Ladies, I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that finding decent bike gear is a bit of an uphill battle for us girlies. Most of my local bike shops have no more than a token selection and nearly never carry a full stock of sizes. Now, I can’t fault the shops, I know that there are far fewer ladies on two wheels than there are men, but it does make it rather difficult for those of us that are!
Having decided that I would like to invest in a leather suit, and after trying on pretty 
much everything available in my local stores, I put in an order for the Held Ayana 1 Piece Suit at FC Moto in Germany.
I was gearing myself up for the usual disappointment, but when it arrived a few days later, I could not have been happier!
The first thing I noticed was how soft and flexible the leather was, nothing like most of the other suits I had tried on previously.
Still a bit worried about whether it would fit, I put on a pair of leggings and a long sleeved t-shirt (which helps with getting leathers on and off), scraped my hair up and began the ordeal.
Like many ladies, my bottom half is a size bigger than my top half and its usually my ample derrière and hips that cause the size problems, but so far so good – this thing is gliding on without a glitch.
Zipping up caused a bit of a sweat, but once I’d done up the internal zip, it got much easier and within a few minutes I was in!
The only way I’ve been able to describe how well this suit fits is by saying it’s like I’ve been vacuum packed into it. Seriously, this suit hugs every inch, yet because the leather is so soft and pliable, its not uncomfortable in the slightest and really moves with you.
In terms of spec, the Ayana boasts:-
- Breathable mesh inner lining
- Aerodynamic racing hump
- Stretch leather panels at knees, back & shoulders
- Schoeller Keprotec stretch panels at under and inner arms, crotch & calves
- Knee sliders
- Front air vent zip function
- EN 1621-1 CE certified height adjustable soft protectors at knees
- EN 1621-1 CE approved Soft protectors at shoulders, elbows & knees
- EN 1621-2 CE approved SaS-Tec back protector
- Titanium protectors on shoulders, elbows & knees
- Removable Temperfoam hip padding
- Double stitched throughout
- Double leather reinforcement on seat
I’ve been wearing this suit for 6 months now and really can’t fault it. It hasn’t become saggy in the way many other suits do and still fits like a glove. I can’t comment on how well it holds up in the event of a crash as I haven’t come off my bike (thankfully), but given the level of protection, I’m confident it would perform well.
With regard sizing, unlike some of the *ahem* Italian brands, I found the fit really true to size. The Ayana is available from EU34-46 which is the equivalent of UK6-18, so a good range to fit most of you gals. Their size chart was absolutely spot on for me and matched my usual dress size so if in doubt, take your bust, waist and hip measurements and check!
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