Alpinestars is a brand that is very familiar to motorcycle enthusiasts for their clothing and protection gear. It also brings me back when I started riding in the nineties and Alpinestars was active in cycling as they produced bikes, shoes and clothing.

Nic Sims called and said he had some cool Alpinestars clothing to show us. Nic is very familiar to many in the bike world as he has spent over twenty years at Specialized, most recently in Marketing. Many still can't believe Nic left so we think the Italians at Alpinestars must be up to something exciting to get Nic to jump ship.

Nic dropped off the the items pictured below and got us up to speed with the company. He said they were excellent in protection and they have good design and features in their clothing. The Italians are able to use a lot of their motorcycle knowledge and materials and use it where appropriate in cycling. At the same time, Nic has thrown some items back at them to be redesigned as he is already giving design feedback with all his cycling experience.

We've been riding the Alpinestars for a few weeks now and our feedback is very good. First and foremost, the stuff looks good and they are comfortable. Baggy shorts and shirts usually look good but often get in the way of riding. Most often, they are hot and get in the way of pedaling. But we're happy to report that we've done a couple 20+ mile ride with a lot of climbing and these performed well. They're not lycra by any means but they're better for pedaling than many that we've tried.



Drop Jersey
This is a good one. The neck is pretty loose so it's not binding or irritating as one moves around the saddle. There's two triangular, black shaped panels by the chest and they ventilate pretty well. The two long panels by the front sides of the jersey are made of a very breathable material again and cool the rider down pretty well. And a bonus is there's a zipper pocket in the rear.

Features:
  • Comfortable neck construction.
  • Cut from lightweight material that promotes moisture wicking while riding to keep you comfortable.
  • Extended mesh inserts enhance ventilation.
  • Elongated lower back hem helps keep maintain fit when in the riding position.
  • Convenient terry cloth patch located on the inner side of the garment.
  • Flat rear pocket with multimedia compartment to store your MP3 player or phone and internal headphone conduit.
  • Headphone hook on the collar.
  • Drop Long Sleeve Jersey Brown or Gray $54.95
  • Drop Shorts Gray $119.95


Manual Shorts
The Manual Shorts are below the knee and they look awesome. The material is fairly light and it has a nice sheen to it. Attached to the material is a mesh fabric and keeps the shorts away from the skin just a bit to allow ventilation. These are below the knee length so we didn't expect much performance out of them when pedaling. But the length lifted right above the knee and there was pretty good freedom of movement when pedaling.

There's two pockets on the left side by the thigh and one on the right. That may be too much as loading them up will affect rideability of this short. There's a bit of velcro with this short as the pockets use it as well as the zipper area. They worked well enough but we're not sure about their durability. There's two snap on buttons in front and that works well. The rear has a black vented panel and it is hidden by a flap that covers it. There's two velcro adjustments on the sides to dial in the proper fit. Finally, the chamois lining is short and light and does the job well. It is removable so the short can be used with other linings as well.

Features:
  • Upper constructed from a selection of premium materials for maximized race performance and comfort.
  • Vented inserts across thighs enhance airflow within the shorts while riding.
  • Removable stretch Lycra liner is connected with buttons and features chamois crotch padding.
  • Elasticized rear yoke.
  • Seamless construction on the seat area for greater riding comfort.
  • Low profile lateral side pockets offer convenient storage.
  • D‐ring adjustment on the waist affords a customized fit.
  • Gray or Green $79.95


Moab Gloves
This is a lightweight glove and it fits very well. It's almost hard to open your hands full with it but put your hand in the natural riding state and this glove takes on its form. The closure system is a nice, robust rubber one and the outer knuckles are protected by some raised pads.

Features:
  • Mesh/spandex main construction with synthetic leather reinforcement.
  • Padded knuckle and external finger protectors.
  • Wrist bone shock absorption foam.
  • New ergonomic terry cloth positioning.
  • TPR wrist closure.
  • Silicone print on fingers tip for grip.
  • Thin profile palm reinforcement enhances feel.
  • Black, Medium $39.95



Bionic iPhone 4/4S Case
For the true Alpinestars fan, the Bionic iPhone case is an impact resistant hard shell case with a high-density silicone core for the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S. The rubbery silicone liner really helps protect your phone, we drop tested ours on hard pavement (by accident) and our phone is still cherry!
  • 34.99
  • available in 8 different colors/combos