How to take the right size
Buying protective gear online without trying it on is the real obstacle. There is no need to guess: you need a tailor's tape measure and five minutes.
The label on an Italian jacket and the label on a Japanese jacket do not say the same thing, and the same brand changes fit between a racing line and a touring line. That is why on every product page we publish the measurements in centimetres and not just the letter: if your tape says 102 at the chest, that number counts for more than any S, M or L.
The helmet
Run the tape around your head a finger's width above the eyebrows, at the widest point, keeping it snug but not tight. That number is your size. If you fall between two sizes take the smaller one: the padding gives half a centimetre with use, the shell does not.
| Size | Circumference |
|---|---|
| XS | 53–54 cm |
| S | 55–56 cm |
| M | 57–58 cm |
| L | 59–60 cm |
| XL | 61–62 cm |
| XXL | 63–64 cm |
A helmet of the right size is uncomfortable at first: it presses on the cheeks and is hard to pull off. If it goes on easily and rotates when you move your head, it is too big — and that is the fault that counts, because in a crash a loose helmet comes off.
Jackets and suits
Measure the chest under the armpits, wearing what you would wear on the bike. Then check the sleeve from the centre of the back to the wrist with the arm slightly bent: sport riders keep their arms forward, and a short sleeve leaves the wrist bare exactly where it matters.
| EU | Letter | Chest |
|---|---|---|
| 46 | XS | 92 cm |
| 48 | S | 96 cm |
| 50 | M | 100 cm |
| 52 | L | 104 cm |
| 54 | XL | 108 cm |
| 56 | XXL | 112 cm |
A riding jacket is tight when you walk and right when you are in the saddle. The protectors must stay on the shoulder and the elbow even when you raise your arms: if they slide back the size is too big, however comfortable it may feel.
Gloves
Measure the circumference of the palm excluding the thumb, at the base of the fingers. The right glove has no excess fabric at the fingertips: that empty space is what rolls up when the hand slides along the ground.
| Size | Palm |
|---|---|
| S | 20–21 cm |
| M | 22–23 cm |
| L | 24–25 cm |
| XL | 26–27 cm |
Boots
Your usual European size applies, but take the measurement at the end of the day with the sock you would actually wear. If you are between two sizes go up: a tight boot becomes unbearable after an hour, and the laces or the buckles take up the slack.
If you get it wrong anyway
You have 14 days to change size on the whole new catalogue, provided the item has not been used and still has its tags. Second Life items are one-offs and we measure them by hand one by one: on those, the published measurements are the actual ones of the garment, not the nominal ones.