PRODUCT TEST: TROY LEE CP5955

 

PRODUCT: Troy Lee Designs teamed up with Shock Doctor, which is a company devoted to protection in other sports outside of motorcycling, and came up with the CP5955. This is a chest protector/shoulder pad/back protector that is designed to multitask like you wouldn’t believe. It comes with protection for front and back, plus side protection and arm protection. The end user can use it as delivered, or take off one piece at a time until it offers minimalist protection. The CP5955 is also designed with the Leatt neck brace in mind. There are pieces in the front and rear that can be removed so that the chest protector doesn’t interfere with the Leatt. Virtually every piece of the CP5955 can be removed—the people at Troy Lee Designs say there are over 50 possible configurations.
POSITIVE: While many chest protectors claim to work well with neck braces, the 5955 really does. It’s also surprisingly comfortable in virtually any configuration. It looks complicated and clumsy, but that’s not the case. After you put it on, you never think about it again. And the protection is excellent. Side protection is often neglected, but the 5955 has panels right where your elbow can impact your rib cage. That’s a very common cause of broken ribs.
NEGATIVE: Changing the chest protector from one configuration to another is a tedious process. Most of the fault can be placed on the fasteners, which must be unthreaded with two Allen wrenches and are easily stripped. The $190 price is steep, but it’s by no means the most expensive in its class.
BOTTOM LINE: We like it. The marriage between Shock Doctor and Troy Lee Designs seems to be a good one, as the CP5955 is much better looking and working than anything Shock Doctor has and more substantial than anything offered by Troy Lee Designs. The hassle of changing it from one form to another should be irrelevant once you find the configuration you like best and leave it there.