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Well... i was originally gonna get myself a textile jacket & pants, but think i'm gonna go leather now that i know i'm about to get bitten by the track bug I'm gonna go 2-piece for the obvious reasons - convenience & utility. why buy a 1-piece if i'm only gonna use it 2-3 times/year?
so... anyone have the Joe Rocket GPX 2-piece? looks like they have an awesome suit & boots package deal at newenough
($540, minus $30 if i puchase them w/ some A-star boots)
http://www.newenough.com/package_dea...stars_page.htm
"Paul's Comments: The two piece GPX suits offer style and protection for either the street or the track. The main advantage of a two piece suit is the full circumference connection zipper between the jacket and the pants. This allows you to have complete coverage (using both the jacket and pants), or to use the jacket only. The overall construction of the suit is solid leather, which will provide comfort from the wind and cold temps. And in warmer weather, the suit jacket has zippered biceps vents and shoulder scoop type vents in the tops of the shoulders (take the "View Larger Pictures" link above for a close up). For protection, this suit is supplied with dual density body armor in the shoulders, elbows, knees and back. There are also foam hip pads built into the pants. The suit's construction includes fabric panels in the underarm (down to the forearm), crotch/thigh and behind the knees. These fabric inserts add a lot to the comfort in wearing the suit. These fabrics are thinner and lighter than leather and are used in these "low impact" areas since older designs that used leather in these areas would tend to bunch up when in the riding position. The suits come complete with replaceable plastic knee sliders too. A couple features I like you won't see on other suits: a softer suede type material is used on the sleeve cuffs and around the neck which won't get dirty as easily as colored leather and they should be more comfortable. The sleeve ends have a nifty feature also: the sleeves have a zippered closure like other jackets (best arrangement for speed and ease of taking the jacket off), but on the opposite side of the zipper, there is a Velcro-close adjustment to adjust wrist size--clever. Also note the waist size adjusters on the jacket."
or should i go w/ the A-star GPU 2-piece & get the boots separately?
($611... 100 bucks more than the JR GPX)
"Paul's Comments: The GPU two piece suit is my pick from their line-up for the "best suit for the money". Its construction is very similar to all their higher priced suits: it has GP armor throughout, heavy race-duty leather, and double/triple stitched seams. The knee armor is especially nice. The armor is a two piece design that is very heavy duty, yet articulates well for a good fit and easy movement. The two piece suit features a full circumference zipper. The advantage of a two piece suit is that you can use the jacket separately (for trips on the street where you don't need/want to use the pants), but for track use, you can use the jacket along with the race pants for a legal race suit."
http://www.newenough.com/alpinestars..._suit_page.htm
personally, i like the look of the A-star... and the quality is better i'm sure... but is it worth the extra money?
whatever i get, i know the jacket will get alot of use, since i'll end up wearing it every time i ride... and i've been putting alot of miles on my bike since i got it.
you guys know where i can find these locally so i can try em on? think they'll have those suits at Brockton Cycle?
any other suggestions? i'd LIKE to spend less than 800 on a 2-piece, gloves & boots if i can, but there's the old addage "ya gotta spend money to save money" (ie, buy quality shit for a little more that'll last longer)