Author Topic: Firstgear Thermo One-Piece Suit sizing  (Read 7569 times)

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mattsz

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on: January 11, 2014, 09:33:47 pm
From another thread:

First Gear makes a cold weather riding suit for under $200 that gets great reviews.  I've read of several people who say that jeans and a t-shirt are all you need under it in sub-freezing weather and you stay plenty toasty and dry.  I tried one on once and started sweating in the shop as soon as I zipped it up.  You still need to find a way to keep your hands and feet warm and dry but this suit is really nice and really cheap for cold weather.

http://www.amazon.com/Firstgear-Thermo-One-Piece-Suit-Large/dp/B001A3CS0G

Does anyone have any sizing experience they can share with me on this suit?  The Firstgear website has a sizing guide which includes Jackets and Pants as separate items, and I'm wondering about whether this suit follows one or the other any better?

I'm tall and thin, so usually if I want proper sleeve or trouser length, I end up wearing a tent...


boggy

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Reply #1 on: January 13, 2014, 03:22:52 pm
Get the two sizes you think you are and return one.  This stuff is all over the map - even within one brand.
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mattsz

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Reply #2 on: January 13, 2014, 07:44:59 pm
I had hoped someone who wore one could tell me how it fit compared to their actual size.

I wrote directly to Firstgear for fitting advice - I'm amazed at the reply I just got:

Quote
Thank you for contacting FirstGear. I have a size specification chart that I'm not really allowed to share with the public, but if you can send me your chest, waist, inseam and sleeve (from the top of your shoulder to your wrist) measurements then I can tell you what size you should wear.

:o

What kind of strangeness is that?


High On Octane

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Reply #3 on: January 13, 2014, 08:38:38 pm
Weird.  At least he was willing to help a little bit.

Scottie
2001 Harley Davidson Road King


boggy

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Reply #4 on: January 13, 2014, 08:52:26 pm
What kind of strangeness is that?

Have you ever seen The Silence of the Lambs?
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heloego

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Reply #5 on: January 15, 2014, 04:42:03 pm
LMAO!
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mattsz

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Reply #6 on: January 17, 2014, 12:20:33 pm
In their defense, I guess... I've heard back from them again.

The guy I've emailed with says he's trying to get them to put useful sizing information for customers on the web page.  The "sizing" chart that he has is actually the manufacturer's specifications for the suit itself, not what the customer measurements should be.  So, I suppose I can cut them some slack over their desire to protect their intellectual property...

For anyone interested in this suit, it seems Firstgear over-sizes them to be a top layer: "These suits are sized very large because they're meant to go over armored jackets and pants since the suit itself is not armored."  This might be a problem for me, since I want something to wear under my hi-viz armored jacket.

I guess I'll just have to find someplace selling them and try one on...


heloego

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mattsz

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Reply #8 on: January 18, 2014, 04:13:58 am
If there's a Cycle Gear near ya...

Thanks!  Actually, there is one near where I am at the moment.  But, they don't stock them at that store.  The only thing I could do is order different sizes, and save on return shipping by returning the wrong sizes to the store in person.  I'm not normally anywhere near here, though...


heloego

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Reply #9 on: January 18, 2014, 02:10:13 pm
Quote
I'm not normally anywhere near here, though...

I'm not normally near here, either. Sometimes I don't feel like I'm here, but really there, although there is relative. So I guess I'm just here for the time being. So there.
Dammit, now I'm all confused.  :o
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mattsz

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Reply #10 on: January 18, 2014, 03:08:18 pm
heloego - that's neither here nor there.  Ya' hear?


heloego

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Reply #11 on: January 19, 2014, 05:08:51 am
Sorry, mattz. I guess I'm just not feeling myself today.
HEY! Maybe I'm YOU!  ;)
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mattsz

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Reply #12 on: March 30, 2014, 03:02:16 pm
A follow-up…

Before my father died, I was visiting my parents' every other week when I wasn't working.  There is a CycleGear store about 35 minutes from them, so followed boggy's advice, after a fashion.  That store doesn't stock the suit, but CycleGear ships free over $99, and they accept returns at any store.  Soooo...  I ended up ordering three suits (!): M, L, XL.

Let me start by saying that I don't see how on earth FirstGear has the expectation that this suit will be worn over an armored riding jacket.  Even the XL was difficult to put on, and way too tight and uncomfortable to wear, over my Tourmaster coat.  Maybe if I wore a light-weight, tight-fitting leather jacket or Joe Rocket mesh sport jacket, but not mine.  And their guy recommended I get a Medium!  So that's FirstGear's fitting paradigm out the window, at least for me.  I want to keep my hi-vz layer on top, anyway.

So, I ended up keeping the large, and returning, in person, the medium and the XL.  In my fitting tests, what I found seems to work the best for me is, I can wear a thin long-sleeve shirt, followed by a thin LL Bean down layer I have (they call it a "down sweater" - it's very thin and light, but warmmmmmm), the FirstGear suit, and finally my jacket, provided I have the zip-out "insulating" liner removed.  I wore this kit on my first ride of the season (about 1/2 hour) and it was 29℉ when I got home - I was still plenty warm.  It was chilly inside my helmet, since I had to keep fresh air flowing to keep my visor from fogging.

Yesterday, I rode to and from work - the morning ride was cool and wet (not raining, but wet roads from rain the night before), but I was fine, and again when I rode home on drier roads.  When I got home, it was 40℉, but I felt like I could have ridden comfortably all day.

For me, the sleeves are basically long enough, to wear under a jacket, that is; the legs are just a bit too long for walking, which for most people is perfect for riding, I guess, but I seem to have problems with legs hiking up higher than most in the riding position (knee armor in riding jeans always ends up too high for me).  The leg closures have a grippy rubber strip inside to help hold them around your ankles, which is fine, but my riding boots only come up just above my ankles, so the legs tend to pull up off the tops of my boots - as a result, there's a cold spot just above my ankles, which would also end up wet if it were raining.  Taller boots would alleviate this problem, but I've never found a tall pair that were comfortable.  It's not a problem for my daily commute, but I'm thinking I might try to fashion some straps (stirrups?) which loop under my boots to hold the trouser cuffs down.

The suit is pretty easy to get into; the leg zippers open all the way up the the thighs.  I've not needed to open them higher than my knees, and my boots drop right through.  The zippers are covered with doubled flaps held closed with velcro; these flaps can be a bit of a pain to get properly folded up and sealed, but no big deal.

The collar has a soft lining and closes with velcro; they seem to have gotten the fit right as I find it comfortable and easy to adjust - takes the crummy Tourmaster collar fit right out of the picture.

All in all, so far, I'm quite satisfied!


AgentX

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Reply #13 on: March 31, 2014, 12:58:44 am
Weird.  At least he was willing to help a little bit.

Scottie

Put the (^#*ing durable water repellent renewal spray in the g@da*#& basket!!!


mattsz

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Reply #14 on: March 31, 2014, 09:58:41 pm
AgentX -

I ran your post through Google's translator, but I got nothing...