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814
Joined
7/4/2009
Location
West Palm Beach, FL
US
Edited Date/Time
8/23/2017 12:12pm
I need a new set of gear and would like to purchase Fly since they are a huge supporter of the sport and the Pulp show.
After looking at the BTO and Fly site I can't seem to zero in on what line to go with. I occasionally ride moto for practice but mainly race hare scrambles. I would prefer mesh gear (I'm located in FL). I don't need bullet proof durability but don't want to be bothered with gear that won't last at least one season. Price really isn't an issue.
Can someone provide a brief summary of each line (Kinetic Vector, Kinetic Trifecta, Kinetic Mainline, Lite Hydrogen, F16, Evolution 2.0, etc)? May I also suggest that Fly add a compare gear lines page to assist with making his decision on their website.
After looking at the BTO and Fly site I can't seem to zero in on what line to go with. I occasionally ride moto for practice but mainly race hare scrambles. I would prefer mesh gear (I'm located in FL). I don't need bullet proof durability but don't want to be bothered with gear that won't last at least one season. Price really isn't an issue.
Can someone provide a brief summary of each line (Kinetic Vector, Kinetic Trifecta, Kinetic Mainline, Lite Hydrogen, F16, Evolution 2.0, etc)? May I also suggest that Fly add a compare gear lines page to assist with making his decision on their website.
But you want vented, so you will be looking at the Kinetic line.
Evolution: Vents really well, has stretch panels all over the pant. The evolution also utilizes the boa system which can help you with sizing. For me, my summer weight and winter weight vary quite a bit and I can adjust them down quite a bit to make up for the difference. The heat patch is quite large and comes with Kevlar stitching which helps with different body types and sizes. The Evolution also runs larger in the knees for knee braces (take a look at the Pods, they are incredible!) The Evolution also has an inner pocket. This is considered a "race pant".
Lite Hydrogen: Very durable and very light. Feels like you are riding in yoga pants. Vents really well also. Also considered their "race pant."
Kinetic: Killer gear for the money! Durable, and priced for the weekend warrior.
If I were you, I would look into the LE gear that they had for Military appreciation night. Stuff looks awesome! It is mainly white so it will not be too hot this summer. This will be much more durable than any brands true vented gear and like I said, it is white which will help you. I imagine that with you being in Florida your do not have the red dirt or clay staining your gear like we do thus the white will be fine. Check out that boa system, for real. You can thank me later!
The Shop
Feels great, light weight and very flexible. That said, it hasn't held up well, mine has become worse for wear after about 5-7 rides. I certainly wouldn't call it very durable, but very comfortable.
I ran lite hydrogen for a year and it was unbelievably durable. I crashed a ton of times and even got ran over in that stuff and it held up beautifullly. It was great gear. That said, it looked hideous. The design just looked cheap and ugly and I didn't buy again just based on how lame it looked. Something about fly just doesn't look like the top notch gear it is.
Anyways, buy any of the top fly stuff aND you'll be happy... and ugly
Example: You dont see Ryan Dungey or Ken Roczen riding in Fox 180 gear, its always 360 or Flex Air.
http://www.vitalmx.com/forums/The-Bazaar,26/Fly-LITE-HYDROGEN-Gear,1299…
The Lite Hydrogen line was the brain-child of Andrew Short and Trey Canard. They wanted premium gear that was feather light and race specific. We launched that project in 2011 and saw our first release in the following season. Since then, we have made big improvements along the way. The cut has been refined to a more "athletic" design. Being our lightest gear in the catalog, we wanted to make sure we removed any excess material that wasn't fit specific. Special care was given to maintaining the trademarks of our gear; longevity and function. Just because Andrew or Trey only need their pants for 30+2 doesn't mean much for the consumer. This pant needs to stand up weekend after weekend. What we ended up with was super-lite gear that kept all of the high-end features that supercross level riders demand. We have seen huge growth in this line and as many of the other brands have also launched their own versions, a lightweight gear segment was created.
Kinetic: Whether it's Kinetic or Kinetic Mesh, the idea is really the same. We built race-level gear at a mid-level price. This Kinetic line was the one I was most familiar with as I moved into my position now. I wore this line most of my career and knew first hand how good it was. The brand needed a trademark line in its early years and the Kinetic became just that. It was able to outperform any brand at its price and people took notice. The number of stretch panels surpasses any brand at its price. The triple-kevlar leather panels (with three layers of reinforcement on the inside) ensure long life and added protection against any heat or abrasion. Our Zipper Lock system coupled with our velcro adjustment allow for fine tuning. In my daily sales life, it's the pant that I can go to war against any brand in its price category and know it will be a convincing comparison. The Mesh version shares exactly the same cut, fit and styling as the Trifecta graphic. Of course, being in Florida, this is what I would recommend with the heat. Our GNCC riders wear the Kinetic Mesh week in and week out.
Finally, our F-16 line is our no frills, casual riding line. We don't market this to our racers and it's not eligible for any of our contingency programs or rider support. It's built for those who simply want to go for a ride on their motorcycle and don't need it to be a race pant. We have had people race in this gear in the past and while it will hold up, we have so many better options that we try to keep them in gear built for the task. Still, though, it does provide a low cost option for many of our customers and there are plenty of riders who fit this line perfectly.
I hope this helps a bit and if you have any specific questions, please let me know!
Just to add my 2 cents I have been using Fly Kinetic Mesh for the past 4 years or so in all the enduros and scrambles I race up here in the Midwest. Lots of tight spots to snag and rip gear yet everything I have had holds up amazing. I have gotten 2 full seasons racing and riding on my last set and after that I just retire it to mudder only races since thats just nasty anyways. I seriously couldn't be happier with the gear and HIGHLY recommend it to everyone woods racing.
Here is where it all started!! HAHAHA oh they have come a LONG ways!!!
Gonna do some shopping now. Looks like Kinetic Mesh might be the best ticket for me.
This is why I want to support Fly in my own little humble way. Great supporters of the sport and JT is a pretty stand up guy.
Most recent purchase has been a set of red hydrogen lite, I think it's now my favorite gear set...super light, comfortable and fits great. Also bought a set of the EVO limited edition and the BOA waist adjustment system is a nice setup!
I don't care so much for the look of the kinetic stuff as it looks a bit too busy for my taste.
Edit: Forgot to mention that the inner knee leather is great stuff too...thick, soft and conforms to knees well.
I bought some black/gray "Patrol" gear at the end of 2010 not knowing it was the off-road line. That stuff held up really well, I was impressed and decided to stick with the brand.
Next I bought two sets of F16 in red, not realizing it was for entry-level / casual riders. The knees on each set lost their stitching on the first race day. I talked to a buddy who swears by fly and he let me know the F16 wasn't for racers.
So last year I bought some of Oneal's low end stuff because it was my size, sitting on the shelf and I needed something that weekend. It more or less held up for the whole summer, although the rubber badge blew off of one knee. The fit wasn't great and it wasn't as comfortable.
This year I wanted to give Fly another go and I picked up some Kinetic / Mesh. I raced in it Sunday and didn't 'notice' it which means it was comfortable. The knees have the same stretch-fabric as the F16 stuff, but they didn't blow out after the four race motos.
If the Kinetic stuff holds up this spring, I'll try some of the Hydrogen or Evo next time. I bought the Kinetic because it's listed first on your "Gear Lines" portion of the Fly website, so I assumed it was the high-end line. Consider the fact that there is no easy way to tell which is higher quality race gear and which is entry-level stuff. Adding a quick description to each gear line would really help out those of us looking for the good stuff.
Pit Row
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