Great deals on gear

Hey, not sure where to post this (mods feel free to move). I ordered a bunch of gear on taobao and just received my gloves today.

128 kuai for a pair of Alpinestars S1 leather gloves that retail for $189 and sell on eBay for $159 (in USD):

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=...ucket=3#detail

I don't think they're fake... I've had Alpinestars gear before in the States, and these gloves don't have any telltale fakeness to them. They'll be great for spring and summer riding (I bet a bit too cold for winter)... helluva discount (about 1/6th the retail cost)

Anyway, that's a hot deal on some gloves! I'll add to this thread as I get the rest of my gear. (Helmet, boots and helmet cam, maybe a Jacket too...)

Funny, my helmet showed up just as I was writing the first post. I'll hold off on a full review of the helmet until after I ride with it on, but first impressions are decent.

Here's the helmet:

http://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?spm...182&abbucket=3

I based the purchase more or less off of price. I had a very cheap (you know, 70 kuai or so) helmet from taobao before for my e-scooter, but I obviously got what I paid for. I wanted something mid-range in the Chinese market... I kept seeing these Beon helmets for around 300 or less yuan, so I picked one I liked and ordered it.

The Beon I just got seems comparable in quality to a mid-range HJC or Scorpion helmet, and actually noticeably lighter than my previous HJC (a big plus for long trips and neck pain). Obviously it's no Arai or Shoei, but for under 300 yuan, I'm happy. Way cheaper than a "cheap" helmet in the States, but the quality seems decent. I will post a reply if I notice something horribly bad about the helmet after I ride around for a while (like bad ventilation or fogging up visor or too noisy or something...)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by galenernest

Hey, not sure where to post this (mods feel free to move). I ordered a bunch of gear on taobao and just received my gloves today.

128 kuai for a pair of Alpinestars S1 leather gloves that retail for $189 and sell on eBay for $159 (in USD):

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=...ucket=3#detail

I don't think they're fake... I've had Alpinestars gear before in the States, and these gloves don't have any telltale fakeness to them. They'll be great for spring and summer riding (I bet a bit too cold for winter)... helluva discount (about 1/6th the retail cost)

Anyway, that's a hot deal on some gloves! I'll add to this thread as I get the rest of my gear. (Helmet, boots and helmet cam, maybe a Jacket too...)

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Seems too good to be true. Are they real leather?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by VroomVroom

Seems too good to be true. Are they real leather?

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I'm no expert, but I've had plenty of leather gear in the past. These gloves feel, fit and smell like the genuine article. If they're fake Alpinestars, they're very well made fake Alpinestars. I'm guessing that they didn't pass quality control... ie they have some defect that deems them not worthy of export. Quite common on Taobao, and a real asset for those of us who live in China.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by galenernest

I'm no expert, but I've had plenty of leather gear in the past. These gloves feel, fit and smell like the genuine article. If they're fake Alpinestars, they're very well made fake Alpinestars. I'm guessing that they didn't pass quality control... ie they have some defect that deems them not worthy of export. Quite common on Taobao, and a real asset for those of us who live in China.

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What hand with is XL?
My gloves need to be xxxl or so