Last Monday morning, after a weekend of uncomfortable downhilling in my old, ill-fitting, hand-me-down protective gear, I ordered a new protective vest (the Fox Launch Suit) and knee/shin guards (in my size) from Cambria Bike. Since I was ordering anyway, and to make the cost of shipping worth it, Brian also bought a Fox Launch Suit and some downhilling pants.
Unbelievably, our order arrived last night, just five days after placing it. Naturally, I wanted to try on my new gear immediately. While I cannot yet vouch for the Fox's flexibility or durability on the trail, I can say that it looks and fits great. The only (very minor) drawback is that the wrist-holes (the "cuffs") are a little too tight. Anyone with larger hands (i.e. a man, like Brian) might have some trouble with this.
Although today is Brian's birthday, we are going to postpone any formal celebration until a rainy weekend in favor of going to Fujimi Panorama this weekend to hit the slopes (on bikes, of course).
Here I am trying on my new protective gear
So - now I've been using the Fox Launch suit for three months; and what do I think? Well, it does the job and is a better fit than my old armour. However, the little arm holes are very small, too small for larger hands to push through. Also, the armour is pretty hard to get on and especially off due to the arm tightness all over. After three months of infrequent wear (maybe 10 times), the right armpit was completely ripped. I sewed it up along the seams, but it seems that the rip went beyond that, as there are still little holes and I know it will tear again.
Overall rating: 6/10 (it gets a 6 because of the price; had it been any more expensive, I would have rated a 3).
1 comment:
Holy body armour batman! Wow that is some cool stuff. Like something from a science fiction movie.
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