Why is armour soooooo expensive?

[Simo]

Was just looks at/trying on body armour and just upper halves in the bike shop.
Why do they have price tags of around $400 or more?

Dianese?

[Simo]

yeh, from memory.
Is that just paying for a name or are they topshit

[MrPlow]

Got my Dainese mesh suit for $160.00 :D Elbow, Soulder, Back brace, Kidney belt, the works! I got it at a motor bike shop, never ever used, but 2nd hand though. Bit bummed as the quality is OK, but not great, a few loose threads etc around the arms since I have had it 6 mnths. Body armour is well worth it though, I have stacked it a few times and just got up suprised I didn't hurt :wink: You can still break bones though :cry: check out the classifieds if I were you.

[frank-oi]

dose skin cost more or less. it's up to you weather it's espensive. and what your pain tolerance is.

but chicks dig scars.

[sxereturn]

Dainese body armous is the best, in my opinion.

You put that stuff on, and you can't tell you've got it on. It's light, it's comfortable, it breathes, and it doesn't hurt when you crash.

[wombat]

Mr. Plow, you would have to be the first person I've heard of who isn't happy with Dainese quality, shame it wasn't new, you might have been able to warranty it (if it's a major problem). They're good, but they are expensive.

[MrPlow]

Yeh, it is nothing major. And it is super cumfy too. On hot days mates think I must be boilin hot in it, but it wicks like mad. In winter I have to wear long sleeve shirt under because ya freeze yer freakin arms off! Just think it could be just a smidge better though. Still does the job great, but you have to be carefull taking them on and off. HINT: never try to take your armor off or on with gloves or watches on. :wink: gotta be chuffed for $160.00 though, a mate said they are worth over $500 new??? WTF!!

[josh]

I run dianese knee/shins and fox elbow/arm garuds.

Its definetely worth it even if it only saves u from one major off!

[Simo]

ive got shinnies/knees and elbow/forearms but why are armour suits so pricey?
I'm looking into them because i, starting to ride at mount macedon and there's TONNES of trees

[Ghost]

You're pretty much paying for the research behind them, not so much the materials and labour.

Dainese are the best for upper body armour.

[fastrider gus]

thats why you dont wear it...

[lupine128]

there a pretty good thread in the freeride section on this.
dainese is very good, costs a bomb, and is worth every cent.
but for $100 less you can get something like sinisalo armour. looks exactly the same, is also very good quality, and with the left over cash you can get a set of the new fox or axo hinged knee guards.
also don't forget that the dainese style armour was designed to go under leathers, so it isn't designed to be strong as such. always wear a jersey over it or it will rip.

[Techno Destructo]

Simo, are you looking in MTB shops or MX shops?

If you're looking in MTB shops only, you might be surprised at the price difference when you look for the same gear in an MX shop. At least, that's what I've found around the Sydney area...

[LTR]

i found that mx shops are really cheap too.........

[lupine128]

also ask at the local mx club for second hand stuff. some of that is really cheap as people upgrade.

[Simo]

the problem with MX spine armour is its designed to stop roost from hurting when hitting your back, not to absorb direct impacts.

[MrPlow]

Suits me great, still has great ventilation as well as good protection. Would it be designed for faster, harder impacts though? And is it really meant for roost protection. I thought they had mud guards for that?
Definaently goto your mx shop, or check the trading post I reckon. :wink:

[lupine128]

i think a lot of people just say MX shop to mean anywhere that sells motos.
roost guards are better than than nothing, but nowhere near as protective as something like a dainese shuttle suit.
any shop that sells road gear for moto's should have a range of armour for sale.
and as mentioned in the freeride thread, something like a camelback makes a pretty good spine guard.

[jamo]

simo dainese armour is so fuckin good. i would not even hesitate for a second to not buy it. i have one of the old black full suits that i picked up at vicmtb for about 200 bucks after the first kickass garage sale. ive had it since and i swear to F@#@ing god its the best investment i have made in my entire LIFE!!

you would be a fool to buy any other tacky armour.

dont buy fox its shit (im sorry but it is).

when it comes to safety, you should never settle for second best man.

dont hurt your ass, buy some class!

[CHEWY]

dont buy fox its shit (im sorry but it is).



agreed, ur buying the name not quality... back in the day though they were a great brand before they started making all that fashion shit

[fastrider gus]

if you want MX armour, i have a brand new '03 fox one.. to of the line.. my dad bought it for me to wear in races, but i dont like the feel of it..
in most moto shops they have the black dainese upper body armour (like metzger wears) and its a bit cheaper than the MTB one..

[Ride_Guy]

think about it hospital bills or body armor?

[Simo]

must you make me decide?

[S.]

Medicare doesn't subsidise armour though...

[Simo]

EXACTLY

[jamo]

ok lets not get technical now....

jsut get some freakin armour

[BlueFuzz]

Would you say your first purchase for armour are the knee/shins and elbow/arm guards? Rather than looking at back?

[S.]

Would you say your first purchase for armour are the knee/shins and elbow/arm guards? Rather than looking at back?

The only armour I have at the moment is knee/shin. Considering that 95% of all injuries, minor and major, happen to your hands and legs, I think they're probably the most important.

[Simo]

deoends where/what type of riding you do i guees. If you ride in an area full of trees that are all around switchbacks and rockgardens and stuff then you would definantly look at back protection

[bikeman_baldrik]

The reason it's all so expensive is coz it's labelled MTB.
The MTB market is extremely small in comparison to a lot of other sports (eg. MX) and because of this the prices are much higher.
If the market was bigger, then the prices would drop coz the companies wouldn't need to charge as much to make the same profit margin.
Take a look at some MX gear next time your in a MX shop. The roost deflectors are only about $150, they offer pretty much all the protection you need in my opinion, (if you already have elbow/arm guards).
But that's just my 2cents.

[cools]

I've seen stuff in MTB shops and it has been up to $60 cheaper in MX shops. You realy have to shop around and look hard for a good deal

[MrPlow]

Here is a pic of my armour. As I said earlier it only cost me $160.00 and was never worn. If you live in Toowoomba I picked it up at a MX near the PCYC. My advice is to keep your eyes open and you may find something. What I want to know though is what this model is called. Is it a shuttle suit? Is that a roost guard or (what I thought) a back brace.http://www.farkin.net/forums/albums/1159.jpg

[lupine128]

i think none of the above.
as far as i can tell it's the gladiator upper body armour.
shuttle suits include the hip padding, and cost even more.

[S.]

i think none of the above.
as far as i can tell it's the gladiator upper body armour.
shuttle suits include the hip padding, and cost even more.

Nah it's not the gladiator, it's an older model Safety Jacket I think. Aren't Shuttle Suits the full-body ones?

[MrPlow]

Cheers! Hope it's not a safety jecket though, name just sounds povo!

[SpectRe]

Nope - I have a Gladiator suit, and that isnt one. It is most likely, as previously mentioned, an older model Safety Jacket. The ShuttlePro suit is the full body suit (essentially just the 'safety jacket' and 'viking' lower together).

Safety Jacket:
http://www.mcspesialisten.no/sider/Dainese/sykkel/bilder_sykkel/saf_jack.jpghttp://www.mcspesialisten.no/sider/Dainese/sykkel/bilder_sykkel/saf_jacb.jpg
Gladiator:
http://www.mcspesialisten.no/sider/Dainese/sykkel/bilder_sykkel/gladiator.jpghttp://www.mcspesialisten.no/sider/Dainese/sykkel/bilder_sykkel/gladiator_b.gif
Shuttle Pro:
http://www.mcspesialisten.no/sider/Dainese/sykkel/bilder_sykkel/shuttle_pro.jpghttp://www.mcspesialisten.no/sider/Dainese/sykkel/bilder_sykkel/shuttle_prob.gif
Shuttle:
http://www.mcspesialisten.no/sider/Dainese/sykkel/bilder_sykkel/shuttle.jpghttp://www.mcspesialisten.no/sider/Dainese/sykkel/bilder_sykkel/shuttle_1.jpg
Viking:
http://www.mcspesialisten.no/sider/Dainese/sykkel/bilder_sykkel/viking.jpg

[CHEWY]

damn shuttle pros almost lookin like a stormtrooper suit... :shock:

[josh]

your almost begging to be whacked when u put on a shuttle pro

[Simo]

who could resist

[Techno Destructo]

your almost begging to be whacked when u put on a shuttle pro

Whacked by who? A tree/rock/inanimate object because your ride so much harder? Because you're now constricted by all the armour? Or whacked by somebody who's mugging you for the suit?

Oh... and on the Medicare subsidization thing. I'm with Medibank Private, and part of my coverage is reimbursement for buying sports gear. So I can buy, say.... running shoes, and get the money back for the purchase... as long as it's considered to be a healthy addition to my lifestyle. So armour MIGHT be subsidized! (If you go for a private health plan... which... seriously.... we should all be considering in this sport!)

But then again... I wanted to have a bike part reimbursed, and they said it wasn't covered... so it might not work. Call them before you try it. :?

[Weasel]

Price has got nothing to do with what its made from guys...
Its the fact that your paying for a name and a reputation... Also the simple fact that you dont replace armour like tyres so they gotta make a bigger profit.

In the end its all the same. Its all about the bottom line!

[MrPlow]

Whacked by who? A tree/rock/inanimate object because your ride so much harder? I don't use armour cause I ride fast. It is more of a volvo driver mentality for me :lol: :lol:

I would rather spend the money on armour than loose heaps of money being off work!

You aren't always paying for the name (with anything) these companies had to have good quility gear to get that name in the first place. and you loose your good name farking quickly if you don't measure up. (Just ask Fox :lol: )

[Simo]

im definantly gonna get the armour, just a matter of time till i get the cashola

[S.]

your almost begging to be whacked when u put on a shuttle pro

Whacked by who?

Your mates... cos you're all padded up and stuff. You know like when you get a brand new helmet and everybody smacks you on the head "just to make sure it works".

[wombat]

[quote=josh]But then again... I wanted to have a bike part reimbursed, and they said it wasn't covered... so it might not work. Call them before you try it. :?

Definately worth a shot. I know most of them cover helmets, so armour isn't too far fetched.

[Dan]

i dont think u would find dainese at a MX shop. its not designed for MX use, so why would they sell it.

as gregg said, ur paying for the research too! the materials would cost a bit coz it isnt shitty quality, but yeh research would come into it aswell

[Techno Destructo]

i dont think u would find dainese at a MX shop. its not designed for MX use, so why would they sell it.

It's in the ones in Sydney. There's two big MX shops, almost side by side near Hyde Park. Both have Dainese (as well as other brands) of armour.

[Dan]

ah ok. the mx shops in adelaide dont have em. sydney is allways better :(

[wombat]

i dont think u would find dainese at a MX shop. its not designed for MX use, so why would they sell it.

as gregg said, ur paying for the research too! the materials would cost a bit coz it isnt shitty quality, but yeh research would come into it aswell

Dainese have been making safety gear for motorcycles (road) for a lot longer than they have been making gear for mtbs. It's not at all unusual to see it in a shop.

[Dan]

hmm ok then, maybe i just dont know much. i was only going on wot i have seen in MX shops. after all adelaide doesnt have that much lol

[Mason]

The reason Dianese is SO damn expensive is because its on of the top of the line armor manufactors. They got started with the superbike armor, progressed from that then made MTB armor. Its expensive, but isn't it worth it to save your body from damage?

[Simo]

if you read back a bit ive already said that im gonna get it

[Mick_is]

Im looking for some second hand or first hand body armour but i dont want to spend to much, please reply with a few sugestions.... :roll:

[Mick_is]

Im looking for some second hand or first hand body armour but i dont want to spend to much, please reply with a few sugestions.... :roll:

[oz-freerider]

second hand eeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwww is all i can say

[Dirt Devil]

I've got a Dainese Gladiator suit in perfect condition. It's like the one in the pic's but it's all black. Only used it for a bit of trail bike riding and I've never crashed while wearing it.

*** $250 ***

[juzza]

Armour these days is soo expensive because you are really getting what you pay for. You dont get shit when you pay $450+ for some armour. You are getting some of the best stuff ever made. Dont comprimise just because of the price, safety should be regarded as one of the main aspects of MTB. If you want a cheap top half suit, try 661. I recently got one and its awesome, better or just as good as Dainese, for a fraction of the price

[bazza]

ewww? yes thats kinda true but nothing that a bucket load of washing detergent cant fix!!!!! washing armour is funny. the washing machine starts making nice clunking sounds.but hey makes em non-smelly. grrr gloves are THE worst for stinking up and its a pain in the ass washing them beause washing is done on the weekends and riding is done on the weekneds. ohhhh the pain.

[Simo]

i got my armour. gladiator jacket, used it at rob roy on the w/e and i love it!

[Rick]

armor is expensive but worth it
spend the money it could save your life!!!!

[Rick]

go dainese, its top quality!!