear can provide good safety without much hassle for commuting/office

Limb tubes are excellent stuff when it comes to practical protection and they are widely used abroad. They are light, small, and chic and do their job best without any interruption whatsoever, but they are costly stuff, and they aren't even avlbl in India, for the most part.

Apart from these, you have Cramster, you have FOX, etc etc in eBay and elsewhere.

Cheers!
VJ

[ynike99]

Limb tubes are excellent stuff when it comes to practical protection and they are widely used abroad. They are light, small, and chic and do their job best without any interruption whatsoever, but they are costly stuff, and they aren't even avlbl in India, for the most part.

Apart from these, you have Cramster, you have FOX, etc etc in eBay and elsewhere.

Cheers!
VJ

Is there any difference between knox flex lite and forcefield limb tubes in terms of protection offered and comfort? Im still on hold for knee guard purchase.Also, sunnysideup, when is spartan going to launch knee guards?