Alpinestars SX-1 Youth Knee Protectors

I wasn't even going to do review on this product, but I kept seeing my then 12 year old son going back for these particular set of knee guards (over his knee braces) when getting his gear bag ready for a day of riding. Now I will tell you that I have been on knee braces since I was 16 years old and I prefer the feeling of a knee brace over knee guards, but I understand that some may not feel the same way. 

For those that prefer knee guards or may be interested in some protection for their kid, enter the Alpinestars SX-1 Youth Knee Protectors… The SX-1 Youth Knee Protectors are developed specifically for younger or smaller framed riders. The lightweight SX-1 Youth Knee Protector incorporates CE certified Level 1 protection with advanced polymer hard shells backed with thermoformed foam and a dual pivot system. What exactly is that? Basically it allows the natural movement of your child’s knee. The SX-1 Youth Knee Protectors are perforated for optimized levels of breathability and airflow so he or she will not be sweating up a storm.

The upper and lower frames are constructed from a high performance polymeric material blend for flexibility and strength as well as trying to keep the weight down. Polymer protector plates are perforated to try and allow more ventilation. The shell integrated dual pivot hinge gear system follows the natural movement of the knee and keeps the protector well positioned in all riding positions.

The patella cup is constructed from energy absorbing viscoelastic PU foam that is CE certified to Type A. The patella cup is also backed by soft padding for adaptive fit and breathable air mesh for ventilation and comfort. There is also a high abrasion resistant fabric on the outer central knee-cup area that can reduce the possibility of scratching. 

Now my son is not quite the test rider yet, but I did ask him why he liked these Alpinestars knee guards so much and he gave me four simple answers like only a 12 year old could. His four reasons were: 

1. I can squeeze my bike better with my legs because these guars feel narrower than my braces. (Dad: “Ok, I can understand that”) 

2. My legs don’t feel so heavy when I lift them up through corners. (Dad: “Ok, I can grasp that opinion”)

3. I can wear these when I go to the skate park with my scooter. (Dad: “Ok, I like that you’re thinking on your own”)

4. They are simple to put on and take off. (Dad: Insert face palm emoji here….”Ummmmm… Aden? That is what you call being lazy. It literally may take you 60-90 more seconds to put on your knee brace. COME ON BRO!”)

Ok, so three out of four reason are legit… Now as a parent I will have to admit that I prefer him wearing knee braces (which he is now currently in since he outgrew these SX-1 guards), but for protection at the time he was using the guards, I wasn't worried about his knees getting injured. Knee braces ARE NOT going to completely prevent a knee injury and I think that is a big misconception with a lot of consumers these days. I know a lot of top professional riders that prefer knee guards and have zero knee injuries so to say that knee braces are the end all be all of knee protection is ridiculous. 

These Alpinestars SX-1 guards have seen many hours of riding and plenty of crashes over the course of almost a year. Basically almost a year of nervous novice 85cc riding time is the equivalent of like adding five years of total crashes for me. The SX-1 Youth Guards have held up great and all of the parts on these guards remained intact today. Aden wore the Small/Medium size as he has dad’s chicken legs, but Alpinestars also offer a L/XL to fit youth riders that have more size to them. My son said that they were comfortable and he only had one complaint. His complaint was that the velcro straps would sometimes get hung up on his pant liner (while putting his pants on) so he would have to re-adjust the guards to get them back into place. Once his pants and boots were on, he had no problems with the guards slipping down. I also like that these guards fit into youth sized boots well and aren't too bulky. Another aspect I thought that was interesting is that my son could wear these Alpinestars guards directly on his skin, without anything underneath them, with zero irritation to his skin. That is something I couldn’t do, but he said that the material was soft and that it didn't bother him to do this. With his knee braces he has to wear long socks underneath and that gets him hot.

The downside to these SX-1 knee guards is that they are pricey at $89.95. However, if your child is riding a dirt bike please put some kind of knee protection on them. I can’t explain how many kids I see wearing nothing under their riding pants (to protect their knees) while they are learning how to ride. This is the most important time for them to dress for the crash not the ride. The Alpinestars SX-1 Youth Knee Protectors are a great piece of protection for your child and it’s Aden endorsed. Plus they can wear them while they scooter! This particular set of guards will be handed down to my friends eight year old boy as he is just now starting to get bit by the love of two wheels. #KeepKidsOnDirtBikes 

Thor Draft Gloves

Continuing on with our minimalistic motocross glove reviews this week, we are going to break down the Thor Draft gloves. Made with a maximum flex four-way stretch mesh, expansion panels that try to allow a full range of motion of your hands, optimal air flow venting mesh throughout the backhand, perforated palms, notched wrist openings, silicone treated finger tips, a hook and loop wrist closure system, a single-layer palm, rubber details for added structure, and made out of  100% nylon, this glove has quickly become one of my favorites to ride with. 

The Thor Draft gloves not only form to each finger, but they are stretchy enough to allow for proper movement when using the clutch and front brake. When putting on the Draft gloves each finger port feels tight, but once inside, each one of my fingers feel like they are wrapped into little tiny soft hugs of happiness. The way the material of the gloves wrap around each finger has alwasy given me a positive connection to my grips. The Draft gloves DO NOT bunch up in your palms and the sizing is spot on. I did try Thor’s “Agile” glove, but I had to go down to a medium in that style of glove, that’s not the case with the “Draft” gloves. 

I like that the material on top of my hand is soft, yet has more padding than your average minimalistic design, which helps deflect roost a little more than other thin designed gloves in the marketplace. The wrist opening of the Draft is not so tight that it takes you ten minutes to put them on and the seams have held up extremely well to my abusive “hurry up and get these things off of me” nature. Most minimalistic gloves have weak seams and always tear near the thumb area, but the Draft’s have been great in this department. 

The silicone that is also on the top part of the hand makes the glove feel secure and the palm has enough padding to make my calluses not turn into blisters on long test days. The palm is not as sticky as a Fox Flexair glove, but they do have a soft natured feel on the grips. The hook and loop wrist closure is little overkill with the type of rubber they use however. It’s a very stiff material, is not super flexible, is thick, and is hard to bend over to actually close. It sometimes can pop off while you're riding; if you're not attentive and really make sure the velcro is fully attached when putting the gloves on. If Thor can make that rubber closure thinner and more flexible it would cure this problem. 

At the end of the day I really enjoy wearing the Thor Draft gloves because of the comfort that I get when I’m on the bike for 7-8 hours. They are durable, they can be thrown in the washer, are soft on my hands, and are true to size, which makes them one of my favorites. The Draft gloves cost $24.95 and come in four different colorways. Check them out at thormx.com. #KeeferApproved

Fox Flexair Gloves

If you asked me what piece of riding gear that I am most picky about, my answer would be, “gloves”. If you have the wrong fitting glove your whole day of riding seems to get ruined. Your hands are connected to the handlebars, which controls 90% of the motorcycle that you're trying to control right? So…. If your hands aren’t comfortable then it can throw your riding off axis real quick. Having a tight fitting glove causes arm pump and having a loose fitting glove can possibly give you whiskey throttle, so yes gloves are important! In the coming weeks I am going to be writing about some of my favorite sets of gloves that are out there on the market right here at keeferinctesting.com. The first set I would like to talk about are the Fox Flexair gloves: 

The Flexair Glove is a minimalist motocross glove with a almost tailored fit and a lightweight feel. Constructed from Stretch Cordura, it provides a high level of dexterity. The stretch mesh finger gussets (the fabric between your fingers) increases flexibility as well as helps channel air through the glove for increased ventilation. The Flexair glove also features a conductive thread on the thumb and index finger so you can use your cell phone without removing your gloves (AKA, getting bangers at the track).

Why are the Fox Flexair gloves one of my favorite sets of gloves to wear? Let me walk you through this a little…. I like Fox’s minimalistic glove because this type of glove forms to my hand well enough that I can feel my grips exceptionally well while riding. The Fox Flexair minimalistic gloves don’t bunch up or feel fat to where I can’t feel my handlebars. The cuff design is brilliant as there are no seams to the glove near the cuff. The cuff and thumb area of the glove are a one piece design, which allows for a snug fit, yet not so tight where it cuts off the movement of your fingers/palms on the bars. The material that Fox uses is unmatched for a minimalistic style glove as the stretch Cordura material feels like a second layer of skin once the glove is slipped on to your hands. It doesn’t even feel like you're wearing gloves, it just feels like an extension of your hand. The palm area of the Flexair is super sticky and might take some time to get used to if you're not familiar with that feel. Once your hands are on the handlebars, the palms of the Flexair gloves feel planted to the compound of your grips and adheres itself so well that you do not have to worry about slippage, even when your grips seem to get worn out (which mine do often on these set bikes). The ventilation I experience is second to none as these gloves pass air so well that if you're wearing these suckers on a cool day, you might notice that your fingers will get cold fairly quick. They are super lightweight and it basically feels like a soft pillow for each finger. 

Now don't expect to deflect roost, rocks, and or trees with these gloves, but if you're looking for one of the most comfortable, form fitting, stretchy set of gloves these gloves take the cake with ease. Much like new boots some new gloves take some time to break in, but the Flexair gloves need “ZERO” break in time and are ready out of the package. Durability of these gloves are decent, just don’t expect to go four hard months of riding with these as the seams can come apart from taking them on and off several times. The cost of the Flexair glove is reasonable at $39.95 and they come in three colorways (black, orange, red). The fit of the gloves are true to size, so if you're a large in other sets of gloves you will be a large in the Flexair. 

If you're looking for a glove that has the most comfort, give these Fox Flexair’s a try. While you're at it, let me know how you like yours and email me at kris@keeferinctesting.com and drop some knowledge on me! I like to hear what you guys think as well..   

100% iTrack Gloves Product Review

What? 100% makes gloves? Yes, that’s right, not only do they make goggles, but 100% has been in the glove game for a while now as well. I am a big stickler when it comes to gloves, almost borderline a pain in the ass, so I needed to see if these iTrack gloves from 100% was worth my time. The 100% iTrack gloves feature a stylish embossed slip-on cuff application for ease and comfort, a seamless mesh top hand that is said to improve fit over knuckles and increases airflow, mesh finger gussets are placed to enhance mobility and wick away moisture, a thumb overlay aids in reducing blisters (AKA Yamathumb), a perforated single-layer Clarino palm aids in comfort while reducing bunching, silicone printed palm/finger graphics are placed accordingly to try and improve palm and lever traction, and finally an integrated tech-thread keeps you connected with your devices so you can “like”, “swipe right”, “facebook", “snapchat”, “tweet”, or take a “selfie” on the track or trail.

I am a big fan of slip on style gloves and prefer them over having a velcro cuff closure system. Once I put the iTrack gloves on I noticed they were a little tighter in the palm area than I would have liked, but stretched out enough within the first ride. I am normally a size large in gloves and once the iTrack’s were broken in they felt like a large. However, when new they feel like a medium, so be forewarned it will take some break in. The materials that 100% uses are extremely comfortable, breathable, and soft to the skin, yet provided me with enough padding in my palm to shun away blisters from a long day of testing. This is a minimalistic glove so just know that there is zero knuckle protection from roost or rocks, but in this case (with gloves) comfort outweighs protection for me. (We will be testing another set of 100% gloves that does in fact have knuckle protection, in the coming weeks). 

I did notice that the neoprene cuff was a little shallow as it barely covered up the end of my palms/start of my wrists. The cuff never slid down or allowed dirt inside my palms, but the feeling of it being shallow was more annoying to me than anything. The durability of the glove is something that I will have to praise. I beat the shit out of the iTrack’s and usually I rip the seams near the thumb area almost constantly with other lightweight gloves, but the iTrack has held up and proved to be a very durable minimalistic glove. Very rarely do you get a thin glove that doesn't come busting open at the seams, so this was nice to finally see. I have spent over one month with these gloves and have yet to find a failure in the sewing. (Just know that one month of my riding is equal to around 4-6 months of normal blue collar dirt bike riding). This to me is almost as important as the comfort of the glove. I hate it when I am at the track, in the middle of the day, only to find out my glove is split wide open near the thumb area. I did manage to try out the integrated tech-thread and in fact it does allow you to text and send with zero issues. I didn't swipe right, but I did manage to text the wife that I wasn't coming home, to do the honey do’s, because I was still riding. 

For $29.50 the iTrack is a good buy, but just make sure you know that they do fit a little tighter (in the palm area) than some other lightweight gloves on the market. Just like boots, some gloves need break in time and these iTrack’s definitely need that “break in” period. 

Bonus Tip: Because I know I am going to get a crap ton of emails asking me “ Yeah Keefer, but can I wear these gloves with any gear set”? My answer is “yes, you can”! Why? Because 100% only makes gloves and goggles and it’s still within the gear laws (if you abide by them) to wear 100% gloves with any gear company. If 100% starts to make gear than you must wear 100% gloves with 100% gear only. Until then have a ball and buy some 100% gloves to go with your Thor gear