Fresh DH Apparel, All-Weather Gear and New Kids Protection from Dainese

Dainese AWA All-Weather Riding Gear

Dainese has quite a lot of fresh, new apparel and all-weather gear at Eurobike this year. The AWA series is a multi-layered approach to making sure you always have the right gear for the right conditions. The riding jersey and short are made from a 130-gram fabric which is very lightweight and breathable. The AWA Shorts come in at 99€ (approx. $120 USD) and the Jersey at 69€ (approx $80 USD).

Now we get into the more interesting part of the AWA collection - a base layer that takes its design roots from classic races like the Giro d'Italia. The Knit base layer is made from a single-yarn knit. This Shima technique uses a special machine that can actually knit an entire jersey from a single length of yarn; good for comfort and also good for weight. The AWA Knit base layer costs 99€ (approx $120 USD).

The AWA Hybrid is a nice, dual Polartech mid-layer which features a pre-curved fit on the arms and YKK zippers (as with all items in the Dainese line). It’s a 179€ (approx $210 USD) item that uses two different types of Polartech to keep you warm while remaining breathable. It packs down into quite a small shape and is a very lightweight addition to your pack in case conditions turn for the worst.

The Dainese AWA shell retails for 239€ (approx $285 USD) features a 10,000g water resistance and 10,000g breathability index.

The AWA Windbreaker weighs only 70g and rolls up into its own pocket. The Italians here call it a “non-color” which is a semi-transparent material that allows you to still see what you are wearing underneath it.

Dainese HG Series

Moving into the downhill side of the Dainese house, we are looking at the High Gravity (HG) series. The HG One is their downhill-oriented kit featuring quite a tight-fitting cut these days because that is what the racers are asking for. The HG One jersey and short is what the MS Mondraker team lead by Danny Hart used for their attack on the World Cup circuit. The jersey comes at 79€ (approx $90 USD) and the shorts go for 129€ (approx $150 USD). At 230g, it uses the most heavy-duty fabric, but remains light. The ceramic super fabric on the hips is basically constructed with tiny ceramic marbles, that allow the short to slide over surfaces when you crash instead of hanging up or ripping. It also features one small pocket just for the essentials, adjustable waist, and a stretchy back panel.

The HG Two series is the more enduro-oriented version of the gravity series featuring a 3/4-sleeve jersey and a short which is quite close to the HG One short, but with two zippered pockets, same waist adjusters, and a fabric that comes in between the sturdy downhill fabric and the lightweight AWA fabric we saw earlier in the collection.

Dainese Scarabeo Kids Protection

Dainese have developed a very nice kids’ protection line called the Scarabeo. The protective jacket here features quite stretchy and flexible pads to make sure kids don’t complain about having to wear them. It has dual layer pads in the front and a back protector in the rear which is the same protector they use for their adult range.

Crucially, they’ve figured out a way around the problem of kids growing. If you’ve noticed, kids grow. And if you’re a parent, you have to buy them new gear every year. Dainese is looking out for your wallet by building in fixed straps that will hold a garment's particular size and can then be cut to allow the garment to stretch out, following the youngster as he or she grows. They claim it can cover up to 3-year's worth of growth. If you buy your 6-year-old a protective jacket, you can cut the straps when they turn 7, and it can follow them all the way up until they turn 9. That’s the theory.

The Scarabeo Protective vest costs 149€ ($175 USD). Nice to see you can spread that investment out over a couple of years. Well done, Dainese. Hit up www.dainese.com for the deets.