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Race Suits

post #1 of 16
8/12/04 at 12:40pm
Thread Starter 
I raced Nastar last year for the first time and loved it. For this coming year I'm thinking of taking the next step and purchasing a race suit. I've looked online at Schneider suits and I like the looks of them better than the Spyder suits I see so much of. Can anybody compare the two brands or recommend another?
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post #2 of 16
8/12/04 at 1:08pm
I can highly recommend the Schneider suits. After going through a couple Spyder suits and just about throwing out my back trying to get into the things, I got my first Schneider suit and immediately noticed a big difference in fit and finish. Then I got my Schneider two-piece slalom suit and life is good (they make bathroom breaks a lot easier).

To be honest, their whole line is pretty awesome. My parka, bibs, training shorts, and race suits all bear the Schneider logo. Mountain Hardware and Schneider are pretty much all I wear after a lot of trial and error. You might look into some full-zip ski bibs or training shorts for race day, as it makes it a lot easier (and warmer) while waiting for your start.

Franz is a great guy, and he supports his customers and citizen racing in general. Call them up- he's always happy to talk with fellow racers.

If anyone needs a slightly used gray Spyder Comp suit in an XXL size, let me know. I'll let it go pretty cheap.
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post #3 of 16
8/12/04 at 7:40pm
What matters a lot in speed suits is how it fits you. I tried on a Louis Garneau (spelling?) suit and it fit me horribly, but spyder fit very well so I went with spyder, even though it cost a little more and I didn't like the design (that spider-web look). I'm pretty skinny and I was suprised that the XL fit best, but it was the only one that was tall enough from neck to inseam without being incredibly bulky elsewhere.

A two-piece suit sounds awesome I hate going to the bathroom in 1 piece speed suits. I'll have to look into those.
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post #4 of 16
8/13/04 at 3:40pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the responses. This is great information and will help me with my decision.
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post #5 of 16
8/13/04 at 4:03pm
The XXL was the recommended size in a Spyder suit for someone around 6'. I thought that was a bit odd. Even then, the length of the torso didn't fit right and it hunched my shoulders. I have friend who they fit just fine.

I was suprised that Spyder didn't have a consumer 2 piece suit available. The US Ski Team has them, but for some reason they don't offer them to the public. I already had a perfectly good 1-piece Schneider suit, but once they offered one I jumped at the chance. The extra seam isn't going to slow me down that much, and the trade off is a lot more comfort and flexibility.

At any rate, Schneider has more race suit sizing options available than any brand I've found, and the pricing is pretty darn good for what you get. More and more of them have been showing up on Masters race days at Alyeska lately, and I expect that trend to continue.
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post #6 of 16
8/15/04 at 4:27pm
I looked at the Beyond x website and saw they had a lot of variety. Has any one tried of these suits or know anything about them.
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post #7 of 16
8/15/04 at 9:32pm
They make a nice suit, and their other stuff looks pretty good as well. However, I'm not sure how many of those custom options are affordable on a one-off basis. They do a lot of work with ski teams, and I that's where I've seen most of their suits. I'd contact their US/Canada sales rep and get a pricing list. I tried one on, but the torso length was similar to Spyder and didn't work for me.

Like I said, the 2 piece suits are extremely nice when it comes to fit, and for kids they can be bought large since there's adjustment room. For anyone not racing at a collegiate/upper USSA level, I don't think they are noticeably slower and the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. Schneider has a few of last year's 2 piece suits available, and once in awhile a US Ski Team Spyder 2 piece will show up on eBay.
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post #8 of 16
8/20/04 at 5:38am
Thread Starter 
Mike,

I just received my 2-piece race suit from Schneider. Got one of last years model and saved a bunch. While I haven't had time to try both pieces, I did try the top on last evening. While I knew a race suit was supposed to be tight, I didn't count on just how tight. Remember, I just started racing and this is my first race suit. I've rechecked the sizing chart and I look to be in the right size.
  • What's too snug?
  • Will the fit change with use? washing?
ANy guidance will be appreciated.
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post #9 of 16
8/20/04 at 8:11am
Two different issues-
The non-FIS suits need to be ordered a size larger in a lot of cases. If this is the case and they have the larger one in stock, I bet Franz will exchange it for you no questions asked.

What were you wearing under the suit? I usually go with mid-weight tops and bottoms- no fleece or other layering. That's more than some people I know wear. The suits will stretch, but you should have pretty much free movement right out of the box.

If it obstructs movement, it's just too tight. However, if it's nothing but a sack of wrinkles, it's probably a bit on the loose side. I'd give them a call and see what they say.

Just out of curiousity- what size did you get and which model?
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post #10 of 16
8/20/04 at 8:32am
Thread Starter 
Mike,

Thanks again for the information.

I bought the Race Suit Slalom Jacket (#6126363) in 56XXL and the matching Race Slalom Pant (#6127363) in 54XL. They are non-FIS.
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post #11 of 16
8/20/04 at 3:16pm
OK- I bought the FIS version of your suit, so they stretch differently. I just tried it on and the dogs looked at me a little strange (they were justified), but I noticed an even "pressure" all around, but no real tight spots. The main areas I would worry about are the arms (can you lift and rotate them easily?), back (are your shoulderblades being pulled uncomfortably together?), chest (can you breathe?), and of course legs.

Like I said, call Franz or Cameron and see what they can do.
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post #12 of 16
11/26/09 at 10:39am
 Go watch a world cup race and you tell me what is being worn more from the good racers either  carbon or spyder no schnierder or whatever i have a pair of shin gaurds and there ok but i wouldnt recomend that brand for a race suit spyder and karbon are worn more bye the top racers
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post #13 of 16
11/26/09 at 10:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by eman11236 View Post

 Go watch a world cup race and you tell me what is being worn more from the good racers either  carbon or spyder no schnierder or whatever

And go behind this what you see on TV, and you will see, Spyder suits are not really made by Spyder... at least not for top 10 or top 15 guys ;) They have Spyder logo, but that's pretty much all what they have to do with Spyder ;)
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post #14 of 16
11/26/09 at 11:24am
Ummm this thread is over 5yrs old......

But some may still wonder sooo.....best suit I have had the pleasure to use is made by Dianese.
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post #15 of 16
11/27/09 at 7:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by eman11236 View Post

 Go watch a world cup race and you tell me what is being worn more from the good racers either  carbon or spyder no schnierder or whatever i have a pair of shin gaurds and there ok but i wouldnt recomend that brand for a race suit spyder and karbon are worn more bye the top racers

Um, actually Schneider used to supply several World Cup teams. That is, until they got out of the business a few years ago. My Schneider suits fit me better than any of my Spyder or Karbon suits, so I'm trying to make them last as long as possible. For me and my non-WC abilities/physique, Schneider is a much better fit. Same with their jackets and pants. Shame they decided to move onto other pursuits.

Other than a few now-illegal suits from the past, they are pretty much all about as fast as the next guy. Karbon and Spyder have a big presence on the WC, but they are by no means the only show in town. They just happen to be an official supplier of more of the dominant teams and have aggressively pursued those associations. Because of FIS regulations, there have been very few meaningful race suit innovations in the last 10 years or so that actually affect performance in a significant way. Speedwyre was the last innovation I remember actually doing anything, and that was banned shortly thereafter.
 
Wear what fits and works, not what your heroes wear. Chances are they would happily wear another brand if that was their team's sponsor. It matters less than their skis/boots, and they have less control over it.
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post #16 of 16
12/8/09 at 5:34pm
 Also, I doubt spyder walks up to Bode Miller and says, "so, are you a large or an extra large?"

I'm sure most of these guys are getting them tailored.
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