| Author | Message | ||
     Xl1200r |
Well, I've done just about a complete season with this suit and feel I can give a fair review on it's performance in nearly aspects of riding. I'll keep things short and sweet. The suit is well made. It has good features if not almost too many (why do I need a pocket on my back?). The fit could be better as the legs are shorter than they should be and the strap on the arms is right in the elbow pit which makes bending your arm uncomfortable when it's snugged up. Getting in and out is cake. Ventiallation is really good and I've ridden with this on into the upper 80s in total comfort (as long as I'm moving), but the mechanism for opening and closing the vents is difficult, and the arm vents, despite their size, don't seem to do a whole lot. You also always have to have the back vents open as the suit will puff up otherwise. With the liner in, the suit is warm enough down to the low 40s for me with nothing but street clothes underneith. Add thermal underwear and some warmer clothes and I'm sure we could go below freezing. Olympia's big thing with this suit is having superior breathability and rain protection. Let me be the first to tell you that suit is about as rain repellent as a paper towel. Quick dash in a heavy storm? No problem. But spend 20 minutes in any kind of moderate rain and you'll start to feel the water dripping down your body. On one trip, I rode and hour and a half in some moderate rain before stopping only to find my shirt and pants soaked through. I'm talking DRENCHED. Customer service was no help. I honestly believe that the rudest person they have working there is the owner himself. During some light rain riding of about 20 minutes while I was on vacation, I was getting some slight seepage around my crotch and the chest/arm vent area. I called in, got on the phone with the owner and he told me visit the FAQ section on the website as it talks about proper use of the suit for water tightness. I told him I didn't have access to a computer where I was and I was told to, "find a friend who does". After my soaking wet ride home, I talked to him again and really expressed my displeasure as I didn't feel I should have been so wet after such a short time wearing a suit touted to be functional rain gear. He basically told me my expectations were too high, I wouldn't be happy with his product and he then offered to buy me a set of rain gear. This guy is a complete ass, and I regret not heeding Jerry Haughton's advice to stay away from this company. Live and learn. I also crashed in it this past weekend. It did it's job, but don't expect this thing to last any more than one downing. I have holes in the knee and thigh from an easy 30mph lowside. To wrap it up, I LOVE this suit for commuting, cold weather and touring duty. I HATE it for anything with any moisture, and the customer service absolutely SUCKS. I will NOT be buying another to replace this one. The Joe Rocket Survivor looks to fit the bill for me at this point. |
