according to dainese, the only dealer that carries the MTB line in Canada is in Toronto.
that's because according to Toronto, they are the only city in Canada
according to dainese, the only dealer that carries the MTB line in Canada is in Toronto.
that's because according to Toronto, they are the only city in Canada
Have used BOTH rockgardn - RG (new and old) and Dianese.
Would still rate Dianese in front by a substantial margin. Based on my experience with BOTH, here are my observations
1) The backslider is aluminum honeycomb … vented and breathes well. The RG is basically plastic pieces over padding. Not even comparable
2) The Dianese has lasted 4 years going on 5. The rockgardn ones seem to last 2 years. The new one is 1 year old and already starting to fall apart at the seams.
3). The RG is made in China … I am not sure where the Dianese is made, but it seems much better put together.
4) The back slider on the RG stick out Vs the Dianese which conforms a little better to your upper body. In other words the RG will give you the "football player" look, while the Dianese will give you a slimmer look under a jersey.
Both good jackets, but personally I would get the Dianese because it will last twice as long … BUT ultimately it all comes down the WHICH JACKET FITS BEST !!! That's really the one to buy :D
Used the previous version of the gladiator upper suit pictured earlier. It lasted me 6 years thanks to the impeccable sewing skills I acquired along the way, but now the zips are done and the mesh is falling apart. Recently picked up a 661 pro pressure suit and I really like it. I probably should have gone for xl but pride got the better of me. Still, I managed to squeeze into the L. The back protector definitely isn't quite as low profile as the Dainese, but I don't notice it once it's on.
I too am a Dainese guy. Mine is now into my sixth year of heavy duty use and due to be replaced soon. It sports several repairs and by rights is definitely on its last legs. It doesn't owe me anything and given the amount of use, was cheap.
I got Dainese because it just felt better and fit better than the other ones available at that time (particularly 661). Because it fits good, I wear it all the time. I have friends that don't wear theirs during summer because its too hot. No armour is cool in the summer but Dainese beats the others. And mine has save my bacon big time in 2 massive crashes in 6 years (both resulting in spinal fractures that would have been worse without the armour). I am the armour evangelist and I am a Dainese homer that is not likely to change teams.
"Walk a mile in another man's shoes. Then, you'll be a mile away from him and have his shoes."
perfect thread timing, might request such an item for Xmas…..I'm having a hard time discering the specific differences between the 3 dainese body armour options I've come across, any insights or other references? Found the Impact/Impact Race, and Gladiator.
Many thanks!
Price is a big factor…
Found the Impact/Impact Race, and Gladiator.
I beleive that the Gladiator series is a little stronger material…but I think it would last longer…I have a 3/4 shuttle suit the earlier version of the gladitor series and they last…the shell zips off
the race version looks a bit lighter in the materials….the shell has a suspender system…so you can wear the suit a few ways…suit and all…shell or just suit….other than that they are really the same concept…and if your getting a full suit…you will likely wear all the armour…
for the price…I would save a few bucks and get the gladitator…
Blogging - Never before have so many people with so little to say said so much to so few.
Many thanks Ando, I checked locally today and Steed was out of stock on the Gladiator or Impact Race. Then snowcovers (found them as a source from another thread) had stock but was pricey…. Agreed price may be a factor locally where a model choice might cost you $120 plus difference etc, from UK I won't sacrifice function for the minor savings.
Got the Impact Race for $120lb, $214CD from wiggle.co.uk ! Order $150 british pounds or more and it ships free, so bumped it and looking forward to the new gear. Fingers crossed the XL fits me but quite confident it will. (some wiggle prices drop further when added to your cart). I'm 6', 200lbs, 43 chest. I figured the zip off spine protector option let alone the hard chest piece of the Impact race swayed me from the gladiator. Hard Chest seemed of great funtion, and zip off spine for more XC type rides made sense. Added a merion ls base layer for cooler weather use.
I found that the XL was quite big on the Dainese I bought. I'm 5'10, 220lbs, 47" chest and I fit the large. If I didn't try it on I would have guessed I'd fit XL like pretty much everything else.
That's why I gladly paid extra to purchase from a shop that I could try it on at. Plain and simple, if it doesn't fit properly, it won't get worn.
Hope the sizing works for ya Gilmore….I try to buy local when the pricing works or my shop has product…but some of the online stores are hard to beat…the UK shops like wiggle and chainreaction cycles seem to have a different pricing structure and product offering than we see here in Vancouver…
why pay $500+ for armour whne you cna get it for $300….
cheers
Blogging - Never before have so many people with so little to say said so much to so few.
I have the raceface armour jacket. I've never owned any other jacket type armours. So far I Have been impressed with it and would recommend it. It doesn't come with built in arm protection but I already had 661 pads. Some people I know do not like the feeling of wearing armour on their arms so its a good option for those people.
total scam. he put food before beer.
…the UK shops like wiggle and chainreaction cycles seem to have a different pricing structure and product offering than we see here in Vancouver…
CD pricing is often very different as we're really a drop of water in the ocean that's the market for the product. As such the main distributor often can't be bothered with the effort to maintain the CD retail accounts with their relatively small order frequency and volume vs. their usual big market vendors. This is so often the case with US products sold into CD as well. So they appoint a CD or NA distributor to deal with these accounts and they need to get paid their piece of the pie as well adding an additional markup. At present their is no CD distributor so the retailers are a bit stuck for reordering until a new one steps up etc. The extra middleman piece has been a pet peeve of mine for ages with our disjointed CD pricing. But I understand why it's present and it's hard to argue with if you see the big business picture of the other large markets.
…Some people I know do not like the feeling of wearing armour on their arms so its a good option for those people.
My first wipeout was in a very benign corner after a trickier section and I was very casual. It was like an instant tipover/slide into homeplate but unintended. The rash my arm received was unwelcome and would have been quite grim if not for the shell jacket I was wearing. The simplest of arm pads would have made for a non-issue so I'm up for wearing it unless I'm on the verge of heatstroke. Anything to minimize my ride recovery times and keep me 120% at my 2 career jobs.
But what I really wish is that Spyder's D3O product was actually talked about/available and being further developed etc. I was very keen about it/fitting room tested one wrong size piece in the US that was 1/2 price (was impressed!). Maybe I should start a new thread to see if anyone's in the know on that to see if they're dropping their rights or what?? Just seems it should be being developed and I see no evidence of that. For my mild rides I'd guess it to be a fine option if available, but till then of the 'typical' armour suits seems this will fit the bill.
one of the main reasons for the dainese armor to be more expensive is that it's not China made armor. That's the first reason, second is that Dainese has the best back protector of all of them. Theyr back protector has an aluminum honeycomb plate in it that no other manufacturer offers. The pro suit anyways has it. If you look under the foam padding you can see it. Other manufacturers have a dense foam instead of this aluminum honeycomb.
That back plate is the strongest, the most resistant to punctures, flexible and breathable of all back protectors on the market.
Just something to think about ;)
Here is a quick little picture to show you guys (taken with my crappy P[HTML_REMOVED]S)
didnt know nsmb was only for pros
its not, its only for dicks.
My Flickr
Hope the sizing works for ya Gilmore….
cheers
Got my Impact Race jacket this am and love it! Fits quite well, arms could be 1/2" shorter between upper and forearm to be ideal. Might have two external loprofile straps stiched in so forearm can't creep too low, will have to see how it sits during a ride.
I got the XL, I'm 6'/200-210/average build with 15 extra right at the belly. Shoulders/chest/back upper arms all sit and feel fine (I'm new at this!). Very pleased with the feel/flex(materials)/comfort/loprofile of this 'armour', hard to believe you're wearing such IMO. Can someone confirm for me how to arrange the adjustable strapping 'loop' on each side of the back plate attached top and bottom of the side? ie. simply loop forward with arm through like a backpack strap or is it supposed to crossover in some manner?
FWIW, the trekmates merino jersey was a great value, $28LB, l/s with thumbholes (ie. great for snow/hike etc too). I'd put the weighting on it's merino ~ 200 (wasn't stated). On my $170LB total order (short/shirt/armour/freely shipped)I paid $60 to the posties which was quickly $20 duty on UK, and then ~$20 per GST and then PST tax. Very pleased with the product and ecstatic on the value.
my suit does not have the strap on shell like yours..its zips on the top and has a intergrated kidney belt…yet all the people I have seen wearing them do the back pack type shoulder straping…could do either suppose….the dainese site shows the suit worn this way
Either way I find the suit takes on a new life when you put a jersey on over it…my race jerseys are a bit tighter….cuz I too have a bit in the belly;)…but the shell then sits allot better and the strap arrangement should not make much difference….
but again…my suit is not built quite the same…
glad it fits…happy sliding….my suit has saved my skin….many times…
Cheers :beer::beer::beer:
Blogging - Never before have so many people with so little to say said so much to so few.
Thought it worthwhile following up now that I've had some ride time with this Impact jacket:
-I forget I'm wearing it within seconds of putting it on/very comfortable and not flopping around
-arms I thought were a touch long are not/when I get into my 'chicken wing' arm position they're just fine
-love the integrated arm's, no big compression above elbow from arm only elbow pads etc I incurred before to prevent pads from slipping down
-it's surprisingly low profile/ie. not bulky, fits under my existing shell's (paclite [HTML_REMOVED] typical PI shell) quite well which really surprised me. Even a Backcountry shift hoody that is somewhat fitted without bulk/without armour in L fit fine over the armour for simple reference.
-had two or three 'slow' falls my elbow/forearm took with no damage so pads aren't moving off my elbow (thought arms may have been too long/now feel they're fine).
No experience with other armour tops but v. pleased with this one to date. I wear a merino s/s or l/s T under it and have found the merino aces for reasonable breathability and NOT creating a chilling effect when it gets wet/sweated up and starts evaporating. Last year I'd often get a core chill near post ride or at parking lot packup etc in synthetic typical T, no longer.
Might complement with 661 evo shorts and evo gloves now as the price for some increased insurance seems $ well spent IMO. Wish a highly breathable evo knee/shin integral one piece was available.
Cheers.
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