# Best protective gear?



## SWriverstone (Sep 3, 2009)

Yeah yeah, I know---"The best protective gear is what you'll wear." LOL But seriously...there are LOADS of different protective brands and products on the market...with a lot of crossover (whether it's intended or not) between biking and motorcycling.

I'm 48 years old and really getting into MTB. This is a story we've heard many times here before...but I crashed this weekend trying to get over a huge log pile. I wasn't hurt seriously, but I'm beat-up enough to be out of it all this week, which SUCKS.

I know I can't completely avoid crashes if I want to improve...but I think I'm gonna start wearing protective gear, at least for a while (I was wearing none but gloves & helmet when I crashed).

So...I'd be grateful if people would just start posting brand/product recommendations. I want what everyone wants:

*1. Comfort
2. Flexibility
3. Safety*

So what shin/knee guards, what forearm/elbow/shoulder guards, what "pressure suits" meet these criteria the best?

I'm ready to spend some serious cash on gear, because I figure buying top-end gear is the only way I can ensure it'll be comfortable and that I'll actually wear it! (Or maybe I don't have to spend a fortune to get that?)

BTW, my impression (which could be wrong) is that for typical all-mountain trail riding, protective gear is "not cool" (figuratively nor literally). Seems like the prevailing notion is that "protective gear is for downhill riders." This doesn't make much sense to me...but then again, I'm an ATGATT rider when motorcycling (All The Gear All The Time)...which of course most motorcyclists aren't...

Scott


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## bclagge (Aug 31, 2009)

First off, who cares what is cool? What other people think of you doesn't matter.

Secondly, comfort and protection are mutually exclusive. The more gear you wear, the more constrictive it will feel and the more sweating you will do. Why don't you start with the basics, like knee/shin plus elbow/forearm and go from there. Odds are that's all you'll need for regular trail riding.

Oh, and I'm not qualified to make a specific product recommendation.


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## SWriverstone (Sep 3, 2009)

bclagge said:


> First off, who cares what is cool? What other people think of you doesn't matter.
> 
> Secondly, comfort and protection are mutually exclusive. The more gear you wear, the more constrictive it will feel and the more sweating you will do. Why don't you start with the basics, like knee/shin plus elbow/forearm and go from there. Odds are that's all you'll need for regular trail riding.
> 
> Oh, and I'm not qualified to make a specific product recommendation.


I agree---I don't care about being cool, just citing what I've observed (anecdotally).

As for comfort and protection being mutually exclusive, my understanding (at least from my experience in the world of motorcycling gear) is that the two are mutually exclusive only at the low end of price...once you start spending serious bucks on gear, you get what you pay for---gear that's extremely protective *and* pretty comfortable. (Motorcycling example: $150 Joe Rocket jacket versus an $800 BMW jacket---yeah you're paying for the BMW name...but their gear is a LOT better engineered and constructed than Joe Rocket!)

But I don't know if it works that way with cycling gear?

Scott


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## FrdSHOx3 (Sep 10, 2009)

Good post, I too am curious what good shin protectors will be suggested. My legs are soo beat up.


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## jaredr68 (Oct 23, 2009)

if your looking into buying shin/knee guards, I have noticed that ones made specifically for mountain biking can get rather expensive for ones that look they will be comfortable and provide good protection. One of my good friends has been using soccer shin guards and he says they work very well, they are light, are generally very low profile, and he says they are pretty comfortable and he hardly notices they are on while he rides they are also quite a bit cheaper. I am currently looking at picking up a set a set of my own and i have noticed that there are tons of different options out there for them while ones made for mountain biking have a fairly limited selection.


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## SWriverstone (Sep 3, 2009)

Good idea on the soccer shin guards...I'll look into those...but they don't protect your knees, right?

Seems like some MTB protective gear is designed to protect you from branches, sticks and rocks hitting/poking you while you're riding. I'm looking for protection when I hit the ground!  So that kinds "ups the ante" a bit as far as body coverage goes. 

Obviously, I realize riding's not very fun nor easy when you look like Iron Man on the trail, LOL.

Scott


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## CHUM (Aug 30, 2004)

Here's what I wear when bouncing down rocky/techy stuff

Knee/Shin - Fox launch. Comfy, easy on and off and easy to pedal in









Elbow/forearm - SixSixOne. Same as above









Helmet - Giro Remedy full face. Not $$, fits well, not to heavy.









basically though...it's whatever fits you best....go try some stuff on...


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## Selftest (Jun 3, 2009)

I'd say look into some of the 661 stuff, Scott, O'neil.

I'll say this... pressure suits are going to SUCK for XC/All Mountain. With the amount of huffing and puffing we do on that stuff, a pressure suit and leet brace are gonna kill. Downhillers can wear it because they're lazy and ride lifts and shuttles to the top and then bomb their 90 pound bikes down the hill 

The difference between bike stuff and motorcycle stuff is really about weight. I'd say start off with knee, shin, elbow, forearm. My next purchase is knee and elbow. Happy Riding!


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## johnny dollar (Nov 17, 2009)

Best protective gear? 

Your wits, knowing your limits, and a nice single malt for when you exceed those limits. 

on a serious note, if you find yourself serially injuring one particular area, then it's a good idea to get protection, regardless of what others think of the "style". So long as the gear doesn't inhibit your riding, you should be good. It's also hard for stranger to recommend specific gear since everyone's body and riding style differs. 

Try stuff out and keep your receipts! Hitting shins and elbows? There's protection for that.


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## jaredr68 (Oct 23, 2009)

SWriverstone said:


> Good idea on the soccer shin guards...I'll look into those...but they don't protect your knees, right?
> 
> Seems like some MTB protective gear is designed to protect you from branches, sticks and rocks hitting/poking you while you're riding. I'm looking for protection when I hit the ground!  So that kinds "ups the ante" a bit as far as body coverage goes.
> 
> ...


yeah they don't really protect your knees, for me they are exactly what i was looking for because I don't feel that i need knee pads but i definitely could use some shin protection from my pedals catching my shins when my feet slip off, i have a couple pretty good cuts from that already. But yeah if your looking for knee pads as well you could get a set to wear with the shin guards but, that would allow you to either wear both if you taking on a technical trail that day or just wear one or the other if your doing some less intense riding and don't need as much protection, although that would probably end up costing roughly the same as a set of shin/knee pads made for mountain biking.


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## johnny dollar (Nov 17, 2009)

triplepost


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## johnny dollar (Nov 17, 2009)

triplepost


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## Kootenanny (Apr 23, 2010)

jaredr68 said:


> yeah they don't really protect your knees, for me they are exactly what i was looking for because I don't feel that i need knee pads but i definitely could use some shin protection from my pedals catching my shins when my feet slip off, i have a couple pretty good cuts from that already.


Oh, wow! What a blast from the past! I used to wear soccer shin pads back in the early 80s, when I was just first getting into mtb, and having the ol' "bear-trap" pedals come back around into the shins was a common occurrence (note in some of my other posts, I'm a big fan of clipless pedals, which I've used since the early 90s).

As to protective gear...like SWR, I'm "atgatt" on the motorcycle, but...well, I tend not to wear protective gear (other than a helmet) on the mtb. I've certainly thought about it, but the issue is that many of my rides include long, grinding climbs. I know guys who carry their pads in a backpack for the downhills, and this is the way I'd probably go, but then again...I dunno, it just seems to add a fair bit of hassle, and since I've been riding pretty seriously for a long time with very few injuries (knock on wood!) I don't feel an immediate need. On the other hand, I'm not getting any younger, and an injury now might be harder to recover from...

Around here, lots of guys wear gear, but...well, they shuttle. Myself, I'd rather ride up as well as down.


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## NoRoadie (May 17, 2010)

This stuff is really supposed to be the cats ass:
http://www.forcefieldperformance.com/index.asp?

I can't afford to try it yet.


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## Adrian W (Oct 1, 2016)

I know this is an old thread, but I'm also looking for protective gear. Specifically for elbow/forearm. Can anyone recommend relatively light-weight, comfortable elbow/arm protection? POC seems to be pretty well regarded. Any experience with these?
Thanks!


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## rabitoblanco (Feb 21, 2017)

Just as good as any to bring back from the dead... 

I'm thinking of getting a long-sleeve shirt/jacket and pants --both with armor built-in, instead of the individual knee/elbow pads. My thought--if I just have to pull on two things, I'm more likely to wear them. 
Is this overthinking it, or do you all find yourself not bothering with equipment sometimes because it's too much of a bother?

I'm new and exploring my limits/learning skills, and I fall about once every 2 hours of riding. Nothing bad, but I'm trying to take precautions. 

Suggestions for decent quality that's not quite POC Jacket prices? 

Thanks,


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

I believe you are over thinking it. Armor clothing is mostly for DH/enduro racing. I dont wear anything but a helmet most of the time but I do have knee and elbow pads for some biking areas I might ride. 

The biggest precaution is taking your time and learn. Have you thought about your fall every 2 hours? Is it the same type of fall or is it different every time? Are you riding too fast? There are other things to think about when it comes to a fall.


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## rabitoblanco (Feb 21, 2017)

Battery said:


> I believe you are over thinking it. Armor clothing is mostly for DH/enduro racing. I dont wear anything but a helmet most of the time but I do have knee and elbow pads for some biking areas I might ride.
> 
> The biggest precaution is taking your time and learn. Have you thought about your fall every 2 hours? Is it the same type of fall or is it different every time? Are you riding too fast? There are other things to think about when it comes to a fall.


Great question!

I think I realized just earlier that day-- most of my falls are because I'm not taking into account the wider turning circle my front wheels need, and I'm crowding my bike too far away from "scary" edges. In quotes because I'm not riding anything properly scary, but just staying too far from the edge and so running into the sides of the hill/trail.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


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## Osco (Apr 4, 2013)

Helmet, gloves, good shoes.

Dented/Destroyed a 25 month old $150 helmet three weeks back, Moved up to MIPS, only $20 more.

Don't feel the need for anything else.

Yeah I bleed.

You've bled with worse, now come bleed with me









Freddie Kruger tried to get me 
,
,
If I rode rocky terrain I'd cover my knee's and elbows...

Check these out:
10 new protection products to keep you safer on the trail - Mtbr.com


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