Buried somewhere in the recess of a closest is a leather race suit that I wore in the early ‘80s. Although my body mass has almost doubled since then – the legs of the suit would better work as sleeves now – I keep it around to remind me of how far protective gear has evolved over the past 30 years.

As riders we often take the development of the gear protecting us for granted. Yet every year it seems that that gear is improved upon in some way. Offering a glimpse behind the scenes, protective gear specialists Alpinestars has created a mini-website (www.alpinestars.com/racing) that showcases how the company refines and improves upon the products that keep us protected.

The Process Makes Perfect film series featured in the mini-website shows the interaction between clothing manufacturer and athlete, giving the viewer an idea of how riding gear is developed. In part three of the short film series, MotoGP racers Dani Pedrosa and Ben Spies discuss their involvement with Alpinestars and their part in the evaluation of new product ideas.

However, you don’t need to be a racer or be interested in racing to find value in this information. The first two films in the Process Makes Perfect series can be found in the Tech Touring section of Alpinestars’ website (www.alpinestars.com/techtouring). In them you can see how the technology developed during racing finds its way into the gear worn by the average street rider.

Alpinestars is distributed in Canada by Parts Canada. To view the 2011 Alpinestars catalogue visit www.partscanada.com.