Ricoó V9 Gear 1


If you have visited VitalMX.com any time within the last year, you have likely come across the ads for Ricoó gear and wondered, “What is that stuff?” just like I did. Well, our office recently received a package straight from the Italian company with a set of new threads so we could figure out the answer.

Ricoó was started a man by the name of Fabrizio Ricupito, who has 20 years of design experience with the action sports realm designing everything from clothing to helmets. The aim of the company, is to make gear that has “an aesthetic built on the technical and functional requirements of the products.”

For a first go at this unique Italian export, we tried out Ricoó’s V9 line, which harkens back to the early days of motocross: simple, no-fuss designs that make a statement without hitting you over the head with imagery. No skulls, no flames, and no printed images; just clean, straightforward lines and solid colors.

While they are fairly basic aside from the leather inner knee areas, the V9 pants do have some interesting features. Along with TPR (thermoplastic rubber) straps for hip adjustment, the all-TPR belt closure caught our attention. Although it is nothing very special, it is certainly different. For ventilation, the pants also use a simple intake system placed just above the knee (also entirely TPR), that has a closure (I suppose on those chilly,early spring, morning practices, this could come in handy). To top things off, the inner waist is lined with silicon rubber to help keep your jersey tucked in.

Ventilation intake on the V9 pants above the knee.

For your paws, the V9 gloves are extremely light, and offer minimized padding both on the palm and the top of the hand. Bear in mind that with all of the Ricoó products we’ve tried so far, the sizing is different from what you would typically wear. The gloves are XXL, but are about the length of an XL, and the fingers are on the wider side (sausage-fingered riders rejoice). Our V9 jersey is also XXL but fits more like a typical L. The pants are actually sized somewhat accurate to American standards, as ours say there are US 36, but are probably more like a 35 edging towards a 34.

V9 gloves

The light blue V9 jersey is also no frills. With mesh venting down the sides of the torso and a narrow collar and cuffs, breathability is not an issue.

Aside from the sizing, Ricoó’s V9 line holds up well and is a good option for the rider looking to make a fashion statement in a subdued manner. On the down side, making such a statement comes at a price, and a somewhat high one at that. The V9 pants, for example, retail at €187 (approximately $233 at today’s exchange rate). So, Ricoó may not be for everyone, but just recently they dropped the pricing on some of their Th01 line, so Italian craftsmanship may not be unattainable.

Overall, it is good to see another gear company in the mix taking a different approach to moto fashion. MXers are a picky bunch, and Ricoó probably isn’t for everyone. But if you a looking for something that is a quality product and is almost guaranteed that none of your riding buddy’s have, the Italian brand is a good place to start.

For more information on how to get your hands on a set, check out www.ricoo-shop.com.

-Bayodome

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