Don't buy mesh gear. It is crap.

[elaineo]

I know a few people have mentioned that they were interested in buying mesh gear, either Joe Rocket Phoenix, or Fieldsheer, well I decided to crash test some of this mesh gear and demonstrate just how shitty it is.

At less than 40 MPH, in a lowside, my Joe Rocket Phoenix pants tore through both layers, and the pants I was wearing under my pants also tore through, exposing my bare leg to asphalt. The knees suposedly have knee armor, but the armor is put in such gigantic pockets that they move around and provided no protection whatsoever when my knees hit the ground. I can't believe anyone would market this shit as riding gear. FUCK YOU JOE ROCKET

I also tested a Fieldsheer MAG 1 mesh jacket. I don't even remember my upper body hitting the ground, but apparently it did bceause this jacket tore like paper.

In conclusion, I have gotten better protection wearing jeans in a crash. If you're wearing mesh gear, you might as well ride naked.

[Aprikot]

wow, that sucks...

i have a joe rocket ballistic mesh jacket which is awesome for the really hot summer rides, never fallen with it though. with this thread now, i feel really nekkid...

the quest continues for jackets that won't be hot and won't turn you into tomato paste (the chunky kind).

[kmobrien76]

Hope you're okay...damn...

I got a leather AlpineStar's riding jacket last summer after my encounter with a dog...

This just happen today???

[Honclfibr]

You said, what, three days ago that mesh stuff wouldn't hold up in a crash. Sucks to be right all the time, huh?

Glad you're ok, about the oil slick, not much you could've done...

[elaineo]

Originally posted by Mystery Squid
[BHowever,
I would say the gear did its job.

Do you really think you would have faired better with shorts/jeans and a t-shirt?

I mean let's not get carried away bashing the stuff, you said it exposed your bare leg to pavement, did you get road rash?

I've always understood Joe Rocket stuff (at least the cheaper stuff) to be relatively "disposable" anyway. [/B]

Yeah, I wiped out on a long trail of oil that happened to begin right in the middle of a blind corner... I slid less than 10 feet and my gear got destroyed. a friend of mine was right behind me on a gsxr1k, and he hit the exact same oil slick and went down at the same speed, and he was wearing jeans and his jeans didn't even tear!

i have some scrapes on my right leg, and my knees are pretty banged up, but i'm just annoyed that a $20 pair of jeans held up so much better than my more expensive riding gear...

ah well, time to buy some textile, or perforated leather, probably.

[elaineo]

Originally posted by Mystery Squid
You've had the shittiest luck this season, hope it turns... <---- piercing glimpse into the obvious...

Yeah, two crashes in 6 weeks, tell me about it although, i have put about 3700 miles on my bike during that time (including 500 miles riding bitch this past weekend) so the odds were stackin up against me...

i'd never run into oil on the road before.... weird, my friend and i didn't even notice it, we were on the ground going "wtf just happened" and then went back up the road and saw the oil slick were like "awww crap".

[Preston]

The way the gear holds up all depends on how you go down and position on the asphalt. I had Icon jeans on when I went down and they barely have a scratch. I went down on gravel on the side of the road. Don't think they will hold up that great on asphalt. Anything is better then shorts and a tank top.

Glad to hear you are ok.

[jesse_k]

I ended up going with textile, of course it is not as cool as mesh on a hot day, but at the same time, sounds like it holds up a little better. Elaineo, I am glad you are all right, and hope now you know just how COOL that green kawasaki leather you have is.

Jesse
1997 GREEN kawasaki zx7r!!

[VinceF2]

Glad you're ok and sorry to hear about your crash...

With that said... I have to agree with Squid... the mesh gear is a one shot deal in my eyes... and it did it's job... it makes sense to me that the tensile strength could be higher on the jeans then the inexpensive mesh gear... but I'll bet the jeans aren't as cool in the hot weather which is why you went mesh no?

As for the knee armor... I wear Joe Rocket textile pants on the street and the knee armor tucks in right where it should be... I haven't seen the mesh pants in person so perhaps the armor is setup differently... although I doubt that much... It sounds like the pants didn't fit properly if they were able to move around so much...


Regardless... torn mesh is better the torn flesh... errrr something... Again glad you're ok...

[TheIglu]

Go Joe Rocket Ballistic Textile next time. I wear it almost every ride. Waterproof, warm, not 'that' hot, and besides, it feels great peelin off at the end of a hot sweaty day.

Been down in the stuff and you can't even tell it hit the ground.

[Honclfibr]

Originally posted by jesse_k
Elaineo, I am glad you are all right, and hope now you know just how COOL that green kawasaki leather you have is.

Not anymore! They're mine now and I'm not giving them back, I look dead sexy in an XS

Same goes for the boots, finally the perfect accessory for my little black dress

The helmet you can have back, it sucks

[MissTwisties]

wow....another crash? Count your lifes...glad you are relatively ok tho. How is the bike with all that?

I don't even know if I'd be riding again after 2 crashes in such a short amount of time. I'd be scared for life I think.

[Paul_E_D]

Vanson makes fully perfed leather summer jackets and pants. I mean FULLY perfed. You couldn't wear them on a cool day. Expensive, yes, protection, YES, cool YES!

You get what you pay for...

[slingblade]

I saw the title and said, "no.."

Glad your ok!

[benVFR]

I really don't think all the perfed/mesh gear is the same quality.

The joe rocket feels like a t-shirt compared to my first gear jacket. As long as it works for one crash that is all you're supposed to expect though...

But...

Why wear your mesh if you're going out for a day ride in the mountains, pushing the pace, etc.. ?

No one cares if you're riding all day in the middle of nowhere soaked with sweat in your leathers. The point of mesh gear is just for slower rides, going somewhere, riding to work, etc.. where it is more important to show up dry and presentable.

Ben

[legalspeed]

VANSON.

I keep hearing "too expensive". I've crashed my Vansons many times (in competition); never had to buy again.

Now what's more expensive?

Hope you are OK and no rash.

FUCK YOU JOE ROCKET!!! - Good moto.

OT; ElainO, I must say, I am impressed with your intelligent writing and sound decision making.

[MissTwisties]

I disagree with that. If I'd be wearing leathers on a hot summer day, I couldn't concentrate on my riding and would probably crash. Believe or not, some people CANNOT support the heat. I myself get heavy headaches, nausea and just plain weakness under the heat. And being all sweaty bugs me so much, it would make a very miserable ride in my case. I have JR mesh pants and jackets. I wear them in summer. If not, I might as well sell my bike because I wouldn't ride wearing full leathers in that kind of temperature. I fully appreciate to put back my Alpine Stars leather jacket when the weather gets a little bit more chilly tho.

[benVFR]

Physical conditioning & nutrition can make a big difference in dealing with the heat. It shouldn't be that hard to wear full leathers on hot days.

It hasn't even been HOT this summer anyway. How many days have we had in the 90s?

This summer has been really, really easy so far.

Ben

[legalspeed]

My street Vanson is perf'd, and 400$ w/hard armor, racing Vanson one piece; perf'd, 700$ w/hard armor and back protector.
Vanson does FREE alterations and minor repairs at the track or in their warehouse.

I do believe you could only buy two JR full suits for that, same price, more important, JR will leave may you with road rash at best.

I'd rather be hurt in the wallet.

[TheIglu]

I wore full leathers for a ride last weekend. It was hot, yes.

I will be wearing them again on Sunday, or my textile Ballistic Suite. They will also be hot.

For me, if I can't ride during the day in full leathers on a spirited ride, I won't ride spirited.

Ya can always wait 8 hours until it cools down.

[Zorlock]

Originally posted by benVFR
Physical conditioning & nutrition can make a big difference in dealing with the heat. It shouldn't be that hard to wear full leathers on hot days.

It hasn't even been HOT this summer anyway. How many days have we had in the 90s?

This summer has been really, really easy so far.

Ben

You took the words right out of my mouth with that one. Nothing beats the friction protection of leather.

[Paul_E_D]

MissT, You obviously haven't tried a Vanson fully perfed leather jacket. It's perfed on arms, chest, back, every inch. It's as cool as mesh an probably 100 times tougher.

Again, It's not cheap, but the alternative as Elaine found out could be worse.

[elaineo]

Originally posted by MissTwisties
wow....another crash? Count your lifes...glad you are relatively ok tho. How is the bike with all that?

I don't even know if I'd be riding again after 2 crashes in such a short amount of time. I'd be scared for life I think.

ehh heh heh heh... my bike landed at the edge of a 4-foot dropoff, and when i sat up and saw it i thought "whew! close call!" and then the gsxr slammed into it and both bikes fell off the cliff. in a way, it was kinda funny.

but yeah i'll be riding again fortunately (sorta), a coworker of mine crashed his f4i a few months ago and has a lot of salvaged parts he's gonna give me...

Why wear your mesh if you're going out for a day ride in the mountains, pushing the pace, etc.. ?

a group of us from work were just taking our lunch break to go on a moderate-paced ride... i was leading, so the pace couldn't have been very fast we just happened to have really, really bad luck.

i have full leathers, but i would feel like an idiot wearing that to work. i'm just looking for something i can comfortably throw over my work clothes that won't suck in a crash... i guess mesh isn't the answer.

[elaineo]

Originally posted by Paul_E_D
Vanson makes fully perfed leather summer jackets and pants. I mean FULLY perfed. You couldn't wear them on a cool day. Expensive, yes, protection, YES, cool YES!

You get what you pay for...

Yeah seriously, looking back now, i wish i'd just bought an aerostitch or something to begin with...
Come to think of it, i wish i'd gone with custom everything... i'm not a normal size so none of my gear fits quite right. i have several sets of mediocre gear, but real, decent gear should last a lifetime.

[legalspeed]

Originally posted by elaineo
i have several sets of mediocre gear, but real, decent gear should last a lifetime.

You comin' back? :: Vanson open house this fall.