SHIFT Pro Strike Gear
- Updated: October 17, 2006
Last October, Shift supplied all of the test riders in ATV Scene’s first annual Maxxis 12 Hours of ATV America Shootout with gear from their various lines. Little did Shift know, that after the event we planned on getting the low down about their gear from each of our 12 Hours Shootout test riders. How did Shift’s Pro Strike Ride Gear perform? Did it hold up to our abusive riders?
The Pro Strike Line
Shift’s Pro Strike Ride Gear is Shift’s middle-of-the-road line, offering in theory, the best balance of performance, durability and price. Shift’s Pro Strike gear was a hit with our test riders. We couldn’t dig out even one negative comment from our boys.
In case you feel that Shift’s second best isn’t good enough for you, this is in fact the same gear used by Team Honda’s John Natalie Jr, when he rode his way to the 2005 GNC championship. But as you know, big-time racers like Ironman Natalie receive new gear all the time, and even though 12 hours of riding is plenty of time to get decent feedback – it is after all only one day’s worth of seat time. With this in mind we kept an eye on the exact same set of gear that Aaron Meyer wore at the shootout a year later after Aaron raced and practiced with it numerous times.
Pro Strike Jersey
Made of 100% polyester the Pro Strike jersey feels silky against the skin. Its ribbed sleeves and V-neck keep the breathable jersey in place and not flapping in the breeze down fast straights. Despite riding for long hours in cold weather at the 12 Hours, the jersey’s well ventilated mesh back panel actually helped our test riders stay warmer. The venting actually helps sweat evaporate, rather than trap it in resulting in riding with a jersey saturated in sweat which turns cold. Of course, the extra ventilation will be more welcomed on those hot summer days as well.
From first wear until today, Aaron’s Pro Strike Jersey remains in very good condition. Amazingly, despite repeated uses and laundering the color remains nearly identical to when it was brand new. We are also happy to report that the polyester material does a reasonably good job of releasing stains. In fact, Aaron’s jersey still looks as though it has never seen dirt! The only signs of wear on the jersey are some very minor frey marks where Aaron’s kidney belt rubs against the jersey. Overall the jersey remains in race-worthy condition and we’re very impressed, especially knowing how much riding Aaron does in a year.
Pro Strike Pant
Coming in at under one hundred bucks, the Pro Strike pants offer a lot of features for the money. First inspection reveals that these are truly not a basic entry-level pant. They have a thicker more durable feel to them that we would definitely associate with a high-end race-pant. Primarily constructed of heavy duty polyester, these pants feature full-grain leather on the rider’s inner knees for better heat absorption and for better wear resistance after hours of gripping the machine with your legs. For style and more rider protection, the pants feature raised TPR thigh, knee, and yoke logos.
Shift put a lot of work into making these pants comfortable. Leading off is their newly engineered dual side sublimated spandex panels. These panels allow for more flexibility and precise fit. The pants’ vent and stretch panels aid in comfort and allow for excellent breath ability. As we mentioned with the jersey, the pants ability to breath helped keep our riders warm by keeping them dry during their intense riding in sub 45 degree temperatures.
The feature that these pants offer that was most appreciated by Aaron at the 12 Hours was the comfort and freedom of movement. Shift’s articulated waist and knees are pre bent to allow best fit in the attack position. By designing the pants for best fit in the attack position, they offer the widest range of motion while riding. Never do you feel restricted by the fit of the Pro Strike pants. It’s nice to able to just relax and concentrate on riding without fussing about comfort.
As with the Jersey, there are no major flaws to report with these pants. The only signs of wear are on the inside of the knees and the seat. The leather on the inside of the knees have darkened a bit from the constant grinding in of dirt from gripping the machine, but the material remains thick and strong with no real signs of structural breakdown. The same goes for the saddle area where there is an almost unnoticeable amount of color loss from rubbing against the seat for countless hours. Aaron felt that the pants were a bit snug, but that was only because the pants were one size smaller than what he normally wears. In spite of this, Aaron felt the pants were still pretty comfortable and there were no areas that stood out as uncomfortable during riding.
Pro Strike Glove
We admit it, our test riders hands were cold in the late October weather, but that is no fault of Shift’s. These were not designed as winter gloves. On the positive side, hand blistering was kept to a minimum thanks to Shift’s lightly padded palm surface. Ergonomically these gloves are well designed featuring pre-curved Lycra finger sidewalls and their flexible Liteprene knuckles. The Pro Strike gloves are very comfortable and they would have been great in warmer weather. With the 12 Hours Shootout on them and additional training rides, the Pro Strike gloves still fit Aaron like a glove (pun intended) and they still look good as new.
The Bottom Line
Even though it sits behind Shift’s “Mach” line of gear, the Pro Strike line doesn’t seem to take a back seat in quality and construction. None of our test riders complained of any problems with their gear and Aaron’s set has lasted him a whole season. If you are looking for something a little less pricey without giving up the feel and durability of high end gear, Shift’s Pro Strike line is for you.