If you are a motorcyclist, you will have heard of the Held brand; they have been manufacturing Motorbike gear since 1946 and are renowned for quality products. Their catalogue is a whopping 300 pager, stacked full of clothing, helmets, protection, luggage, covers - in fact, just about everything you could ever need.
We were sent three Held helmets to review, all of them at a price point of well under £200.
This road boot comes in a straightforward black design in European sizes 36-50. it is both waterproof and breathable, thanks to the Gore-Tex XCR membrane that is layered under a ventilated mesh outer body that ensure your feet stay dry in all weather conditions. Constructed from an original ergonomic design that follows the natural shape of the foot for streamlining and a comfortable fit, the main body has an air mesh construction which is layered with breathable materials for high levels of ventilation and is over-injected with soft PU reinforcements.
As the motorbike market grows and more and more companies enter this arena, it is brilliant to see one of the most established brands maintaining its high standards and setting the benchmark for others to aim towards.
From the makers of the Smart Turn System, an automatic indicator deactivator which prevents the rider from accidently leaving their indicator on and running the risk of causing an accident, the Brake Module has been designed with the similar ideas at its core: make motorcyclists intentions and actions more visible to other road users.
The V2 pants have been created to perfectly compliment the Andres Pro Jacket, but it can be worn as a stand-alone product. They are available in Black or Light Grey/Black/Dark Grey and come in sizes ‘Small’ all the way up to ‘4x Extra Large’.
The Andes Pro Drystar jacket is from Alpinestars’ adventure/touring range. This jacket provides 100% waterproofing, high levels of breathability, and is also compatible with Alpinestars’ active airbag protection system, Tech-Air.
Motorcyclists are some of the most vulnerable people on the road and it only takes one silly mistake to put their lives at risk. That isn’t an over statement, as a close friend of mine had a very lucky escape whilst driving down a straight section of road; a car pulled right out in front of him from a junction on the left (Duke of Edinburgh style) and unknown to him, his left indicator was still ticking away from a previous manoeuvre, leading the driver of the car to believe it was safe to pull out.
The Tech 10 from Alpinestars are an innovative pair of protective Motocross boots that are packed full of features for high performance and defence when participating in this crazy sport. For over a decade the Tech 10 has been a reliable boot, but this summer the company have completely redesigned to raise the quality even further, whilst maintain the classic look. The redesign focused on the functionality, performance and safety, with the aim to reduce the overall weight as well as the material volume for a greater range of movement and flexibility.
I been riding motorbikes for as long as I can remember, and the weather must be pretty awful for me to opt for my car instead. Throughout these years of riding, I have concluded that you should always wear the best gear you can afford, as you generally get what you pay for with motorbike clothing. My current choice of clothing has boiled down to an armoured Gortex 2-piece suit and heavy adventure motorbike boots. Whilst this combination gives great protection it isn’t the most comfortable of clothing when you get off.
The TCX Hero is such a cool looking boot! Moreover, they are the most comfortable motorbike boots I have every worn. However, the real bonus has to be that I have been using them for dog walking, as well as everyday use in the office, and I forget that these were even motorbike boots.