Reviews written by Leigh Godson

The first back protector I have ever worn that I did not want to remove or found a reason to ride without. The Aegis simply does its job as well as you need it to and does not get in the way of your riding experience.

My only faults I could find were that the top of the back was perhaps a little bit wider than I would have liked and the length interfered with the long zip on my textile suit but other than that I cannot fault this unit.

For £89.99 you really do not need any other protector and if you are going on track this is without a doubt the one I would recommend

Other than the initial fiddly application to fit correctly the Respro Foggy mask does its job without needing re-application and ensures your visor remains clear when you need it.

I have found no other product that is as effective without some other form of compromise and as a result the Foggy gets a full two thumbs up from me

For a reusable ear plug these are great, they dont block out all road noise so you feel a little safer than with standard ear plugs but the downside is a little of the residual boom still remains.

One downside is that they are easily lost being so small and although they come with a carrying bag the tendancy to throw them in a pocket coupled with their light and thing material sometimes leads to frustration not quite getting them out - with gloves this can be annoying.

Overall though a worthy ear plug, it does its job well and does not cost the earth

If you are wanting a set of bike trousers that will work in both warm and wet weather then these are ideal, with enough forethought to make them waterproof when you need them they are perfect for touring and commuting runs while not being as over the top hot as other trousers on the market today.

One small annoyance I found was with the knee armour not being 'quite' in the right place for me and also not really having an option to adjust it as we found on some of the other Spada gear on test, coupled with the heat they required adjustment when it got hot in order to be comfortable.

These are textiles I can see myself wearing now for a while to come, when combined with the Spada Adventure Jacket they are just a lovely suit - despite the minor niggles

To say I could not rate this jacket high enough is an understatement, it is both comfortable and stylish, works well in any weather I have thrown at it and is a jacket I would not hesitate to go out and buy, the only real complaints I can give would be about a few of the pocket sizes being too small or fiddly to get to but in the grand scheme of things these are only very minor niggles.

The price on this jacket is very reasonable and with multiple connecting zips you should be able to couple this with a number of other products easily enough, ventilation is superb and the typical hot and sweaty textile feeling was not apparent while wearing this. Spada is one of those emerging brands that I think will surprise a lot of people with their combination of quality and function along with a price well within reach of most consumers, I would have no problem recommending the brand to any of my readers after testing a number of their products on this trip!

A very nice helmet indeed, in my experience earplugs are a must to counteract wind noise but when it is on it is a nice light helmet that always gets a lot of attention.

Price wise it is right on the money for this specification of helmet from a well reputed manufacturer and really the only marks dropped on this review are from the ventilation side which didnt seem to work to well for me - your experience may vary though as I have been told by a few other users that they have no such problem.

A truly stunning looking glove with more than ample protection and at a reasonable price to boot. The research and development from their long racing history is apparent in the placement of things like the carbon finger sliders and wrist closure system.

The only real complaint I can make is with the final finishing of a few small areas on the gloves which is something I have seen on other pairs, that said it is only really superficial and as such does not detract from the overall quality feel of the glove which is comfortable and gives a confidence in its ability should the worst happen.

There is ventilation built in to the glove which perhaps works a little but I felt that a little more thought would have made this a fantastic glove, if it had the same TPU knuckle as the more expensive models it would be a knockout!

These really are race boots for the street, superbly styled and packed with safety techno gizmos and gadgets the Vertigo is a sure fire winner for anyone looking for quality and race pedigree.

Although those of use with wider feet may find issue in warmer temperatures they were very comfortable to walk and ride in and they felt very well made. For £165 they are easily worth their money and its no wonder they have sold in their thousands.

For times when the going gets hot the Octane glove is a lifesaver, no more sticky, sweaty hands and that uncomfortable feeling that comes with it.

ventilation is superb all round and the overall construction quality is excellent. I love these gloves so much that I have continued to wear them throughout winter and despite the cold temperatures and biting cold rain the gloves have kept my hands at a reasonable temperature.

oddly the venting in the material does not seem to be a hindrance in the cold. For the track these would not be first choice in terms of safety but for general riding I challenge you to find a more comfortable glove.

The Rift leathers are clearly a good choice for those people looking out for a mid-range set and while the price is kept low, the spec is actually not too bad.

In terms of durability they are not the best wearing leathers I have tried and apart from the waist clasp they did tend to start looking old faster than I expected, that said they remained in one piece and comfortable for quite a while and any buyer wanting to get a seasons wear out of their leathers - and not spend a huge amount - should have no real issue with these.

While you are able to find low cost leathers around the internet, very few look this good and for a set that is not only well built and capable of dealing with a crash scenario it has all the features you might want from a mid-priced set let alone one that is this easy on the budget.

The range of colours and styles is comprehensive and they are available in both 1 and 2 piece configurations, the 2 piece zips together with a full zip and the 1 piece comes with an optional speed hump if required - it certainly seems that the bases are well and truly covered here.

The only marks dropped in this test are for styling, while styling is subjective I would have liked to see a few more 'bling' items on the suit - that said for that price what more do you need?

If you are looking for a top end helmet and the Shoei fits your head shape you will not really find much to complain about with this lid, it comes fitted with the standard Shoei reputation and boastability factor that comes from years of high quality and countless unit sales worldwide.

Ventilation seems to very good as does road noise, the build is good and other than the visor screw going missing (which lets face it could be an isolated fault) I had no cause to complain.

Price wise, I think this is priced correctly for the specification and also the company reputation - if you want the best you pay a little more than the rest which certainly seems to be the case here, compared to other comparable manufacturers models is is a little more expensive though so I have to give it one less point in value for money.

The Aqua Boot is a snip at only £49.99 which I am sure will appeal to a great number of newer riders or those with less expendable income, its claim to be 100% waterproof is in fact - well - fact although perhaps too waterproof for the breathable layer to do its job.

This made for an uncomfortable boot from early on and coupled with the bad sizing, I was never really reassured that they would be any good when it mattered, I guess adding an extra layer of socks would bring the ankle and width fit about right but I cannot even begin to think of the foot temperatures involved.

It is hard to fault these leathers from Hein Gericke, they ooze quality in both the design and feel and are massively comfortable - partly because someone at HG has taken notice of womens sizing and made these appropriately shaped.

It offers a pretty much standard level of protection that anyone would look for in their leathers and although I have never crashed in these I have no doubt that they would deal with it all quite well.

The pre-requisite for a good summer gloves seem to rank comfort and ventilation right up there with price and protection, in fact I have seen many people complain about how stifling their gloves are in hotter weather (if you can remember what that is) - well not with these, they have comfort and ventilation in spades...

I was genuinely impressed at how good these gloves felt on my daily rides, in summer especially they did exactly what they were supposed to. Highly recommended.

The KBC Force RR helmet is a nice mid-priced helmet for those of you on a budget but looking for a well established and reputed brand, fit appears to be good and ventilation for warmer days is certainly up to the mark, the paint finish is of a good quality and if you are looking for unusual graphics you will find them within the range available.

Road noise is quite high when the going gets good but earplugs are generally recommended when wearing a helmet anyway. In terms of safety it seems to hit the mark quite well, a double D-Ring strap is standard fitment and the visor seems to be secure, it is also worth mentioning that removal of the visor is a simple task.

For the money the KBC is certainly worth a look in.

Put simply, these are a fantastic boot when on your bike, the level of protection is incredible and the comfort is among the best I have ever tried.

In terms of value I guess they are about on the money for the level of the boot but are paying a premium for the Alpinestars brand - nonetheless you get a high quality product in return for your investment and a boot you can rely on for a good number of years.

The only blemish on these near perfect boots is the squeak caused by the ankle armour which I am afraid does get annoying if you are out in a crowded place - I do my shopping on the bike so walking round a supermarket in them is very embarrasing.

The squeak however is just not a big enough gremlin to warrant the SMX-PLUS boots dropping any kudos in the review as they more than make up for it in every other area but they do lose a star as the problem could have been better thought out in the design.

Ventilation wise these gloves are king, I have found no other glove that is as consistantly as airy and comfortable in hotter weather, this though is in my opinion where the gloves fall down.

My set started fraying and bobbling within a week of use and not really particularly hard wear either, on the palm sections it became clear that with just a little bit of speed and a stretch of tarmac underneath them they would not hold up to an abrasion test that well.

That said I have since noticed that Joe Rocket have redesigned these gloves entirely and they look to be of a more durable construction, if they offer a similar amount of comfort in the heat but increased levels of safety (and that includes peace of mind remember) I would be more than happy to give them a try.

As for these gloves it appears they are discontinued and no longer available to buy anywhere which might just be a good thing.