Alpinestars Launches 2015 Fall Cycling Collection

51 0

JacobSpera (Oct 2, 2015 at 12:08)

Am I the only one who is scared of buying expensive jerseys and jackets due to fear of ripping them on falls?

10 2

Bird-Man FL (Oct 2, 2015 at 12:12)

alpine star stuff rips....but never during a fall! best shit for moto and mtb.

5 0

tufty (Oct 2, 2015 at 12:13)

Yep. If you think about it crashing could be hugely expensive. Replacement helmet, perhaps your gloves, maybe some bike parts.

2 1

JacobSpera (Oct 2, 2015 at 12:15)

I can justify replacing bike parts, its a function thing and I want my bike to function like a bat out of hell. Looking flashy on the trail? I guess you only ride as fast as good as you look eh

8 1

dirtnapped (Oct 2, 2015 at 13:06)

I wait till they're on sale at Jensonusa. Just this week picked up a snazzy T.H.E. jersey for $9.

1 0

oruwu (Oct 2, 2015 at 13:20)

This is precisely why I wear the oldest and cheapest jerseys I own for the majority of rides!

10 0

J-McBride (Oct 2, 2015 at 13:22)

I've had quite a few falls in my jackets and they've never ripped. I can see why your sceptical but I'm a big believer in you get what you pay for, and there is definitely a massive difference in quality with the higher spec stuff. A lot of people complain about spending big money on clothes but if I'm going to spend hours out on a bike in the middle of nowhere I want to be warm, dry and comfortable.

6 5

WAKIdesigns (Oct 2, 2015 at 13:40)

J-McBride. Well, I am a cheap second hand a-hole and I live in the land where some people sell premium stuff for nothing after they got bored with it, so I have had 3 Gore-tex jackets over last few years, one from Burton, one from North Face (summit series) and one from Gore Bike Wear so no question about quality. So each one of them is now ripped, only one of them survived more than one crash. Sure, you can buy G-tex patches and fix it to a great degree but there is nothing in that Alpine Stars jacket that could suggest it won't tear at the elbow. I have no clue why don't they sew in elbow patches from same material they stretch over soft knee/elbow pads. In general I don't ride in jackets anymore because I prefer to get wet from outside than from inside. I have a super thin rain jacket in my BP just in case it rains really heavily, just to get me home.

5 2

BCrummett (Oct 2, 2015 at 17:17)

It's hilarious to me how expensive the riding gear from Alpine Stars, TLD and Fox are when don't work nearly half as well in terms of comfort, function, and durability as outdoor gear from Patagonia and Arc'teryx (or even Kitsbow & 7mesh) does. IMO these companies make clothing that looks just as good if you buy the right things. I know Patagonia and Arc'teryx are super expensive clothing, but they also come with lifetime warranties, and are pretty much bulletproof when it comes to durability. Basically you buy one thing and it'll last you for quite a few years before its toast. I've crashed numerous times in my Patagonia Houdini shell, which is paper thin, and there's barely a hole in the elbows. One crash in my Fox ranger shorts, and an entire leg tore off!!!!

4 0

bill-curran (Oct 2, 2015 at 18:05)

Yup. Mountain hardware, marmot, padagucci is how I dress in the winter. The "outdoor" industry is far better at making durable clothing.

2 1

TheMastodon (Oct 2, 2015 at 19:37)

Really, I mean its not like astars has 50 plus years of making motorcycle protection. Anybody who has used their motorcycle gear knows their stuff is made to last for years.

2 0

motard5 (Oct 2, 2015 at 20:56)

i agree on the design and quality remarks, but I've found times the stuff isn't cut specifically for biking...which makes it not work 'quite' as well. I'd reckon there are a few brands that are quality...my top choice at the moment is Pearl Izumi...understated and quality.

1 0

blowmyfuse (Oct 2, 2015 at 22:13)

A great source for gear is Eddie Bauer. They're making all their shorts, jackets and pants from "Flexion" fabrics that are DWR coated and they constantly run sales on them.

The clearance bin on their site is the secret stash. They have a flannel that's made of tech material like that one that goes on sale constantly at $20. Their "Guide" pant is fantastic. The Sandstone hooded jacket...awesome. We all find deals on this stuff elsewhere, but truth be told, I can't bring myself to wear it on the bike for the most part.

Kit all the way...TLD. The style baby...the style.

9 0

codypup (Oct 2, 2015 at 23:23)

We could all pool our money and buy one pair of Lisbon shorts to share.

2 0

codypup (Oct 2, 2015 at 23:27)

Kitsbow. Dame you autocorrect

1 0

mikkel FL (Oct 3, 2015 at 0:43)

I have been down twice with my alpinestars jacket on my way to work last spring. First time the wheel washed on some cobble stones when it was around zero degrees, bit moist and slippery as hell. Second time an electrical car surprised me around a tight corner. Those f**kers are dead silent and i had to slam the brakes and offcourse i otb'd. First thought was did my new jacket get ripped. To my surprise nothing had happened 'cept a few stains. Quality and light weight

1 0

tigerteeuwen (Oct 3, 2015 at 9:07)

That was like the fox jersey I bought one day before a race and crashed, ripped a hole threw the shoulder.

1 0

powturn FL (Oct 4, 2015 at 10:18)

Torn stuff can be saved folks. See my comments below abt Tenacious Tape. McNett also makes a waterproof version that I use to repair cuts the cuffs of my ski pants. $5 worth of repair tape has helped my $300 pants get through 3 seasons of serious abuse.
Amazon & REI carry the stuff.
I just used $0.50 worth of Tenacious Tape to save over $200 worth of stuff I tore up in a big crash in the park at Northstar.

Now my gear matches the patchwork of scars on my shins!

2 0

nwmlarge (Oct 5, 2015 at 4:19)

Crashing is so last year

2 0

powturn FL (Oct 5, 2015 at 10:01)

Keepin' it old-skool-fool.

20 0

feeblesmith (Oct 2, 2015 at 12:18)

No. Riding jackets should come with a patch kit for repairs like some tents do.

7 0

zion-i (Oct 2, 2015 at 12:25)

^^^^ This!

7 2

Dastick (Oct 2, 2015 at 13:26)

Duct tape!

1 0

pinnityafairy (Oct 2, 2015 at 15:45)

Its just for if you get lost you can use the glue to start fire. Now they can sell it as a survival jacket. lol

3 0

powturn FL (Oct 2, 2015 at 23:28)

Google Tenacious Tape. The stuff is *money* for repairs - tough, & stretchy. I've used it to repair MTB gloves, shorts, jersies, ski bibs, shoes...
If you have this stuff & AquaSeal in your repair kit, there is not much in the gear world you cant fix.

1 0

hopless (Oct 4, 2015 at 7:00)

Hockey tape

1 0

powturn FL (Oct 4, 2015 at 10:03)

No direct experience w/ hockey tape, but what I can say is the hold & durability of this stuff is way beyond any other tape I've used, be it tennis or cycling grip tape, gaffer's tape or gorilla tape. You put it on clean fabric, and it is *not* coming off during the lifetime of the garment - wash it as much as you want.
I've used it to repair the palms of gloves after crashing, and in subsequent crashes learned that the ripstop nylon Tenacious Tape was far tougher & more abrasion resistant than the surrounding Clarino "leather" fabric.

14 1

powturn FL (Oct 3, 2015 at 0:06)

$100 lumberjack flannels??? That's hilarious. The Italians at Alpinestars have managed to lose themselves completely in the fog of cultural translation. North American slopestylers wear flannels for the exact same reason Kurt Cobain did: they're dirt-cheap thrift store items. It's a punk-rock, dirtbag gesture.
Brilliant work Alpinestars: the inadvertent comedy generated by your reinvention of Mugatu's Derelicte line for mountainbikers makes Zoolander look bush league.

10 0

Manx (Oct 2, 2015 at 15:20)

Ride naked.........save on laundry.

4 0

Jokesterwild (Oct 3, 2015 at 19:29)

Thank god for Canadian healthcare

5 2

Extremmist (Oct 2, 2015 at 22:40)

One thing always amazes me - who the f*ck wears shorts in near 0 temperatures? I have the Pathfinder shorts and I wear them as long it's above 15 degrees Celsius - once the temperature drops below this, I'm wearing long (Alpinestars) pants. But so few companies manufacture decent MTB pants...

2 0

crag222 (Oct 3, 2015 at 3:20)

they never make the knee area big enough for a small kneepad and freedom of movement

2 0

feeblesmith (Oct 3, 2015 at 5:45)

Sweet protection enduro pant is cut to ride with room for kneepads. I haven used POC long DH kneepads with out feeling restricted. The pants are lighter than the normal DH-MX pants. I like them.

1 0

Extremmist (Oct 3, 2015 at 6:16)

I don't wear any kneepads... (although I think that I could if I wanted to, the knee area seems to be wide enough). Plus a thick pant adds some basic protection against branches etc.)

3 0

WestwardHo (Oct 3, 2015 at 9:35)

It's got to be well below 0 Celsius for me to switch to pants. Shorts plus kneewarmers/kneepads and long wool socks keep me way more comfortable and less likely to overheat.

1 0

zede (Oct 3, 2015 at 10:02)

@WestwardHo I agree with you, in the 0-10°C range, if there is no Wind, shorts are fine.
When you pedal uphill you start to warm quite fast, so generally you can ride just in short and jersey. I just use my windbreaker in the downhill because it gets chill with the speed or when its a windy day.

1 0

blcpdx (Oct 4, 2015 at 10:59)

@Extremmist Endura makes a bunch of mountain pants. The MT500 Spray trousers are a softshell front, with waterproof rear, and a cordura nylon seat. www.bikeradar.com/us/mtb/gear/category/clothing/trousers/product/review-endura-mt500-spray-trousers-13-47838

2 0

Artikay13 (Oct 3, 2015 at 20:29)

Endura makes great shorts, if anyone would be interested. About $100 gets you shorts with a padded under garment.
Stuff has been pretty bombproof for me so far and another buddy of mine (we both have the humvee lite shorts). They don't look like much but they've survived plenty of falls so far.

I personally find their 3/4 regular humvees to be cool and comfy as hell, too!

5 2

randomsplatter (Oct 2, 2015 at 12:33)

No women’s line? I guess I’ll take my disposable income elsewhere.

ps Alpinestars, I love the look of the men’s line, I just wish it came in my size

3 0

corvus1 (Oct 2, 2015 at 14:02)

They released a womens' line at Interbike this year.

1 0

brule (Oct 2, 2015 at 14:14)

Not fall specific, but @rachellefrazer talked to them at Interbike as they've brought back their ladies line-up, just starting small. www.pinkbike.com/news/ladies-gear-and-people-on-the-streets-interbike-2015.html

3 0

sparkplug (Oct 2, 2015 at 15:28)

Great that they introduced the women's line but personally, I like the look of the men's line waaaaay better. We just need it in women's sizing. I think the bike industry is misreading women's tastes - we don't need flowers, fancy patterns, "girly" colours or shorter shorts. We just need functional clothes with reasonable colour options (just like the men's line) that fit curvier bodies. For e.g. a 28" waist short is great, but it needs to make it over the hips first, lol.

2 2

randomsplatter (Oct 2, 2015 at 19:25)

^^^ Yup. In fact, if the men’s stuff fit me, I’d probably buy the entire line. And trust me, I’ve done it before with my five ten collection. All seven pairs of them

1 0

Jhou (Oct 2, 2015 at 13:42)

Hopefully AlpineStar finds a new sweatshop because their seems are always falling apart. Bought two pairs of their Manual shorts and it fell apart near the croch area. The material seems on par with the other big brands but the stitching is very poor.

1 0

rickaybobbay (Oct 2, 2015 at 21:33)

My shorts have the same problem, switched to fox, much better

2 0

AZRyder (Oct 2, 2015 at 17:45)

A flannel is for "warm" weather? Besides that, are those male maxi pads? Sign me up! I tend to introduce my sack to my stem too often and I could use something to soak up the blood.

4 0

nutelladonut (Oct 2, 2015 at 18:35)

Slopestyle gear? The pictures show riders that aren't even riding slopestyle lol

1 0

rickaybobbay (Oct 2, 2015 at 21:34)

Came here to say this

1 0

Intensevp (Oct 2, 2015 at 23:04)

The waterproof jacket is stupid. It felt like riding past a bush would rip the arm. So I sent it back and bought a raceface one. Serious material in the arms. Astars for moto not for bikes though.

1 0

TamKid (Oct 3, 2015 at 6:45)

I hate my alpine stars DH pants. Waist isn't secure for how heavy the material is, and how long the inseam is. tLD always fits great, and the fit is more important than the durability, though TLD is tops there.

3 0

mtnbikernoob (Oct 2, 2015 at 12:28)

great looking gear - wish i had $400 for a fresh kit!

4 1

Joe2Stage (Oct 3, 2015 at 9:09)

only losers wear waterproofs.

1 0

karoliusz (Oct 4, 2015 at 11:27)

and underwear

2 0

northisland (Oct 2, 2015 at 16:03)

I have a pair of the Water Resistant shorts . They work awesome for rainy BC days.

2 1

Slash8Gambler30 (Oct 2, 2015 at 12:34)

i love socks ... dont know why but i have 20 pairs of bike-socks ... and to be honest, these alpinestar socks look fresh af

1 0

jrocksdh (Oct 2, 2015 at 12:41)

Lol @winter socks that go just past ur ankles! Where are the normal socks? ie calf high

1 0

PhoS FL (Oct 2, 2015 at 13:08)

Space out: I'm like "Why does this TLD gear have so few logos?!?"

Nice looking stuff though..

3 0

AndRiEL (Oct 2, 2015 at 21:31)

100$ for shirt. Perfect!

1 0

beeboo (Oct 2, 2015 at 12:18)

Your going to really like this @turco999

1 0

Mathhhh (Oct 4, 2015 at 10:20)

So if you want to have a cap on your wind breaker you need to add 120$ ?

1 2

petex8 (Oct 2, 2015 at 17:38)

Don't waste your money with the Manual shorts, most uncomfortable short ever.

4 3

yutarosan (Oct 2, 2015 at 13:32)

rip off

5 1

pinnityafairy (Oct 2, 2015 at 15:47)

I can buy a flannel shirt at our farm store for 14.99. I then call it a riding shirt and have $ to buy new tire.

4 0

Burnzie (Oct 2, 2015 at 16:12)

I agree, $54.95 for a Nimbus glove, seriously? You can get gloves online from $5 to $10 if you wait for a deal.

5 0

VTwintips (Oct 2, 2015 at 18:23)

Or 20 if you don't. These gloves better have Carbon and Kashima coatings.

1 1

madmon (Oct 2, 2015 at 20:50)

solid colours and a Neil Young tablecloth............................meh

1 0

northwestdhdad (Oct 3, 2015 at 11:27)

Looks rad- if your rich.

1 0

taifi (Oct 3, 2015 at 12:03)

need some !

1 0

karoliusz (Oct 4, 2015 at 11:26)

Cool! This shit is hot!