XC protection

rudedog

Just wondering how many XC riders wear protection and to what extent? Knees, shins, elbows? Also if you do, what level would you consider your self?

I'm still a relative novice to mountain biking and am thinking while I'm still learning (aka crap) is probably the time I should be protecting myself?

Burkie

I'm a fan of knee/shin protection but only because i've had a couple of bad stacks and got nice kneecap scars to prove it!! I do find elbow pads restrictive and don't wear them but that may just be because i've got the wrong pads. The out and out XC lycra crew don't really wear any but if you're riding trail centres and want to push yourself a bit on jumps/drops some pads are a good idea, especially if you have a day job tha you need to be fit for. apart from anything else, getting some air or taking on some tech stuff is a real buzz and some padding helps give you a bit more confidence to try stuff. And no-one really looks good in lycra. Except maybe Elle Macpnerson... :P

Northwind

I always say the same thing, knees are complicated, vulnerable, delicate joints, they're very easy to damage and that's no fun at the best of times, even worse if you're up a mountain. I took a knock to the side of my knee last year in a really minor tumble, but I couldn't ride for 3 weeks afterwards, if I'd been wearing my pads it wouldn't have happened. They can prevent real injuries as well (some cretins will tell you pads can't prevent breaks, but that's because they're cretins!) but for me, the ability to keep riding unscathed after a crash where I'd have had to limp home is worth the price of admission alone.

Modern pads are great, I wear kyle strait knees and chicken wings elbows- the kyle straits are really amazing, they have full coverage, side protection, and a lot of padding yet they're not at all restrictive or annoying to wear, really impressive. The chicken wings aren't quite so good I think, but still give good protection and they're compact.

I consider myself pretty unskilled Reds at glentress are about my limit just now. Thing is, when you're new you're likely to fall off. And when you're getting better, you'll ride more challenging things, and you're likely to fall off. And then you get fitter and faster, and you're likely to fall off. Then eventually, you might find you start hitting the really big obstacles, and you're likely to fall off. There's no point in most people's riding career where they just stop crashing, most of us will seek out bigger and dafter challenges to match their improving skills.

Some people say pads are pointless for XC... I think they're either a) very good riders or b) doing very boring XC. I don't really bother riding anywhere that has no risk at all of throwing me off.

Grimy

I'm a born again 29yr old mtb'rider but i've no idea what "level" i'd consider to be at? far from beginner, more of a novice? dunno....dont think that matters when you come off, it dosent change how much damage you could do. I have a tendancy to be really enthusiastic and come off on the odd ocasion should really stop trying to keep up with my mates on FS bikes when im on my hardtail...and not as skilled. :shock:

Anyway, pads, It depends where I ride, but if we're going anywhere that involves thrashing down a rocky decent like charity lane in mac forest or the beast in the peak district, ill take my shin/knee pads up in my backpack and slip them on before I get all brave on the way back down.

My mates have been riding a lot longer than me, and said elbow pads are restrictive and anoying and told me not to bother, but after a really unspectacular "off" the other week, and I cut my elbow up, I decided to get some elbow pads too. I'm an engineer by trade and having a smashed up elbow wouldnt be the smartest carrer move. :roll:

Ordered some 661 chicken wings for £20 from Chain Reaction, tryed em on, sent em back, bloody awfull. Went into Evens, tryed on the £60 661 Evo elbo pads with the d30 polymer padding stuff, bloody fantastic! really soft, flexible, comfortable, dont even know your wearing them and they dont move either. So I wear them all the time now as I just forget there even on. Expensive but worth the money In my opinion, means ill wear the buggers, as there not gonna do much good in the bottom of my bag.

Might invest in the Evo knee pads too for when we're muckin about in delemere where the full on leg armour is a bit ott.

Northwind

Yeah, chicken wings start out really stiff too, for the first couple of rides I thought I wasn't going to get on with them because they're just one big pad... But they break in with a little use and once they do they're pretty comfy. Still not as comfy as some though. The D30 pads are awesome, go custardtech! But pricey.

M6TTF

Never worn armour in mynlife, didn't really exist when us guys started out. I happen to live in macclesfield so know charity lane well if padding up gives you the boost in confidence you need then it's good for you. Personally for me I'd say a waste of time. I can only think of a few offs where I would have benefitted from knee protection.

Do you find you get sweaty shins?!?

moggy82

I have worn armour in the past but just wear longs (Decathlon Bikester type things) now just to protect against low branches etc.

And i would say i am pro-am! Pretty quick and been riding properly for 10+ years now e.g. first trip to cyb was in 98!

i also ride DH, 4X so know how to handle my bike!

Anonymous

i always confess to being completely rubbish on a bike and i only do xc (albeit it on a 6 inch bike sometimes) but i have kyle straits and chicen wings and although i hvent had to prove whether they are any good yet, they make me more confident and i find that even if the pads are a placebo, they do the trick.

there will be folk who gob off about you wearing pads when they think it is unnecessary, but the point is that its upto you to decide if they are necessary.

cee

sheepsteeth wrote:

there will be folk who gob off about you wearing pads when they think it is unnecessary, but the point is that its upto you to decide if they are necessary.

+1. if you fell better wearing them...then wear them.

I am not into riding my bicycle to prove anything to anyone else but myself.