We had a bit of a bet going here at Test Pit Towers as to
what sport or activity would next get the Aldi treatment. So far we've enjoyed
reviewing their skiing range, their workshop stuff and, most recently, their
line of clothing and accessories for anglers. Although paintball was the hot
favourite for Aldi's next range (come on Aldi, imagine it... goggles, helmets,
paint ball guns!), it is in fact motorcyclists who should be particularly interested
in the following. It's the Aldi Motorcycle Range!
And so the new range from Aldi features just about
everything a motorcyclist could hope for, from socks and boots all the way up
to armoured jackets. We were sent a selection
of the range, which goes on sale nationwide from 8th March, to try it all out.
Here's what we got:
Men's Motorcycle
Jacket (£79.99)
The priciest thing we've ever reviewed from Aldi, but it's
not hard to see why. Although you might've picked up a pair of socks from one
of the Aldi special buy ranges caring more for their low price that if they'll
actually last you a while, when it comes purchasing something designed to save
your life in the event of an accident, you think twice. Clearly Aldi have taken
this new range very seriously, as this lead product has cut no corners what so ever.
According to Aldi, the jacket passes stringent requirements
for impact abrasion and impact cut resistance demanded by the EN13595-1:
standard Level 2. With the jacket on (which possesses a weight only real motorcyclists
will be immediately used to) one can certainly feel all the plates of
protective armour in the arms and along the back. In addition, the garment
exceeds the requirement for impact abrasion, which means it can be dragged
along a road surface for at least seven seconds before tearing. In fact the
Aldi jacket achieved over 13 seconds of abrasion resistance across all zones of
the garment. This is all according to Aldi however, as we weren't prepared to
throw ourselves from a moving motorbike to test that.
Men's Motorcycle
Trousers (£59.99)
And of course, it's all well and good protecting your top
half when cruising the highways on your chopper, but what about your legs and
arse? The Aldi Men's Motorcycle Trousers are made from the same tough and
standard-attaining material as the jacket, and we really can't see the point of
owning one without the other. The trousers feel surprising light when on,
feature an adjustable waist, and also feet straps to keep the legs down when
slipping on your boots. With both the jacket and trousers on we felt pretty
invincible.
Motorcycle Gloves (£19.99)
Completing your exterior safety shell, these gloves are an
absolute steal. They feature a carbon
fibre knuckle (which made us what to try to punch holes in walls), finger and
thumb protection, as well as a high quality cowhide leather outer shell, DuPont
Kevlar palms, and a warm Thinsulate lining. Adjustable around the wrists they
seem to offer masses of protection and warmth, while being flexible enough to
keep your fingers moving.
Motorcycle Tank Bag (£12.99)
The only non-clothing item from the range that we were sent, this tank bag allows you to take your vital belongings with you on bike rides. It attaches to your ride via pretty strong magnets which stick directly to most kinds of fuel tanks, while the main compartment is plenty big enough for your thermos and sandwiches.
Motorcycle Wind Protection Base Layer (£9.99)
A fairly universal-use garment, this base layer is perfect
to put under your thick jacket. Like all base layers we've reviewed in the
past, the thing itself takes a couple goes to get used to, as it is definitely
figure-hugging. We were sent a large but it still felt pretty snug (nobody
mention how big our guts are - NOBODY!) but we suppose that is the point. The
great thing about this is that it can be worn for other activities as well,
particularly cycling and jogging. A real steal at less than a tenner.
Motorcycle Socks (£3.59)
It wouldn't be an
Aldi special buy range without a pair of socks thrown into the mix, and greatly
received they are too! This pair can stretch up to your knees, feature slight
padding around the ball and heel of your foot, and look pretty manly to boot
(Boot! Pun, pun, pun, pun!) Yes, you can wear them while on your motorbike, but
should you also be considering a career as a hired killer, these will help keep
your tootsies warm as you lay on the roof of that abandoned building, your
cheek resting on the butt of your sniper rifle, awaiting your target to stumble
out of the strip club. Also for cycling.
On sale from 8th
March. Visit www.aldi.co.uk