The Tyonic FEEL 3.7, Similarly priced with the Forcefield Sub4. These are the only two on the market that are CE2 and is rated at under 4KN. I like how the Tyonic can flex with the body from side to side and is tested to -20c for winter action sports. However, unlike the Forcefield, this is not reusable.
I might get their SEE+, which is CE2 but not sub 4kn, for street as I am shopping for one, that thing looks like it is very comfy and super light.
Not affiliated with revzilla, just wanted to share their video.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQjQtEQyB9g[/ame]
it actually looks pretty sweet.
I might be able to tolerate this one(comfort) actually given the side deflection allowance. I have a fucked up back to begin with and it makes wearing these things difficult for extended periods. A spine protector is definitely on the books for this year given that I’m looking to get gear together for a bike purchase in the future.
Take a look at their SEE+, that one got the smallest foot print I’ve seen for a CE2 protector, and that is the one I am consider for street in place of using the OEM CE insert that came with my jacket.
I’m going to look into this. I have to try one on before buying though. My spine is all fucked up from when I busted shit up during a snowboarding accident many years ago and now my shoulder blades dont sit the same.
footprint on safety gear never really bothers me comfort wise. A wider variant may actually be more comfortable if it doesn’t fall between my SB’s as much as a narrower version may. I had some spine gear for DH mounting biking in the past and it was narrow enough that i could pinch it between my shoulder blades during a hit and it would bruise the fucking shit out of me.
Someone offered to let me borrow a bike this summer for some riding fun, but I don’t have any gear to safely and comfortably(in a mental state) to just drive to his house tonight and take it home :’(
I got my SEE+ yeaterday. Here is a quick review I posted on Revzilla.
My only experience of back protectors are limited to my first one I got, Forcefield Sub-4, exclusive for track use. So I will mainly be comparing The Tryonic SEE+ to that.
Finally decided to replace all those level-1 “back protector” that came with my jackets for street use. I was looking for something light, with a slim profile and level-2 certified and the SEE+ seems to met all my criteria well. First thing I noticed about the SEE+ is how light it is and how the articulated design moves with my body well; Especially compare to my Sub-4 and because of that, the SEE+'s harness can be and is much more snug and form fitting. The harness is very well designed and provide lots of adjustability.
The hard-shell design works best if you are the kind of rider that wore back-protectors without a jacket (tsk-tsk). It provided some added puncture resistance and slide-ability but the trade off is being a hard-shell BP, it usually meant it is crash-and-trash kind of gear; in addition the gaps between the articulated parts might get caught on stuff when you are sliding on your back wondering “did that car just cut me off?” or “I knew I shouldn’t be pushing it so hard on my out lap”. Hey, but at least you don’t have to feel and look like you are wearing a rubber floor mat on your back. (cough Forcefield cough).
While the level-2 rated at 7.7Kn might not be as low as the Forcefield Sub-4 or the FEEL 3.7, but it will be far superior than 99% of the stuff that came with your jacket. The low temp rating with be a feature that is unique to this line.
I think for the price of $150, it is a great product and provide some added insure to protect yourself from drivers that are “sharing” the road with you…ALL OF THEM.
Cliff notes:
- light and move with your body.
- form fitting, great harness.
- Does not feel like wearing a rubber floor mat.
- hard-shell construction = crash-and-trash.
- Take a look at Forcefield Sub-4 or Tryonic FEEL 3.7 for better Level-2 rating.
I would add, for a BP, cooling-wise it works pretty good albeit under a mesh jacket. My experience is it max cooling is when you are at low 1/2 to 3/4 tuck, that is when airflow being drawn out the most via the built-in channels on the body side of the BP to exhaust holes to the outside of the BP; the slimer profile helps. Just don’t expect it to feel like it is not there, at the end of the day, you ARE wearing a piece of EPS foam on you back.
