Body Armour for XC

SIRPSYCHOSEXY

Have done the Merida's this year, plus my local xc routes. My mate fell off and broke his collar bone(out of action for more that six weeks). My question is, are there XC riders out there that use body armour, that is mainly used by those into DH?

ride_whenever

Some people just use shin/knee and or forearm/elbow armour. Most poeple don't use anything for xc though.

If you want something light and protecting maybe avoid full-blow body armour and go down the limb padding. Or look into a D30, flexiable and protecting...

BigJimmyB

I don't use it, but sometimes I feel I need to scream..

Aaaaaaaaaagh!

'He's a freak of nature.....'

In short, like your username!

switchback18

Body armour is unlikely to prevent a broken collarbone - this usually happens when you stick you're arm out straight to break a fall - if you're arm's rigid the shock goes up to the collarbone which takes it all. So armour on the outside won't prevent this. Knee/elbow armour does help prevent minor damage & injuries though. Most people who wear shin armour use it to prevent pedal gashes, but if you're clipped in this isn't an issue. I wear knee armour occasionally, if I'm really pushing it. But i don't own any other armour.

Amos

Its horses for courses, I have worn knee/shin and elbow/forearm pads in the past, but felt them a bit over the top for riding xc.

stumpyjon

Suppose it is a trade off between comfort and the likelyhood of needing the padding. I always wear a helmet and have hardly ever needed it. The fact that it's comfy and I don't notice when it's on means I'll wear it all the time.

Bought some 661 Kyle Strait knee pads a couple of weeks ago and they're suprisingly comfy (and don't look so full on as some leg armour IMO) so I can see me wearing them some of the time for XC.

Milkie

I've got the D30 elbow pads.. I've never had pads before these, and find they are really comfy... Once I started riding, I didnt notice I had the pads on. I did get a little hot, but I'm sure I'll get used to it. (I started sweating for once!)

Going to get the d30 knee pads next week. Although the kyle straits ones are tempting at half the price..

Northwind

There's psychology here too.. If you feel comfortably armoured up, you're more likely to relax into a fall rather than try to catch yourself. As we all know, the worst thing you can do when you crash is stick an arm out, you end up breaking wrists, arms and collarbones when probably all you'd do if you hit the ground relaxed is lose a load of skin.

Shin armour is good for overgrown trails too!

Does anyone here wear armoured shorts like the Dainese ones? I broke my hip a couple of years back so I'm thinking this could be a very good idea for me, but not if they're restrictive or uncomfortable, and it's too much to spend on the offchance for me...

rakh1

I just ride around with a pair of Kyle Straits on - nice and comfy actually with the added bonus of padding on the inner and outer of the knee - stops me smashing my knee into the frame when landing

mtbikerboy

I have also started using knee and elbow guards. i am able to push my limits further without worrying too much about falling.

maximus69

Kyle Straits and chicken wings for me. dont notice them whilst riding so might as well wear them, better than nothing.

KonaMike

I am looking to get some shin/knee and elbow pads after a bit of a tumble on the Cwmcarn XC course last month :oops:

nj2333

knee pads - 661 - they are soo comfy and i rarely notice them on.

peddle bites are my main victim - had some nasty ones but if you are conentrating then you rarely notice them while riding...until after when all your mates are looking worried

I rang a company in wales to by my 661 pads and the guy gave me the best advice ever..the conversation went like this..

me - "hi really interested in the 661 knee pads..."
shop - "why do you need pads...you must be crap.."
me - "to prevent injury!..."
shop "well lets face it if you come off you are still going to get hurt whether you wearing pads or not..."

and he has a point - at 20mph against rocks - not much is going to stop you getting hurt.

ahh the welsh!..

maximus69

ive come off and landed knee first on a pile of rocks doing about 5mph with knee pads on, it didnt hurt. who says you have to be going 20mph to fall off? if i cant walk the next day i cant work. one of the best things i bought, but yeah if you crash at 20mph its gonna hurt wearing kyle`s!! pick your lines and take your chances folks!! still think their better than nothing though and it keeps my knees warm!!

Noclue

I'm still unable to ride 6 weeks since i had an over the handlebar incident and landed on my knee, i've since brought a pair of 661 kyle straits for the simple reason that i like riding and hate being held back by injury, at the very least they're going to minimise the impact.

dave_hill

nj2333 wrote:

me - "hi really interested in the 661 knee pads..."
shop - "why do you need pads...you must be crap.."
me - "to prevent injury!..."
shop "well lets face it if you come off you are still going to get hurt whether you wearing pads or not..."

and he has a point - at 20mph against rocks - not much is going to stop you getting hurt.

And that's the best advice you've ever been given? Utter cobblers. A decent pair of knee and shins can make the difference between a cut down to the bone and walking away with few bruises.

If you need pads you must be crap??? So Steve Peat, Sam Hill and company are all crap are they?

Wouldn't be without mine for trail-centre use. They're a bit overkill sometimes for general use although I do wear mine for day rides in winter.

Get some, you won't regret it. Race Face Rally FR. Knock 661s into the weeds every time.

mcbazza

There is a certain amount of logic in that you will get hurt anyway on a big crash.
But, the clue is there - they will protect you in a smaller crash. Or, make a larger crash more minor.

You should see the gouges on my RaceFace pads. All I need to mention is that the gouges are on the pads, and there are none on my knees.

Says it all.
I am also crap!

Travis_M

I have the 661 D30 Knee pads, and the wife wears the Chicken Wings and Veggies.

It's more of a pyscho factor for her, she's fed up of the grazes from falling, now she feels better.

I were them as the trails here open up during this time of year (vegatation dies) so I can push the pace more, even though it's all rocky here, it still saves the kness, want to get some elbow ones next, and I'm interested in the D30 pants thingy from 661 when they come out

cougie

Steve peat rides downhill tho doesnt he ? Bit different from cross country ?

salsarider79

661's or some equal knee pad keeps knees warm, and gives some protection 'just in case'. Well why not? I have ridden XC with knee/shin pads. That felt totally overkill, but it stopped the nettles bitting me.

Lemon Eddy

dave_hill wrote:

And that's the best advice you've ever been given? Utter cobblers. A decent pair of knee and shins can make the difference between a cut down to the bone and walking away with few bruises.

Quoted for truth. Everyone falls off. You will get hurt, with or without pads...


...but a set of kneepads is going to stop (for example) the sharper edge of a pointed rock ripping your knee down to the bone, and hopefully cushion the impact to the point where you don't need physio for the next 6 months.

Go back to the shop, kick the guy in the pods, then ask him if he'd like a box on before you take the next swing.

whalley665

Im 15 and I mainly do XC, I wear 661 Veggie shin protectors and they are great. I do drop offs from 30cm - 4ft when out on the trails and they are great at stopping the pedals tattooing your legs, they also stop rocks grazing your legs too.

hadouken*

Pads for XC use? What complete rubbish! You all need to grow some spuds! I have ridden XC for 15 years, and the only protection i have ever used is a helmet (to be fair, if you don't wear a helmet, you need your head checking). It baffles me all the people i see wearing pads now, are you all scared of breaking a nail or something?

cee

I generally do not wear knee/leg armour for XC, but some trails I do. Innerleithens XC trail is one that I usually do, and maybe the black at glentress.

DH....different story. Armour always.

but hey.....its your body. You choose.

Bikerbaboon

hadouken* wrote:

Pads for XC use? What complete rubbish! You all need to grow some spuds! I have ridden XC for 15 years, and the only protection i have ever used is a helmet (to be fair, if you don't wear a helmet, you need your head checking). It baffles me all the people i see wearing pads now, are you all scared of breaking a nail or something?

nail broke noproblem but smashed knee cap and the 4 months off work i could do with out for the price of a knee pad.
I like rideing but i like money to pay for rent and new bikes. Its all a personal thing, for general XC wheels on the ground type rideing the chance of comeing a cropper is minumum but blast round dalby grabbing air every chance you get the chance of an off goes up. head down the DH at stainburn and its odds on for me to come a cropper.

Let people take the risks they want and take the precautions then feel they need.

mcbazza

People who ride without much protection, and have never had an injury are very similar to those that play Russian roulette and are still alive. It's just a matter of time/chance.

I'm old enough that I don't bounce back quickly, and that I don't want to go through the grief of time off for what work would determine is my own damn fault for my choice of hobby. I suppose it doesn't help that another of my hobbies is sliding down snow-capped mountains on a short, slippery board.

As I've mentioned before, my knee+shin/leg+elbow pads are covered in deep gouges. Whereas, my legs/arms are *not* covered in scars. And I am yet to have a single day off work for any MTB related injury.

As the Yanks would say, you do the math.

I suppose it all boils down to personal risk assessment.
The way I ride, and the life I lead, I can't afford to *not* wear the protection.

Lemon Eddy

hadouken* wrote:

Pads for XC use? What complete rubbish! You all need to grow some spuds! I have ridden XC for 15 years, and the only protection i have ever used is a helmet (to be fair, if you don't wear a helmet, you need your head checking). It baffles me all the people i see wearing pads now, are you all scared of breaking a nail or something?

It's funny that you acknowledge a helmet is essential kit, but seem to think wearing kneepads indicates a lack of masculinity?

May I suggest that if a fall could possibly smash your head open, it could just as easily do the same to your knees - leaving you with several months of physio and the likelihood of ongoing problems. On this I speak from experience, having had to have reconstructive surgery and ongoing physio after a fall.

Of course, it's entirely possible you think a nasty fall is not going to happen to you. This could only be true under two situations I can think of:
1) You have infinite control of your bike in all conditions
2) You only ever ride trails with absolutely no challenging sections.

I'll leave you to advise if either of the above applies to you.

hadouken*

Eddy, first off, i have also had reconstructive surgery on my right knee from a bad fall when i used to ride downhill in the early nineties, and still suffer from pain to this day, so i know your point exactly, I would always wear body protection when riding downhill, BUT we are on a cross country forum.

I have been riding/racing cross country for the best part of half my life, and i have NEVER worn anything but a helmet because the risk of injury from riding XC is very small (if you know how to handle your bike?!)

Take a look at an XC race and tell me how many people you see wearing knee pads? I'll tell you how many, NONE, because they are not needed for XC. I have included a link to a video of the XC world champs, please tell me how many of these guys you see wearing knee pads?

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=OsVzX3ohRjE

TheKrikkitWars

I think that we need to establish the difference between the trails we ride on our cross country bikes, and the trails used for cross country racing. The latter tending to be more technically sedate, and athletically demanding.

Protection in XC race- never, Protection trail riding- still unsure

mtbikerboy

Hadouken, What you are saying is true for xc racing. But when guys are just out riding for fun, the terrain they ride is usually more technical than in xc racing and you may also want to push yourself harder hence the need for armour.

so if your very familiar with what you are riding and are not taking many risks/ it is not very technical, no need for pads

TheKrikkitWars

@ mtbikerboy:- HiveMind!