FXR Elevation Dry-Link 2 PC Lite Monosuit Review: First Impression
Well, I had my first ride of the winter this week, and it couldn’t have come any sooner! It was a great chance to get all my riding gear organized, burn some old (but stabilized) gas and shake off the rust from six months of not riding. The snow was better than expected, and a good crew made for a wicked first time out. Plus I got the chance to try out some of the gear that Mountain Sledder will be testing this winter. And so here’s my first impression of the FXR Elevation Dry-Link Monosuit.
FXR Elevation Dry-Link Monosuit Review: First Impression
The Elevation Dry-Link is called a monosuit, but it isn’t really. It’s two pieces (jacket and bibs) that zip fully together to form one. And from what I’ve seen so far with one day under my belt (haha), you kind of get the best of both worlds. It’s pretty clever and I’m surprised that no company in the sledding game has thought of it yet (that I’m aware of anyway), because I know that this has been a thing in snowboarding outerwear for quite some time.
But before we get too carried away, here’s some background. I’m a converted monosuit guy. I love being comfortable, and that’s what monosuits are all about. That’s not to say that I don’t have bibs and pants stashed away in my drying room as well, but my go-to choice for sledding is a mono—straight up.
Now, my biggest (and pretty much only) beef with a monosuit is that there is no way to casually ditch the top. For riding this doesn’t really matter, but it’s a bigger deal for cruising around town, grabbing some food, gassing up, etc. I want to have my pants/bibs on, ready to rock, but I don’t want to be fully suited up for the (sometimes long) drive to and from the trailhead. The standard mono solution is to unzip the top and tie it around your waist. Not cool, bro. Also, not comfortable when you’re sitting down either.
One Plus One Equals One
So, zipped together, you get all the benefits of a monosuit (almost! I’ll have to get a few more days in first, but I have the feeling it’s not *exactly* the same). But at the end of the day, it takes all of about 2 seconds to zip the jacket off. You’re left with just the pants on, which is comfy enough for the ride home. And if you have to get out for gas, dinner or to check into your hotel, you won’t be doing it in your long johns.
So that’s the biggest feature of the FXR Elevation Dry-Link Monosuit, and it’s a pretty cool concept.
Check back in a little later for the full review after I’ve had a chance to log some more days in the suit. I’ll be able to tell more about the fit, mobility, sizing, durability and features then!
– Pat