MXA TEAM TESTED: ALIAS A1 GEAR

WHAT IS IT? The Alias A1 gear is race-proven by the Geico Honda team and used by Eli Tomac, Wil Hahan, Zach Osborne and Justin Bogle. It’s lightweight and breathable with minimalistic features.

WHAT’S IT COST? $129.95 (pants), $49.95 (jersey).

CONTACT? www.aliasmx.com or (760) 930-1712.

WHAT STANDS OUT? Here’s a list of things that stand out with the Alias A1 gear.

(1) Pants. The Alias A1 pants weigh in at a light 1.45 pounds. The A1 pants run a size small (a size 32 fits like a size 31). The A1 comes with Velcro-equipped sans-a-belt straps to the side to take up 1 inch of space, but sans-a-belts only work to make pants smaller; they can’t make them larger. We recommend ordering a size larger than your normal waist size and using the sans-a-belt to fine-tune the fit. The A1 pants are light and have mesh ventilation panels on the upper thighs and from the middle of the shin to the bottom of the pants.

(2) Jersey. The Alias A1 jersey is made with a moisture-managing polyester material that feels light and breathable. The jersey has mesh panels in the armpits and lower torso for slight ventilation. The jersey sizing is spot-on and very comfortable.     

(3) Comfort. The MXA wrecking crew immediately took a liking to the A1 jersey. The material was supple and nonrestrictive. As for the A1 pants, some knee-brace wearers hooked there knee braces on the 3/4-length mesh ? this is a trade-off for the coolness of mesh versus tightly woven Nylon liners. Knee-cup wearers had no such issues. From the knee down, the pants flexed with every movement, but above the thighs they were a bit tight for knee-brace wearers. This problem can be resolved by going up one size.

(4) Durability. The pants have leather knee panels for lasting durability and heat resistance. Taller riders (5-foot-10 or more) had issues with the leather not going all the way down into their boots. This left a vulnerable strip where the pipe could melt the nylon. Short riders (under 5-foot-10) didn’t have any problems, but Alias should make the leather patches longer. As for the jersey, it was very resilient, and the sublimated graphics were fade-free.

(5) Options. Alias sells the A1 gear in six color variations, two of which include the Geico Honda team replica gear. Most MXA test riders loved the unlikely chartreuse/white combination. The pants come in waist sizes 28 to 40, while the A1 jersey comes in sizes small to extra-extra-large.

WHAT’S THE SQUAWK? We had two complaints. (1) Sizing. The A1 pants run small. Paradoxically, Alias’ slightly less expensive A2 pants run large. A1 buyers should order a size larger or try on the pants before buying. It should be noted that we have been riding the 2014 Alias gear and the sizing is fixed. (2) Leather patch.  Tall riders with long legs might have issues with the length of the leather heat shield.

The Alias jersey is a four stars jersey for every rider. The A1 pants are a four-star product for short and thin riders, but because of the sizing and knee patch issues, we gave them three stars for the rest of us.