leather gear fit/sizing by brand

[sejman]

I'm preparing to get into some track riding so I'm looking at getting some appropriate gear.  There is very little selection of track style gear around me so actually trying stuff on is impossible.  There is a CG nearby, so I've tried the Frank Thomas house brand but it would be nice to do some comparisons with some other bigger name stuff.  At 46 I'm not looking to be the next Casey Stoner or something - just want some decent gear that will meet the track requirements, keep me well protected, and be comfortable.  It's the last thing that I'm most concerned about - seems like almost anything sold today will be good enough to meet requirements and be reasonably protective (especially at my current and projected skill level). For several hundred dollars, I want to make sure that the stuff really fits well and is comfortable and don't want to go through several iterations of buying, trying, returning. At the moment, the FT gear is attractive since I've tried it on, it fits, it's comfortable, and you can't beat the price.  I've heard that some brands are more "European" build and others are built more for the "American" build.  At 5'-9" and pushing 140lbs, I think I fit into the first group.  Which other brands should I be focusing on?

On a related note, my brain says to just get some Tourmaster/Cortech Apex leather pants and zip them to my Cortech Coaster jacket and call it a day, but I'm awfully tempted to just spring for a one or two piece track suit given some of the close-out pricing...

[Slide Panda]

You might hunt down Rev'it, Alpine Stars or Dainse of the euro cut. I've given in to the Italian devils (Dianese). I've found that their stuff (as a general rule) fits my 'athletic' build better. For reference I'm about 5'11", 205 and take a 34 waist.

I've tried on AlpineStars in the past and generally found it to be slimmer cuts. I could not get my legs into their track pants with the correct waist.

I've read up on Rev'it and they get great reviews - but the local shop that stocks their stuff mostly has their textile lines - so I can't speak to their fit for leathers.

FWIW RevZilla does a lot of product review notes and films. Might be a good research tool for you. NewEnough and SportbikeTrackGear also do a lot of photos, video and write ups.

[abby normal]

A-stars is made for fat-asses from the waist down (no offense).

[matt922]

dainese leathers + held gloves is what i've been looking into.

P.S. motowheels VIP is worth it if you want dainese stuff 

[sejman]

I'd be going Dainese and Held if money were no object, but with one kid going into college and another in private school I have other priorities. I'm just trying to get on the track sometime before I get too old to do it. If this becomes an obsession and I come into some money, then I'll worry about doing it right with a dedicated track bike and the nice gear.

I did get the chance to try on some A* track pants yesterday (Cycle Gear had a pair in the right size). Compared to the Frank Thomas, they felt more "plush" inside and had more substantial knee armor, but there was virtually no hip protection beyond the leather and the thighs were kind of baggy for me, while calf area were nice and snug.  I'd really like to try the Cortech pants - I'll probably buy a pair from New Enough...they have a good return policy and are right here in Texas. Just wish I could avoid the trouble of going through that.

[Slide Panda]

Give NewEnough a call, they have really good customer service and knew the products they carry. Ask someone there about the fits of various lines - I've chatted with them in the past.

[Charlief]

A lot of suits don't offer that much protection in the hip area. I wear a pair of armoured shorts from T Pro. Awesome protection for hip/ upper thigh/tail bone. 

[orangelion03]

My local CG all carry Dainese as well as FT (I think one has A-stars as well).  Try them all on, then hit Craigs list.  I found and bought a brand new A-stars TZ-1 cheap.

[Jarvicious]

A-stars is made for fat-asses from the waist down (no offense).

So that's why mine fit so well

I'm ok with it.  I used to race bikes and never lost my cyclist's legs/ass.  Awkward comments aside, I love my A* suit.  I wear 34/34 jeans and generally a 42-44 in jackets with a weird long torso and my 46 suit fits very very well.  As everyone said, most "Euro" cuts are going to run smaller than your 'Merican version but since I'm so torso heavy, the longer 46 length combined with the fact that it fits like a 44 turned out great. 

I'd definitely recommend trying on other suits though.  I bought mine from a local guy who sold is 848, so if you have a local board you may get to know some poeple and then sneak into their house when they're not looking and try on their stuff.  Or ask.  I don't care

Afterthought, there are a couple of guys I ride with who are probably around your size that wear FieldSheer suits that seem to fit them pretty well.  $.02

[DoubleEagle]

Not all leather Pants zip to other brand leather Jackets.

My BMW leather Jacket won't zip to any of my Dainese leather Pants so I had to buy a pair of BMW leather Pants.

That's the 1st thing I'd make sure of if I was going to mix and match.

A good pair of armored Shorts is a smart investment for $100 or less.

I have a pair of Dainese Pro shorts, also a pair of Crash Pads ( brand name ).

Look at Bonn, or TPro as well.

Dolph