We try stuff out.
Used in 2010 and every year since, this RST Paragon II suit has been brilliant. It has a waterproof, breathable membrane and detachable ‘Contour’ plus Ce-approved armour and a back protector. The thermal lining in both trousers and jacket are zip-outable and there’s also a face-mask which can be zipped off the collar of the jacket. A storm flap and waterproof zip keeps the rain at bay: in summer I’ve found the zip intake and exhaust vents work well. For a big chap who yo-yos weight-wise depending on gym/mcdonalds visits, the adjustable waistband is good, as are the torso adjusters to stop you flapping around at speed. You’ve also got plenty of pockets. You’ll see in the action shot that I wear different (but also RST) trousers. The Paragon II trousers were great but I often hook them up with plainer, black trousers so I don’t look like a big beige thing, also the waist fastening was simply Velcro with a plastic loop – a metal popper would have been better. I also ditched the face mask. It needs to be done up full, otherwise the exposed Velcro fastening on the back of the collar will stick to the rear of your helmet, meaning you can’t move your head easily! Overall this has been my textile suit of choice for nearly a decade and at £159.99 for the jacket and £129.99 for the trousers a very cost-effective one at that, but it’s all change for 2018! Looking at RST’S website, the Paragon is no more, but they do offer base-level adventure jackets/ trousers (Rallye) and their Pro Series too.