[Capt. Jack Sparrow]

Hi, ladies!!! Okay, so I received my body armor jacket last night. (I was going to order Dianese but didn't because I need to have some $ left to get a 2" receiver installed on my truck and then get a SportWorks bike rack... I am buying all this bike equipment with savings I shouldn't have touched... It's a financially foolish move but I figure biking is soooo important to me that it's okay to invest in it now as opposed to waiting until I'm too old to ride... so I ordered a small Rockgardn Flak Jacket to save a little cash. I figured I could upgrade to Dianese next year.)

Well, looks like I will be returning the Rockgardn and going for a Dianese because even though it was a small, the elbow cups look liked they would have a 50 % chance of sliding onto my forearms in a crash... they just won't stay on my elbows even though I've tightened the suit. So the sleeves are too long... and the body of the jacket seems short.

What I want to know about body armor jackets is... is one's belly supposed to hang out and be totally unprotected by the jacket? The Flak Jacket comes to just beneath my ribs in the front (the back is fine.) This is with the "lumbar belt" velcro-ed shut, of course.

Will the Dianese also leave my guts hanging out? And do I just get a kidney belt or something in addition?

 

[tmx]

hehe. i've seen other bellies stickin' out from under dianese's but i have no experience w/them (yet) so i can't tell ya if it's supposed to be that way.

tried one on a few weeks ago. gonna be a struggle now to spend this season w/my old motocross chest protector whose protection is pretty good but the mobility stinks. the dianese was soooo comfy and it seems the protection will be great and mobility maximatious. can't wait til next year. not a chance i can afford one before then. (sigh)

i hear ya' about depleting the savings to get rolling. got myself in a mess of trouble first two years of racing. still paying for it. ack! yes, the fool and her money do part. but one is never too old to ride. there's a dude in his 70's or 80's that still hits the mt. snow race and bromont. and doris m races and she's like late 60s or something like that. i wonder how many 'free'rider oldies are out there?

good luck w/the jacket captn jack.

 

[Capt. Jack Sparrow]

Originally posted by chromegoddess
i hear ya' about depleting the savings to get rolling. got myself in a mess of trouble first two years of racing. still paying for it....

Yeah, I did the same thing when I was in bands years ago. Learned my lesson after paying stuff off for five years straight. I've learned not to use credit cards! Depleting my savings is not much better. Oh, well.
I gotta find one suit or another. The XL Azonic one I borrow pokes me in the back of the neck--the back plate is huge. Probably not good in crash scenarios. Not to mention it's as annoying as all get-out to be poked in the back of the head and neck the whole time I'm riding.
Savings account, here I come again with the vacuum!

 

[tmx]

aaahaa! w/the vacuum. got that right. but i'm sure that dianese is going to be one of your better investments. wait til you try in on, you'll pee your pants. ummm...or just be happy at how un-pokey in the neck and back it is.

 

[KPicha]

I don't know what the consensus is on wearing moto cross protection but if its a viable option, have you been over to Coleman Powersports? They've got a lot of stuff there, even in kids sizes and I wouldn't be sursprised if you found something that fit.

 

[dh girlie]

I HATE my dainesse...don't get it...it's not boob friendly...it sucks ass...i'm gonna try on some new stuff and get new body armour before this season gets underway...boobs make the chest part of the suit ride up and choke you...see if someone has one you can borrow before you buy it...but yeah...yer belly hangs out...it's fashionable belly shirt style armour!

 

[tmx]

that is the first negative i've ever heard about dianese. any chance you wanna trade dhgirlie? i have an acerbis women's proton or nutron or nucleus or something like that. very very boob friendly. just a little too constricting for me lately. before i tried on that dianese i swore by the acerbis.

 

[Tuff*Stuff]

I hear ya about the chest protector on the Dainese. I was annoyed when I first put mine on after I bought it, but now I love it.

I feel really comfortable now and feel very protected. I love all the Dainese gear. Even the gloves are top notch.

 

[Snacks]

Originally posted by dh girlie
I HATE my dainesse...don't get it...it's not boob friendly...it sucks ass...i'm gonna try on some new stuff and get new body armour before this season gets underway...boobs make the chest part of the suit ride up and choke you...

Excatly! It hurts! I'm worried that if I crash on my chest the hard shell is going choke me

 

[dhjill]

Love my Dainese! Saved my ass more times than I can tell you...cheap form of health insurance, if you ask me. And yes, my belly does stick out a little bit below the belt thingie . I'm long-torsoed, so it happen. I just make a point to always wear a jersey to avoid embarrassment... :

 

[Capt. Jack Sparrow]

Okay, then, I'm going to buy something in addition to protect my belly. Glad to hear that upper-body armor jackets aren't necessarily supposed to cover it.

 

[Capt. Jack Sparrow]

My upper body armor shopping saga has ended--finally. The Rockgardn size S was too big for me so I gave an Azonic S/M a shot, and it fits beautifully. The elastic belt thingy even covers my belly.

I rode in it this weekend and aside from it riding up a little bit (the elastic belt forces it upwards somewhat), it felt really good. I like how the Azonic suit is so adjustable.

I won't subject you all to my newest shopping adventure-- goggle shopping (it should be easy enough.)

I learned this weekend why people wear goggles instead of glasses for DH:
1. stuff still flies into your eyes with glasses a little bit
2. glasses slide down
3. glasses fly off into the woods, never to be seen again, when you end up hugging a large tree all of the sudden

 

[tmx]

surely a relief to have found protection you feel comfy and protected with. may it serve you well for years to come.

i'm down with goggles but sometimes throw on the sunnies for a little airflow. inevitably i quickly remember why i'm a fan of the goggles.

CJS, please don't deny us the adventures of your goggling.

 

[Freak]

Originally posted by dh girlie
I HATE my dainesse...don't get it...it's not boob friendly...it sucks ass...

Not everyone has a chest like you!!!

 

[Brian HCM#1]

Originally posted by Freak
Not everyone has a chest like you!!!

She wishes she had a chest