Yesterday was a great "new gear day" for both hobbies. My new motorcycling pants arrived from NewEnough, plus Peter and I had a successful East/West Hockey outing.
First up, the bike gear.
First Gear HT Overpants 2.0
I suppose it's not terribly surprising that my older bike gear started falling apart; I've already had to replace my jacket and boots over the past year or so, so now it was time for the pants upgrade.
I stuck with the same make and model as my last pair — FirstGear HT Overpants — since I really like the design and fit.
They're waterproof up to an all-day deluge, fit well over jeans or work pants, and are comfortable for all-day touring. I really like how the side zipper goes all the way up to the hip on each leg, making the pants very easy to take on and off…plus, while touring, I can just unzip the legs at restaurants or tourist spots and get some air without taking the pants all the way off.
At 5'1" and a muscular 125 lbs, I wear their smallest size, Women's 6. The legs are a little too long, but not obnoxiously so, and the fit is great.
Tourmaster Women's Sentinel Rain Pants
Next up, new rain pants. I've had my old pair — Tourmaster Elite — since 2002, so that's a pretty good run. The matching jacket that I bought at the time is still in great shape, but the pants ripped the last time I wrestled my boot through.
Since I got the Elite set in '02 (in a men's size XS), Tourmaster has added women's rain gear to their lineup (YAY!!!). So, this time, I was able to do a fit and sizing upgrade.
The Sentinel pants seem like they're going to work pretty well. My only complaint is the same one I had with the Elite — they have a side zipper at the base of the leg so that you can take the rain pants on/off while leaving your boots on, but the gusset isn't really wide enough to get the boot comfortably through without snagging the pants. This is what eventually ripped my Elite pants, though I suppose I shouldn't really be complaining since it took 7 years of wear before that rip happened.
I bought a size S and they fit well over jeans and the aforementioned HT Overpants.
The pictures below are while wearing all three of those layers:
CCM Vector 6 Chest Protector
And now, the hockey gear.
I didn't really need a new chest protector, but I'm starting to get into enough scrums along the boards that the slightly too-big fit of my original one was bugging me. The elastic around the waist was stretched out and the whole thing would ride up and hit the bottom of my neck.
I tried on a few pair at East/West and came out with this CCM.
Surprisingly (to both me and Jason, the shop employee), the Senior (adult) S size fit me pretty well; we were both expecting to delve into the Junior sizes. This particular line of chest protectors must run small for the sizes, as Peter tried on a Senior L and it fit him (he normally takes a M).
Nike Bauer Vapor XVI Hockey Pants
Ah, my eternal search for hockey pants that fit! I ripped the crap out of my Reebok 8K pants in Vegas and figured I could spring for a new pair while waiting for the magical "free time" needed to sew up the 8Ks.
I tried on a pair of CCMs that I really liked, but East/West only went down to Senior S in them. Those were way too big; if I fit them in the crotch, the waistband was literally in my armpits, and if I tugged them down so the waist/hips fit, I looked like a hiphop groupie with the crotch at my knees. Tip to hockey gear manufacturers: short people play your damn sport.
Anyway, eventually I tried on the Nike Bauer Vapor XVI pants in a Junior L and I like the fit. They have slightly less armor than either my Reeboks or the CCMs I tried on, but I think that'll be OK. We'll see how it goes the first time I get a slapshot to my thigh. 😉
The Junior L seems to be the right size for me, looking at the little sizing chart that came with them. Heh, the same chart has "Age Guidelines" and apparently I am the same size as an 11 year old boy.
I'm not sure why I look psychotic in this first picture. Hrm.