# Under-the-jersey body armor options?



## stevehollx (Apr 6, 2010)

I'm fairly new to DH and ride hard, so protection is a priority over fashion. But I would like to have both, if possible...  

I've got a 661 vapor suit right now. I was hoping it would fit under a loose 3/4 sleeve jersey without looking like a football player. Not really. I could just rock the armor with nothing over it, but I'm wondering what others do.

Is the 661 EVO Pressure suit worth it? It looks low profile enough to wear under a jersey, but I'd be concerned about the protection which it would offer. Elbow and shoulder protection are the foremost concerns.


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## DHgnaR (Feb 20, 2008)

I use the 661 Subgear Compression suit which is lighter protection than the Pressure Suit and have been fine. 
But dropping $250 on some 661 suit to me isn't worth it unless they've changed their quality. Their stuff has always fit horribly, stupid long in the sleeves, falls apart quickly, etc... 
Never ridden it but I'm thinking about trying the TLD BP7855 suit.
http://www.troyleedesigns.com/product.php?cat=104&id=18399


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## cdburch (Apr 25, 2007)

either the subgear compression stuff or the coresaver if you are set on 661. i use the former for most of my riding and the later for super gnar or the first few runs at a new system.


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## NormanPCN (Oct 13, 2005)

I like the Rockgardn flak jacket. Besides protection, it breathes pretty well to help keep you cool.


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## wormvine (Oct 27, 2005)

I have always worn my body armor under my jersey while DH'ing. I use RockGardn' armor.
When I used to Moto years ago, the protection was on the outside. Mostly roost protection but it helped if you bit it. 

I was dirt-biking in Costa Rica last fall and went down hard at some speed. I was wearing my body armor inside of the jersey and my jersey was more or less ruined. 
It made me think that perhaps it would be better to wear the armor on the outside again. Armor is made to take the abuse, the jersey not as much.
I wasn't happy that I ruined the shirt. Jersey's can be expensive.


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## DOCRIGID (Sep 16, 2009)

what's the big deal with wearing it under your jersey? your riding DH not going to a fashion show.


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## scaryfast (Apr 23, 2004)

You can wear your full upper body armor any way you want but typically speaking you're going to look like a football player if you wear it under your jersey. That being said, I put my armor under my jersey but I buy my suit in pieces. I don't need all that webbing to hold all the pieces together. That's extra weight and heat is something I don't want to deal with.


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## chauzie (Mar 8, 2010)

the 661 suit that I have (got it for $70 on chainlove!) fits me perfectly tight, so it goes under the jersey. The thin mesh of the 661 suit can rip easily, so i rather have the 661 go under my jersey. It's cheaper for me to go on Ebay and buy a used but in good condition jersey (under $10) then to replace the rip mesh of the 661 suit.

The other thing is the 661 does not protect the ribs, and to me, this is a gross oversight because there are occassions when you fall with ribs all laid out exposed. B8thch ouch!!!


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## kanai (Aug 26, 2008)

i haven't seen a whole lot of reviews here, but i'm looking at the skeletools impact vest. my neighbor has had one for the past 3 years and has held up great. he rides at least every weekend, so its seen its share of abuse. roughly $100 shipped.










https://www.skeletools.com/Default.asp


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## gollub01 (Mar 24, 2008)

Just got the 661 SubGear compression shirts in the shop. I tried on the medium. Im 5'9'' 165 lbs. Tight but wont move around. Nice idea overall. Maybe be a bit warm. Will be real nice on the moto. The shoulders and arm pads are pretty solid material. I;ll give it a go


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## Lelandjt (Feb 22, 2008)

stevehollx said:


> I've got a 661 vapor suit right now. I was hoping it would fit under a loose 3/4 sleeve jersey without looking like a football player. Not really.


What size is the armor and jersey?
I have that armor in large and wear it under large jerseys comfortably. You can tell I'm wearing pads but it's far from "football player". It's lower profile than a lot of older jackets.
I just got this though cuz it looks even lower profile and more comfortable: Dainese Evolution Jacket.


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## K2Lambo666 (Oct 4, 2010)

ya the 661 pressure suit is the way to go!


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## alldownhillfromhere (May 3, 2011)

K2Lambo666 said:


> ya the 661 pressure suit is the way to go!


I am looking at getting new underarmor too....
How is the quality of the 661 pressure suit and how does it hold up?
I have always stayed away from 661 because everyone says their stuff is junk (poor quality, poorly made, and doesn't hold up)
Is the pressure suit different?
thanks,


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## charvey9 (May 13, 2010)

TLD CP5955

Really slim and light, easily fits under a jersey or T-shirt. I love mine, took a good whack to the shoulder with it today and got right up to keep riding.


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## Lelandjt (Feb 22, 2008)

^That one is made to go over the jersey. It's a "roost guard" style as opposed to the "pressure suits".

My 661 suit held up for 6 years. It was the same as the Vapor but with wider mesh connecting all the pads. Very cool but eventually the mesh started tearing. I was gonna replace it with a Vapor but that looks a little hotter than my old version. The Dainese Evolution has wide mesh, a shorter back protector so you can tuck your shirt in, and looks a little slimmer for $40 more.


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## mgv101 (Sep 6, 2010)

Had this for awhile but the shoulder pads were a little bulky with alot of padding and the spinal guard was incredibly thick with even more paddig under the shell:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=48765 (IXS Hammer Jacket)
However, the overbuilt spinal guard had saved me from paralysis once where I went flying OTB on a STEEP slope landing WAY down the trail on my back. The fall was probably over one storey high.

Still the spinal guard was just way too bulky for me and I ordered this instead:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=30718(Thor Impact Rig)
The overall padding under the hard plastic was a little thinner but it offered sufficient protection, does not really show under the jersey and kept me a lot cooler.


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## jasevr4 (Feb 23, 2005)

Really depends what amount of protection you're going for. Me and pressure suits don't get along, so I'm going with the Demon Dirt Leviathan Half Suit (link to my blog) this year.



It's pretty minimalistic being predominantly spine protection and a kidney belt - don't expect to take a hard hit off of the bike and not have a bruise or three, but you can actually move around in the thing.

Just depends where your priorities lie really. Hope that helps.


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## boogenman (Sep 22, 2006)

I have the POC VPD vest and love it! by far the best armor I have used in the 11 years I have been riding DH. The vest and POC elbow/forearm gaurds are nice and cool and comfortable.


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## jasevr4 (Feb 23, 2005)

boogenman said:


> I have the POC VPD vest and love it!


What sort of protection does that thing have? Mainly spine?

I thought the Demon Dirt Leviathan was minimal armour but that thing looks simple as!


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## Lelandjt (Feb 22, 2008)

For you guys running these minimal things, don't you rub/bump your shoulders and elbows on trees? I need the hard armor on shoulder and elbow for these scrapes. Also, when I low-side my elbow slides on the ground with most of my weight on it. When I'm not wearing armor and forget about it I've clipped my shoulder hard enough to make it sore for a couple days and I've torn my forearm up pretty bad.


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## charvey9 (May 13, 2010)

Lelandjt said:


> ^That one is made to go over the jersey. It's a "roost guard" style as opposed to the "pressure suits".
> 
> My 661 suit held up for 6 years. It was the same as the Vapor but with wider mesh connecting all the pads. Very cool but eventually the mesh started tearing. I was gonna replace it with a Vapor but that looks a little hotter than my old version. The Dainese Evolution has wide mesh, a shorter back protector so you can tuck your shirt in, and looks a little slimmer for $40 more.


It is still way slimmer and easier to fit under a jersey than my Dainese Performance Armour was, and actually provides better chest, shoulder, and upper back protection. Fully integrates with the Leatt brace too.

However, it does not provide the same lower back protection found in most pressure suits with a full spine protector.


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## charvey9 (May 13, 2010)

Lelandjt said:


> For you guys running these minimal things, don't you rub/bump your shoulders and elbows on trees? I need the hard armor on shoulder and elbow for these scrapes. Also, when I low-side my elbow slides on the ground with most of my weight on it. When I'm not wearing armor and forget about it I've clipped my shoulder hard enough to make it sore for a couple days and I've torn my forearm up pretty bad.


I wear the TLD CP-5955 which does have the shoulder protection, but nothing for the elbow. I would never want a full suit, as rarely do the integrated elbow protection fit correctly with the rest of the suit (at least for me).

Getting some "sleeveless" armor allows you the option to run your own choice of elbow pads, which is also a huge plus on hot days when you want to take them off between runs.


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## NorKal (Jan 13, 2005)

Lelandjt said:



> ^That one is made to go over the jersey. It's a "roost guard" style as opposed to the "pressure suits".


Actually I just checked the TLD website and they say it can go over or under :thumbsup:


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## alldownhillfromhere (May 3, 2011)

Just ordered a Troy Lee "Rincon" armor... looks pretty nice... I'll report back how i like it!:thumbsup:
Link
http://www.troyleedesigns.com/product.php?cat=103&id=2814

.


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## jasevr4 (Feb 23, 2005)

Lelandjt said:


> For you guys running these minimal things, don't you rub/bump your shoulders and elbows on trees? I need the hard armor on shoulder and elbow for these scrapes. Also, when I low-side my elbow slides on the ground with most of my weight on it. When I'm not wearing armor and forget about it I've clipped my shoulder hard enough to make it sore for a couple days and I've torn my forearm up pretty bad.


If I'm riding a trail I don't know for the first time and get a tip off that it's pretty mental I'll wear elbow pads, but they are separate from my "suit".

I ride worse wearing armour due to lack of comfort, so I don't wear my armour. I figure I'm better off buying armour that is comfortable, but not as effective and actually wear it all the time.

Less effective armour that is being worn is more effective than more effective armour that isn't.


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## Sim2u (Nov 22, 2006)

That semi-oxymoronic statement actually made partial sense! 

Actually, POC really is top of te pack in terms of tech, other brands such as TLD are starting to use theirs tech as a result. Good stuff, which hardens on impact yet is soft, compliant and cool to wear when it's not having the snot beat out of it.


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## jasevr4 (Feb 23, 2005)

Sim2u said:


> That semi-oxymoronic statement actually made partial sense!


Yeah I realised as I was typing that it was a little hard to read haha.


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## boogenman (Sep 22, 2006)

jasevr4 said:


> What sort of protection does that thing have? Mainly spine?
> 
> I thought the Demon Dirt Leviathan was minimal armour but that thing looks simple as!


Just spine/back and kidney protection. I also wear elbow guards but don't need anything else upper body. My days of big crashes are behind me now.


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## Sim2u (Nov 22, 2006)

Hey I consider myself fairly advanced in FR&DH yet I crash enough for me warrant wearing the pressure suit when I KNOW I am going to be really pushing it. Don't let all those vids of pros wearing nothing but a smile convince you otherwise.


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## Cat Daddy (Nov 3, 2004)

You should also check out the forthcoming Rockgardn Flak Jacket. It's very modular, so you can wear as much or as little of it as you need.

http://www.rockgardn.com/items/body-armor/flak-jacket-flak-jacket-detail.htm


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## sikocycles (Oct 10, 2005)

Cat Daddy said:


> You should also check out the forthcoming Rockgardn Flak Jacket. It's very modular, so you can wear as much or as little of it as you need.
> 
> http://www.rockgardn.com/items/body-armor/flak-jacket-flak-jacket-detail.htm


The new one looks great.


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## NormanPCN (Oct 13, 2005)

Cat Daddy said:


> You should also check out the forthcoming Rockgardn Flak Jacket. It's very modular, so you can wear as much or as little of it as you need.
> 
> http://www.rockgardn.com/items/body-armor/flak-jacket-flak-jacket-detail.htm


I saw a prototype of that at their office a month or so ago. It looked interesting.


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## Sim2u (Nov 22, 2006)

Hmmmm, definitely like the modularity of the design yet, I am a POC tech convert. That stuff they use truly is revolutionary and light. Meaning, the user can wear less yet be protected more. 

I only wish that vendors would design better and longer thigh protection that is also bi-gender. My wife got scraped by the handle bars in the thigh in a recent small fall on the bike is some lighter DH. If she had had some form of better thigh protection, wearing skirts would no longer be a prob for her.


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## Lelandjt (Feb 22, 2008)

Sim2u said:


> If she had had some form of better thigh protection, wearing skirts would no longer be a prob for her.


Don't know if this is what you're talking about but I really like mine. They've protected me and have a comfortable chamois.








Edit: Sorry, Fox Launch Short. Not to be confused with the Fox Lunch Short:


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## jasevr4 (Feb 23, 2005)

Hahahaha^


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## Sim2u (Nov 22, 2006)

Ha he he...Lunch shorts, packed full of sausages. Lol

Those under bike short protectors you've got there look nice actually, and they seem to run longer down the leg, which is good actually. Yet, the materials within are...?



Lelandjt said:


> Don't know if this is what you're talking about but I really like mine. They've protected me and have a comfortable chamois.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## alldownhillfromhere (May 3, 2011)

alldownhillfromhere said:


> Just ordered a Troy Lee "Rincon" armor... looks pretty nice... I'll report back how i like it!:thumbsup:
> Link
> http://www.troyleedesigns.com/product.php?cat=103&id=2814
> 
> .


I am totally thrilled with this new armor... fit is great, its VERY breathable/vented, offers a lot of protection and fits togather perfectly with my Leatt DBX Pro neckbrace. Definitely a winner:thumbsup: 
I would recommend it to anyone.

.


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## Sim2u (Nov 22, 2006)

Yeah I have to say that the TLD body armor is definitely high on the "replace my existing body Armor" list. Perhaps not that version but something in the TLD spectrum, will be on the high-to-get list. 

What are they going for there in the US?


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## noparking (Apr 28, 2009)

Ifl


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## alldownhillfromhere (May 3, 2011)

Sim2u said:


> Yeah I have to say that the TLD body armor is definitely high on the "replace my existing body Armor" list. Perhaps not that version but something in the TLD spectrum, will be on the high-to-get list.
> 
> What are they going for there in the US?


Not cheap...right around 250 bucks.... but money well spent:thumbsup:

.


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## Evan55 (Jul 23, 2009)

still looking for good leatt compatible armor with ample rib padding. thats where I always hurt myself the worst when I go down. 
i dont understand the big fat chest plates covering thick chest muscle yet the vulnerable and easily bruised ribs go essentially unprotected.

the new flak jacket looks like a step backwards. that big hard plastic buckle is in the worst possible spot and is going to hurt your ribs bad when you fall on it.


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## Sim2u (Nov 22, 2006)

...ouch!!! But +1 definitely have to agree with you there. I try to go to Chainreactioncycles.com to get alot of my stuff as it works out cheaper than here in J-Land. Although the conversion rate must be on my side though.:thumbsup:



alldownhillfromhere said:


> Not cheap...right around 250 bucks.... but money well spent:thumbsup:
> 
> .


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## Cat Daddy (Nov 3, 2004)

Evan55 said:


> still looking for good leatt compatible armor with ample rib padding. thats where I always hurt myself the worst when I go down.
> i dont understand the big fat chest plates covering thick chest muscle yet the vulnerable and easily bruised ribs go essentially unprotected.
> 
> the new flak jacket looks like a step backwards. that big hard plastic buckle is in the worst possible spot and is going to hurt your ribs bad when you fall on it.


Buckle sits on top of a pad...


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## Orange-Goblin (Jan 27, 2008)

I have the POC VPD suit, the full one with chest and shoulder protection. It's awesome. Used it for the mega, and DH uplifts for 2 years now. Still looks great, still works great!


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## ryan_daugherty (Oct 8, 2006)

Awesome for pants. looking at evoc for the top pads.

https://www.troyleedesigns.com/products/5220-02


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