Riding gear is a personal thing, everyone has their favourite brand and style and this Fly Racing Kinetic Mesh Era is quickly becoming a favourite of mine, for a couple of reasons.
It’s extremely light, good for summer riding and looks great but, most of all, the fit is spot on for a tall weed like me.
WE RATE
LEG LENGTH Finding pants that are long enough is a constant battle for me and to finally slip into a set that don’t finish above my knee is a relief. For you short-arses out there, don’t think these pants will be too long for you, they’ll just disappear further into your boots than shorter pants.
LIGHT MATERIALS This gear combo is built with summer in mind. Fly has chosen a light GSM material for the pants so it feels like you’re wearing nothing at all. I picked up an old pair of Fly Racing pants from 2013 that must have been double the weight because of all the padding, thick material and plastic logos. The jersey is a standard weight you’d expect for summer riding gear. It’s airy.
LOOKS I think Fly Racing has nailed the design of the entire Kinetic Mesh Era range but I went with the red/black combo because red makes you go faster and I need all the help I can get. The designs are simple, not the Jackson Pollock style some other brands are pumping out.
WE DON’T RATE
VELCRO ZIPPER LOCK At the top of the fly, there is a Velcro tab that covers the zipper so the thing can’t come undone. I don’t know if it’s Fly’s attempt to keep out the droves of groupies that will be throwing themselves at you once you pull on this gear, or if it’s to slow you down when you need to take a piss, but I can’t see much use for it. The pants already have a ratchet buckle that’ll keep your pants secure even if someone really wants to rip them off. Eli Tomac should use this system.
THIN MATERIAL I realise that I listed the light weight of the pants as a positive but it can also be a negative when you come in contact with terra firma. Because the material is so thin it won’t offer much in the way of protection from gravel rash if you find yourself sliding down a dirt road or rocky trail. On a loamy motocross track it won’t make any difference but you might want something thicker for the trail.
VERDICT
The Fly Kinetic Mesh Era has its quirks, like the chastity belt-style Velcro lock on the fly zipper but the fit and light build of this awesome-looking gear makes it the stuff I naturally reach for in my gearbag. Let’s just see how it goes in the colder months! Olly Malone
GET IT HERE
Bill: Jersey $59.95, pants $189.95, gloves $39.95
Browser: mcleodaccessories.com.au
Blower: 1300 300 191
