Every time we see the crew from Alpinestars it seems like they have something new to show, and Press Camp was no different. Showing a ton of new releases for the 2017/2018 season, Alpinestars seems to have a little something for everyone from kids, to XC dorks, and DH goons.
Protection continues to be a big story line as riders from all disciplines hope to thwart any potential injuries. With that comes a desire to increase the amount of protection in certain cases which is why A-Stars is now offering both the Evolution and the incredibly popular Paragon pads in a longer Knee/Shin design. Like the Evolution knee/shin (above left), both pads are simply longer versions of the current pad with an additional 10cm of protection.
The adults aren’t the only ones to gain new pad options – A-Stars was showing off the new Youth Vapor Pro Knee and Elbow pads as well. Sold in a single size, the CE rated pads include a simple velcro adjustment system and sell for $44.95 a pair (elbow or knee).
Thanks to higher speeds in just about every type of mountain biking, more riders seem to be interested in hip, thigh, and tail bone protection. Coincidentally, Alpinestars says that more moto riders are looking into chamois for long trail days, so the new Sequence Pro liner shorts are meant to be dual duty. Built with a 3D chamois, the shorts include both viscoelastic and EVA foam padding on the hip, thigh, and tailbone section to help protect the rider in a crash.
The Sequence pro will be sold along side the Paragon bib liner we checked out at Sea Otter. The short of it is that the bib includes removable hip protection, spine protection, a gel chamois pad, and includes a pocket for a 1.5L hydration bladder as well as three rear storage pockets for $249.
Alpinestars has a number of new gloves including the Racer, Drop Pro, and Predator. Many of the new gloves feature a revised thumb/palm interface which is designed to offer better mobility with less bunching of the palm material when gripping the bar.
The Drop Pro kit replaces the Drop 2 series and it includes long sleeve and short sleeve jerseys as well as new shorts. All of the new pieced include abrasion resistant panels and features like new fabrics and cut, laser cut ventilation, plenty of pockets, and easy adjustment for the waist of the short.
For the XC racers or trail riders who don’t want to go full spandex, Alpinestars offers the Mesa short combined with the XC Short sleeve jersey. The jersey is pretty much what you’d expect with a tight cut, full zip, three rear pockets, and premium features like wide compressive panels on the sleeves and a silicone printing on the hem to keep the back of the jersey down. The shorts are built to be extremely light and simple while still offering a bit more protection than a spandex bib short. They include one zippered pocket and a velcro waist adjustment, and like all of the Alpinestars shorts now, they are sold without a liner.
If you’re still in the cut-off glove crowd, they also have a new short finger glove called the Rolling which includes a velcro closure, EVA padding on the palm, and loops to make the gloves easier to put on and take off.
Even with all of that, this was just a small section of what’s new. Check out the full line as it pops up on the Alpinestars website, below.
