Here at Bike Stop we pride ourselves on having as wide a selection of motorcycle gear as possible from reputable, high quality brands that you can trust, and that we can trust! One of our more recent additions is Alpinestars, a well-loved Italian brand that makes gear for the road, track and offroad.
Who are Alpinestars though, and what makes them worth your money over other brands?
Alpinestars refers to the pretty little Alpine star flower (often known as the Edelweiss) which, oddly enough, grows in the Alps. Back in 1963 a leather craftsman called Sante Mazzarolo in Northern Italy decided to try and turn his hands to making a boot for the fledgling sport of motocross, such as it was at the time. Finding success things progressed swiftly from there.
Putting its weight behind motocross Alpinestars soon saw its boots help riders to success which has continued to this day. They started producing boots for the road and track, continuing to grow.
By the mid-1990s they started producing protective clothing other than boots, with their first high performance leathers making an appearance in 1999 for racing. Alongside this they also turned their hand to making kit for motor car racing from the early 1990s in Formula 1 and Indycar.
Following this they even turned their hand to making mountain bike gear, so if your sport or hobby has wheels nowadays Alpinestars probably make kit for it!
What kind of gear can you get from them nowadays, for the rider who’s confined to tarmac? Answer; basically everything except helmets. One of their strengths is making kit for a wide variety of budgets with all sorts of styles covered, and with a weighty brand behind it some people feel better wearing that Alpinestars logo on their chest.
First things first, if you’re looking for Alpinestars kit then bear in mind Bike Stop is running a 10% promotion on everything in store, and since we’ve recently reopened you should be able to check it fits if you want to pop in. We also do free returns if you’re not nearby or simply want to stay home.
If you’re in the market for a stylish, sporty leather jacket then the Alpinestars Jaws leather jacket is an ideal choice; sure it doesn’t have waterproofing but it does have a thermal liner for any chilly days and an oversuit will take care of any downpour. With the better weather we’re having (mostly) then a cooler jacket is well suited to any riding on the road.
Seeing as Alpinestars’ origins are from boots you’d expect their range to be a solid one, and thankfully that is the case. They produce one of the best all-rounder boots out there; the SMX-6, available in non-waterproof, Drystar and Goretex versions with fits for both men and women. They even look at home on the track, a tour or commute – highly recommended.
Unsurprisingly with such a range of gear available their matching glove range is pretty hefty; again going for a solid all-rounder a good choice is the SP-2 which is available for both men and women, although if you want to include waterproofing a better bet may well be the SP-Z. Including full grain leather and hard knuckles these gloves will take you anywhere (except somewhere really cold maybe).
If you’re looking to go for a more casual look then they’ve got you covered with a great range of jeans and casual style boots for both men and women. Sitting in the mid-range of what you might pay for a pair of motorcycle jeans – the Copper Out is a great example including both hip and knee armour with aramid fibre reinforcements in the seat and knee areas. On the boot angle you’ve got the J-6 Waterproof Shoe looking subtle with protection from both accidents and the weather.
The Bike Stop shop in Stevenage has just reopened (with proper safety measures in place) and our online shop is still alive and well and taking orders (and calls Monday to Friday!) We’re even doing a 10% off promotion – just enter the code ‘TOGETHER’ at checkout. You can check out our full range on our website with free delivery for any order over £50 on the UK mainland, and delivery possible to almost anywhere else. Not only that but our ‘No Quibble’ returns policy allows for returns within a 365 day period – see our returns page for more details.
