New.. can't find a women's chest protector (roost deflector?) in my size..

[w0manchild]

Trying to figure out if it really matters or should I just go with a mens?

I'm a big girl.. aka fat.. I am over 250lbs. My husbands chest peice fits me just fine.. but I figure the women's would be more comfortable in the breast area. True or does it really matter?

I tried on the largest women's size I could find and even if I lost enough weight.. I don't think the shoulders would fit right so .. ?

Any one experienced this issue?

 

[justalonewolf007]

I'm tiny, and not totally sure if I can relate accurately. But I can speak up for a few bigger friends that I have.

The woman shaped CP really only offers benefits in the boobage area if your boobages happen to protrude significantly further than the rest of you. If the largest size doesn't fit in womens, go with the men's CP. It is as simple as that. They aren't actually that different from eachother as far as I have seen.

 

[w0manchild]

Thank you!

 

[Porkchop]

Form to fit as desired....DIY.

Happy tailoring & good luck. Best Regards, Porkchop...
P.S. This is best done outside, in a fire safe area, well ventilated & uncluttered with a fire extinguisher standing by& help.

 

[justalonewolf007]

I don't mean to disrespect Porkchop's advice, but I would STRONGLY suggest that you NOT do this.

I am by no means a physicist or a chemist or even a biologist (heck, I probably even spelled some of those wrong too!). However, heating the plastic using a blowtorch will not heat things evenly, especially if you happen to be outside. There is no way to be sure that you are in the 225-275 degree range If you happen to get a little too close, you'll melt a hole or make a soft or thin spot, greatly damaging the integrity of your chest protector.

With plastics, even thermoplastics, temperature is critical! When forming the original pieces of the CP in the factory, these settings are very carefully controlled and monitored. Add too much heat, or try manipulating the shape of plastics when they are too cool (stretching the material too fast for the heat level), you can end up with some very brittle (fragile - easy to shatter) plastic that would be prone to slicing up some of your more valueable womanly bits...

And you should probably know that them bewbers are important!!! :)

Also, if you do mold the plastics to contour a more womanly shape, you are essentially making the material thinner in some vital areas by stretching the plastics to fit. Even if it is not a major modification, you are still pushing your luck. Say you're taking a ride through the woods, and take a branch or large rock to the bewbers. If you happen to take a good poke or hit in a weak or thinner spot, it'll crack right through and possibly into your chest cavity. It would be far better to special order something that was made, and made correctly, to fit your body.

(Unless you do happen to be an expert in plastics and blowtorches! If that's the case, make me one too!).

Porkchop's method would be great for something along the lines of fenders, or those stubborn aftermarket plastics that never quite line up.

 

[fatcat216v2]

I ride with a man's CP. Not sure if your husband's fit why you'd overthink it. It's there to protect you, not show off your form. JALW- nice job thinking that other advice through.

 

[Porkchop]

no good deed goes unpunished...

I don't mean to disrespect Porkchop's advice, but I would STRONGLY suggest that you NOT do this.

I am by no means a physicist or a chemist or even a biologist (heck, I probably even spelled some of those wrong too!). However, heating the plastic using a blowtorch will not heat things evenly, especially if you happen to be outside. There is no way to be sure that you are in the 225-275 degree range If you happen to get a little too close, you'll melt a hole or make a soft or thin spot, greatly damaging the integrity of your chest protector.

With plastics, even thermoplastics, temperature is critical! When forming the original pieces of the CP in the factory, these settings are very carefully controlled and monitored. Add too much heat, or try manipulating the shape of plastics when they are too cool (stretching the material too fast for the heat level), you can end up with some very brittle (fragile - easy to shatter) plastic that would be prone to slicing up some of your more valueable womanly bits...

And you should probably know that them bewbers are important!!! :)

Also, if you do mold the plastics to contour a more womanly shape, you are essentially making the material thinner in some vital areas by stretching the plastics to fit. Even if it is not a major modification, you are still pushing your luck. Say you're taking a ride through the woods, and take a branch or large rock to the bewbers. If you happen to take a good poke or hit in a weak or thinner spot, it'll crack right through and possibly into your chest cavity. It would be far better to special order something that was made, and made correctly, to fit your body.

(Unless you do happen to be an expert in plastics and blowtorches! If that's the case, make me one too!).

Porkchop's method would be great for something along the lines of fenders, or those stubborn aftermarket plastics that never quite line up.

Hi ladies, guess who? maybe 007 is right, sorry for providing too much info. look around at hockey supply shops, that's where most riding gear evolved from & we all know the size of some of those players.
Also check out the acerbis line of gear, they make a plus size mens cp, maybe they make a womans?
My suggestions are those of a hard core do it your selfer. My occupation is a professional motion picture propmaker. Estimating the where-with-all of any one reading this is impossible & it is always better to error on the side of caution. In my craft we take perfectly good items & reform, hack up, mangle, heat up, cool down or freeze,
thaw, grind up, burn or blow up, just to create an image to be captured on camera. there is a huge amount of manufacturing the things that are considered, unobtainium, that is required to make movies. High density poly-ethylene is one of hundreds of materials that we use because it has great properties, IT's very tough, light, slippery, machines easily, heats, forms & molds, easily. This material is what chest protectors & most good crash gear is made from. Most chest protectors are made in an injection mold, some are made on a vacuum form machine. A cheap injection mold can cost $$500000 on a good day, the machine the mold goes in cost way more than the mold.
The products are designed for the masses, not for womanchild's very specialized requirements. My comments are a low tech, low dollar,fix or alteration of a piece of gear that MRS. Womanchild & family already own. It's easy to tell somebody to throw money at a problem like this, but if the solution is unobtainable from the manufacturers of crash gear, MRS. womanchild is right back to square one. As for this material becoming brittle, there are 2 ways that could happen.1, leave it out in the blazing sun with salt spraying on it full time for a couple of years.2, subject it to freezing or sub freezing temps while trying to bend it, it will snap in two immediately. The method I spoke of can be done in a plain old kitchen oven set to low temp( 250 f) but, any foam parts, or sewn webbing, elastic bands, or fasteners will be damaged from heat.A hot air gun is the safest tool to do this with, it does take some skill & as always, caution, but this is not rocket science. The manufacturers of plastic products regrind up all the flawed goods that don't pass inspection or measure up to a standard & feed the material right back into the molding machine to make more product for the masses, it's all recycled, reheated & reused.
Sincerly & good luck with this, Porkchop...

 

[Porkchop]

Hello Mrs. Womanchild, I hope that this has been helpful to you. Some of my pals think
I'm out of my gord to make any commentary on a sensitive subject, such as this one. I'm no stranger to how difficult finding large protective gear can be. At this time last year I weighed in at 273, none of my gear fit anymore & at that # riding for me was not only out of the question, I felt dangerous on a bike. Fortunately today i am down to 220 lbs & feeling a heck of a lot better both in day to day life & riding as well.
Good luck to you & your family, With Best Regards, Porkchop...

 

[DangyDave]

Yeah I'm a bit of a big girl myself and I use a men's chest plate - no complaints at all!