Michael C. from California

Reflex
June 21, 2011
Alpinestars Reflex knee/shin guards- Awesome Cortech Adrenaline gloves - Crappy I'll start off with the Alpinestars Reflex knee and shin guards. I was given a pair of the Thor Sector knee and shin guards for free, but the straps were so short, they almost didn't reach around my calves. I am a really big guy, 6'6, 280lbs, and my calves measure about 20" in circumference. The straps on these knee pads are ample long enough. The armor on the knee and shins is VERY tough, and the carbon fiber strip in between the two pieces is a nice touch. The material on the inside of the pads is very soft and supple, as well are the straps themselves. You could wear these on bare skin all day and you wouldn't get a rash. They are also slimline enough to comfortably wear under standard to loose fitting jeans (I have regular fit Lee jeans on.) The low quality stock photo of these does not do justice; they are a very finished product, very nice looking, and I'm sure will protect me if I am ever in a crash. Now for the gloves. Two major problems. Cortech cares more about making a glove that looks nice that they do one that is comfortable. The interior seams of these gloves are HORRIBLE!! It feels like the seams stick out 1/4th of an inch in some parts, and is very irritating to your fingers. It's like they didn't even trim them. Also, I don't know who's hands they outlined when making these, because the thumb on the left glove is about 1/2 an inch longer than the right glove (I checked the tags on both gloves, they are the same size). Now let me talk about sizing. I am a big dude, 6'6 tall, 280lbs. My hand measures about 4" across, and according to Cortech, that would be an XL. I haven't bought ANYTHING in XL since middle-school. After reading reviews of these gloves from several websites, I decided to go with the 3XL which fit pretty comfortable, though a 2XL might have fit slightly better. The right glove (the one with the shorter thumb) fit pretty well, (except for the awful seams), and the left was annoying because of the thumb. I am returning these gloves and will be looking for something with exterior seams. Picture shows the Alpinestars Reflex knee/shin guards being worn over, and under pants.
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