How important is the aluminum honeycomb in Dianese Armour??

[Cave Dweller]

Hi there.

I have been using the same dainese upper armour for about 3 1/2 years now. I have been wearing it every weekend riding, doing shuttles and walking runs and the thing is now totally thrashed.

The arms have both fallen off and have been resewn on, all the zippers are jammed so i have to pull it on and off, the backing material is disintegrating, and most importantly, the rivets that hold the spine guard together have rusted and popped off and it is being held together with zip ties. Its dodgy, old, and time for some new armour!!

I have found some armour that is fairly much a direct rip off of dianese. It has the same stretchy backing material, same padding, CE certified plastic cups and a spine guard that is exactly the same looking as the dianese except it doesn't have the aluminum honey comb center.

So, how important is the honeycomb in the spine guard? What is its exact function, why is it only in the spine area and not under every guard? I can't see it having any structural strength, is it just there to aborb and impact or what??

This armour is $120aus vs $600aus+ for the dianese and im strapped for cash. Does other body armour, such as 661, use aluminium or just straight plastic? My current thinking is this would probably be better then what I have at the moment.

Thanks for any input

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/6870/fs20cobra20armour20front5qt.th.jpg (http://img148.imageshack.us/my.php?image=fs20cobra20armour20front5qt.jpg)

[manwithgun]

It's there as a crumple zone for severe spine to rock impacts. The honeycomb ribs are quite rigid and have held up to all of my everyday spills. If you flatten out a section in a wreck, you should probobly send dainese a letter, thanking them for preserving your quality of life... It also provides exellent ventilation and (i'm stretching here) heat dissipation. Whether any of this is important or worth the coin is up to you. I run one (spine only), but if your strapped, buy the Cobra and spend the savings on a trip.

[zedro]

the actual benefits sound overblown. It's not like people are snapping their spines left-rigt and center on every other armor. Its a bonus, but i wouldnt make it a buying criteria.

[Cave Dweller]

Thanks.

Thats what my take was, similar to foam in your helmet, there to take the shock of a massive impact. But i can't help feeling that it is maybe over kill for most mtb riding, more of a carry over from moto riding.

Dianese is the only guys that use the honeycomb aren't they? The 661, rockgarden etc just have plastic on foam. I wish i had the money the drop on some new dianese but i just don't have the $$ to spare and my current armour is fugged.

[Transcend]

The reason that Dainese use the honeycomb and not foam etc is just due to using the same back pieces on their moto stuff. They use the same pieces when possible, and at times it is the exact same suit, simply in a different colour.

As someone before said, it is a "crumple zone" type deal for huge impacts. I have only seen one crushed once or twice, and it was from insane wrecks into rocks. i wouldn't worry too much about it.

The next does however ventilate much better then the regular back, it also fits better and is less restrictive.

[Cave Dweller]

The reason that Dainese use the honeycomb and not foam etc is just due to using the same back pieces on their moto stuff. They use the same pieces when possible, and at times it is the exact same suit, simply in a different colour.

As someone before said, it is a "crumple zone" type deal for huge impacts. I have only seen one crushed once or twice, and it was from insane wrecks into rocks. i wouldn't worry too much about it.

The next does however ventilate much better then the regular back, it also fits better and is less restrictive.

Thanks for the straight answer Transcend, especially seeing you sell the stuff. My feeling was it was just a carry over from the moto gear.

Just as an aside, where is dianese stuff made anyway? This suit looks like a direct copy of a dianese, maybe even from the same chinese factory????

[Transcend]

Thanks for the straight answer Transcend, especially seeing you sell the stuff. My feeling was it was just a carry over from the moto gear.

Just as an aside, where is dianese stuff made anyway? This suit looks like a direct copy of a dianese, maybe even from the same chinese factory????

All dainese is stiched by hand, In italy. They have a factory near Monza I believe. That is one of the reasons it costs so bloody much. They produce MTB stuff once a year, for the entire season.

There is one or 2 companies copying it stitch for stitch, and apparently both have lawsuits headed their way. I have personally only seen one, and both the materials and craftsmanship were pretty shoddy, the molds however were IDENTICAL. I am pretty sure someone at the plastics plant is gonna be in some fairly big trouble over that!:)

[zedro]

The next does however ventilate much better then the regular back, it also fits better and is less restrictive.

and what about the race cut? I like the idea of joint cutouts but there seems to be less padding (shoulder blades/upper arm)? Plus that rubber looking red patch on the arms just looks weird :wonky2:

[Transcend]

and what about the race cut? I like the idea of joint cutouts but there seems to be less padding (shoulder blades/upper arm)? Plus that rubber looking red patch on the arms just looks weird :wonky2:

Have you seen the new Impact Racecut Full? Even uglier.

The cutouts are pretty cool, they reduce bunching, chafing etc and fit better I find (easier to fix twisted arms and such. They are pretty pricey though and they don't make a 3/4 suit, so I am going with 2005. The suits besides that are identical, the sleeve padding is hidden under the red.

[patineto]

Hi there.

I have been using the same dainese upper armour for about 3 1/2 years now. I have been wearing it every weekend riding, doing shuttles and walking runs and the thing is now totally thrashed.
well if you divide the amout of money you spend on it by each crash you have but did not keep you in bed for a week, sound like you got your money wroth out of it already..


The arms have both fallen off and have been resewn on, all the zippers are jammed so i have to pull it on and off, the backing material is disintegrating, and most importantly, the rivets that hold the spine guard together have rusted and popped off and it is being held together with zip ties. Its dodgy, old, and time for some new armour!!

well you can even mo9unt all the parts on top of a new "T-shirt" Fix the xipper,,etc all that can be done but if the armor is already "Spend" in terms of structure you are only getting a small porcentage of protection, when your brain still think you have the full amount,, very dangerous combination if you ask me..

I have found some armour that is fairly much a direct rip off of dianese. It has the same stretchy backing material, same padding, CE certified plastic cups and a spine guard that is exactly the same looking as the dianese except it doesn't have the aluminum honey comb center.

yeah in the same way a Sun-race derreileur looks like a XTR one...

i don't think you can tell the diferent just by looking (actually you can if you really pay attencion) only after the two of them have done their JoB, just not ask me to be the Crash Test Dummy
the way i see it no matter how much money you have in your pocket at the time of the crash, what matter is if you spend it wiselly and you got the right stuff that is going to save you the pain

you can call me snob if you like but I only ride with really highend stuff, because i do beleive it makes a diferent,, I try all the crapy KBC motorcycle helmets but I still ride on my Arai DHX same as the armor and boots , you can just feel the diference the minute you put them oe, fit, finish ,confort plus at the time of the crash you just need as much help as you can get ProNto...!!!
So, how important is the honeycomb in the spine guard? What is its exact function, why is it only in the spine area and not under every guard? I can't see it having any structural strength, is it just there to aborb and impact or what??

hONEY cOMp structures are widelly use on the aircraft industry as "Fill-in" for composite materials , since provide the best compromise of structure with the minumum about of weight (I can go on and on about triangles, hexagons and other "Perfect" geometric forms)
anyway the basic idea is to keep the two plastic layer separated as much as possible to generate rigidity for the diferent segmets of the armor in the same a trellis structure hold the roof of you house..

i also provides a certain amount of shock absortion, but the materail after being "CRumble" is not efficient anymore, think of something like the foam inside you helmet..

[Cave Dweller]

All dainese is stiched by hand, In italy. They have a factory near Monza I believe. That is one of the reasons it costs so bloody much. They produce MTB stuff once a year, for the entire season.

There is one or 2 companies copying it stich for stich, and apparently both have lawsuits headed their way. I have personally only seen one, and both the materials and craftsmanship were pretty shoddy, the molds however were IDENTICAL. I am pretty sure someone at the plastics plant is gonna be in some fairly big trouble over that!:)

Yeh, i haven't seen it in person but i imagine it might have some dodgy stiching and require re-sewing time to time.

But it only needs to last until the end of the year, at which time i will have the money to get the dianese next.

[zedro]

Have you seen the new Impact Racecut Full? Even uglier.

is that the mostly black one? I look sexy in those colors....

I was thinking about the 3/4 but i've read a few comments about being ill-fitting with my type of frame, especially in the most sensitive of areas.....

[Transcend]

is that the mostly black one? I look sexy in those colors....

I was thinking about the 3/4 but i've read a few comments about being ill-fitting with my type of frame, especially in the most sensitive of areas.....

Tall and skinny it will fit badly. They are made for those short stocky Italians. Fits me perfectly, but I'm pretty much the opposite of that.