Here at BikeandRider we love Knox products! Quite simply, they do their job, and they do it excellently! They are always well made and quite often add a clever twist to products that take it away from the ‘ordinary’ and make it superb!
First, why a Track Vest? Well, for road riders, the answer is that the vest can be easily worn under your jacket and raise the standard of back protection to racing levels. Lets face it, other than your head, that’s the next most important thing you want to look after!
The vest’s use for racing is rather more subtle. A back protector needs to be accurately placed so that it protects as much of the rider’s spine as possible. You can imagine how hard it is to wriggle your protector into the correct place – only to then have it move as you zip up your leathers! Not ideal when you’re gearing up ready to get out on the track, and you’re still dancing around while your mates are heading to the starting line!
The Track Vest solves all of these problems in one complete solution. You do need to spend a good 10 minutes adjusting all of the velcro adjusters to get your fit just right, but once done, You won’t need to alter the adjustment all season. It’s simply a matter of closing the zip, and being comfortable in the knowledge that everything will remain perfectly in place.
The actual protector is Knox’s Aegis Level Two back protector which is pretty much as good as back protectors come in terms of safety. The Aegis is made up of small, hard, plastic rectangles which move freely in every direction. These sit on a padded foam back.
We’re unsure if Knox intended for this to happen but the Aegis appears to have a memory. At first the protector feels slightly odd but within 10 minutes of wearing it, it adapts to the shape of your body. After this, it completely disappears from the consciousness.
In the case of the Track Vest, the back protector zips into the vest body, with top quality YKK zips, so that it can be removed and the vest can be washed. Something which we’re sure you’ll agree is somewhat of a necessity after a couple of decent days on track!
The vest itself is constructed of the new, British made, wonder fabric Meryl Lycra which is claimed to have unequaled wicking qualities. As a result you’ll find the Track Vest is wonderfully comfortable in use.
The cut is absolutely spot on the money with generous cutaways for the arms. Once more, in use it is impossible to know that one is wearing the Track Vest. The vest comes in a wide range of sizes all the way from small to XXL.
Finally, we’re very pleased to announce that the Track Vest is made in England! Something Knox is very proudly letting the world know about. In this day and age of international commerce, Buying knox is the equivalent of ‘shopping locally’!
So overall, we’re very pleased with the Knox Track Vest, and would highly recommend it to both Road users, and track users. Its comfortable enough to pass the ‘everyday use’ test, and safe enough to pass the ‘track test’. Thumbs up from us!
Some reviews from ‘Verified Owners’:
“Very comfortable vest spreads the weight of back protector. Easy to take off, no messing with twisted straps, just one handy zip in front.” -David – Baltinglass
“The Knox vest is a step up from the old style back protector. Once it’s on you forget your wearing it. I would recommend this to everyone for road or track use.” -Clive Sweeting – Haverhill
“This product is a ‘step-up’ from a conventional back protector. It is light weight, cool and is really a piece of clothing which fits great.” – Anonymous – Meifod
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