Which Elbow/knee armour?

John_Carter

Hello People,
I've started MTBing serously a while ago and had afall, wasn't too bad but was oainful and hurt my ego, so I realised I could use training but also armour.

I'm strugling to choose a set that would work for me and coudl use soem recomendations.
Ideally I want something light as I'm not doing DH or crazy dangeourus things, but equally I don't want to break my arm/elbow...

I was thinkinf of this one: G-form http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/categ ... -13-46979/ - but not sure how much protection taht actually offers - I dont want broken bones.

On a side note, when is it enough protection?
Do I need chest/back armor if I'm not doing DH? How about a full face helmet?

Please do share your thoughts,
Thanks!

cooldad

I wear a helmet and gloves.
Depends what 'not doing DH' means you are doing.

CitizenLee

I'm the same as Cooldad... helmet and gloves, whatever the trail. I'm allergic to neoprene though, so trying to find pads that don't give me a rash is quite the task. Hence I just don't bother and have corrugated shins to prove it

PerformingMonkey

John_Carter, be prepared for a long list of people telling you that you don't need any armour and how it won't protect you from any injuries. None will make any recommendations or tell you what they do instead.

For those of us that don't have an adamantium skeleton I would definitely recommend getting some knee pads. I use these http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/661- ... -prod72450. I find them suitable for all types of riding as they are pretty light and comfy. They also do an elbow pad in the same range which I haven't used.

The ones you link to look fine and get a good write up but are a bit pricier than the 661s.

When I am not riding clipped in I also ride with shin pads too. These have saved my shins from the massive pins in my pedals on numerous occasions. You can buy combined knee/shin pads but I like the flexibility of use that separate options afford me.

As for body armour, I am currently on the look out for some after a bad crash but yet to decide on which set. It is likely to be one of the 661, lighter-weight options. I did start a thread on a similar subject but found that some of the people on here don't half waffle on...

Kowalski675

Nukeproof Critical knee and elbow for me, if I'm doing owt gnarlier than local easy trails. Good price, loads of protection, look good and comfy.

bennett_346

Wore knee pads for ages and whilst they didn't bother me being there, they didn't really make me feel any safer riding down trails. At the end of the day the only injuries they're going to reduce the impact of are the type that are going to heal in a day or two anyway, minor bruises and cuts. You'd be surprised how well the knee slides (which is what really reduces the injuries).

Kowalski675

bennett_346 wrote:

At the end of the day the only injuries they're going to reduce the impact of are the type that are going to heal in a day or two anyway, minor bruises and cuts.

bennett_346

Kowalski675 wrote:

bennett_346 wrote:

At the end of the day the only injuries they're going to reduce the impact of are the type that are going to heal in a day or two anyway, minor bruises and cuts.

:?

CitizenLee

Kowalski675 wrote:

Why is the Nike factory relevant?


Actually, that's a bad joke... these guys have facial hair so too old for Nike.

cooldad

They do start them young

pesky_jones

Haha reminds me of ping ping god rest his little soul

John_Carter

Should you wear the armour on or below jackets etc?
Not sure if I shoudl get thin one I can try and slide under the jacket or thick one to put on the outside - woudl it stay in place then?

Thanks!

CitizenLee

John_Carter wrote:

Should you wear the armour on or below jackets etc?
Not sure if I shoudl get thin one I can try and slide under the jacket or thick one to put on the outside - woudl it stay in place then?

Thanks!

You just reminded me I bought one of these last year (2011 version in the sales)...

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/661- ... prod113566

Sat in cupboard ever since, although when I got it I tried it under my jersey and jacket and didn't feel too bulked up.

russyh

My wife has kindly ordered me a set of 661 Knee and Elbow pads for Christmas. I had an off in August, where i thought i have broken my arm/elbow or chipped the bone, swelled up badly and was black for a while. The damage took a couple of weeks to heal but the knock to my confidence has/is taking a load longer. I am not sure if they will stop any major injury, but having less confidence in my opinion gets you in more trouble as you carry less speed and tend to tighten up on the bike. Hopefully this will help. Gone are the days of me flinging myself over the handle bars, dusting myself off and wondering where my front teeth have gone. Go kids a stupid size mortgage and a decent job to answer too now..anything that can help with my confidence and stop my knees and elbows getting battered has got to be the future....Not sure an elbow pad is going to stop my teeth getting knocked out mind.

atarala

I have a set of the g form knee guards. They are very lightweight and comfy, you can wear them all day. They will provide enough protection for what you need, they are definately an xc rather than dh pad and will fit under any clothing if needed.

Personally I've needed elbow protection more than knee, must be the way I fall and I've got scars on my forearms to prove it!

Definately try some on or use a site with free returns and get 2 sizes. They come up TINY, I'm pretty much medium in all pads and I have XL g form!

I tried the 661 riot knee pads and found they just fell down no matter what I did, but have heard good things about the 661 rage pads.

Festerfeet

Protection is worth considering, I ride a lot of trails that aren't bike trails at all but farmers foot paths worn into the mountainside and so usually have no idea what is around the next corner.
Wearing kneepads has given me back the confidence I lost after a fall.

I would reccomend that you go and try some, as some kneepads (Rage, IXS) that are highly rated by other riders and bike sites just weren't for me. I ended up with the Nukeproof Critical pads which I am very happy with but as we are all different shapes and sizes.

Like Russyh I have commitments and would prefer not to be laid up if I can avoid it.

rockmonkeysc

G form pads are as good as anything for xc. Should save you some gravel rash and minor injuries. Just don't expect them to prevent broken bones.

CitizenLee

RockmonkeySC wrote:

G form pads are as good as anything for xc. Should save you some gravel rash and minor injuries. Just don't expect them to prevent broken bones.

Will any elbow or knee pad prevent broken bones?

rockmonkeysc

I doubt it. I have broken my arm wearing downhill arm guards.
Im pretty sure a spine protector and neck brace will prevent spinal injuries. Knee pads can prevent some pretty nasty knee injuries.
Nothing can prevent broken collar bones and they are probably the most common break for mountain bikers.

Northwind

bennett_346 wrote:

At the end of the day the only injuries they're going to reduce the impact of are the type that are going to heal in a day or two anyway, minor bruises and cuts.

Nope. All injuries are caused by the forces of the crash exceeding the body's ability to absorb it, body armour reduces the forces of the crash (all other things being equal, anyway). So if it can reduce a bruise to nothing, then it can reduce a break to a bruise.

(though I say "can", don't mistake that for "will", you'd need to wear terminator armour to be injury-proof, but pads stack the odds)

What's more important is a) crashing less and b) crashing well. Crashing less doesn't mean going slow, it just means getting better and thinking better. Crashing well, is not so simple, I'm lucky to have decent landing reflexes so I generally land soft and rolley but I don't know how you learn that if you don't. Judo maybe?

bennett_346

Northwind wrote:

What's more important is a) crashing less and b) crashing well. Crashing less doesn't mean going slow, it just means getting better and thinking better. Crashing well, is not so simple, I'm lucky to have decent landing reflexes so I generally land soft and rolley but I don't know how you learn that if you don't. Judo maybe?

That's why i stopped wearing it. It gave me false confidence and i ended up falling more than when i wore none.

Northwind

I can't find it now but there was a brilliant study the US army did, I think in the korean war. Anyway, they had 2 helmet designs, roughly equivalent in effectiveness, but the older one was much bulkier and heavier. It turned out you were about twice as likely to get shot in the head if you were wearing the bulky helmet, because it was more confidence inspiring. The newer design felt flimsy so people avoided getting shot in the head. Risk compensation's a strange thing. I don't think I do it but really, who knows?

I once crashed because I wasn't wearing kneepads- rode into a not very difficult section, thought "ooh er, wish I was wearing my pads", tried to brake, skidded, crashed. Fortunately landed on my head so no damage done.

flywheel88

I just do a helmet usually but I have been wanting to invest in elbow and knee pads for a while, too. There have been times I have regretted not having it!

CitizenLee

Going back to me not being able to wear pads with neoprene, I have just ordered these Bliss pads as they don't appear to have any in them:

http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/a92930 ... d=14050753

Was a toss up between those, POC VPD 2.0 and IXS Slope (both also sans neoprene) as all get great reviews, but the IXS look like they may be a little bit bulky and the POC are £100, which is more than I wanted to spend for something that still might give me a rash.

Northwind

A mate has the POCs, they seem decent in some ways but they don't stay put, only one strap. Schoolboy error really.

CitizenLee

Northwind wrote:

A mate has the POCs, they seem decent in some ways but they don't stay put, only one strap. Schoolboy error really.

Definitely a school boy error at that price! On the flipside, both the Bliss and IXS marked highly for staying in place.

Here's one of the reviews that eventually sold me on the Bliss...

http://www.essexhertsmtb.co.uk/reviews/ ... ee-pad.php

buffoon

Often surprised at the outrageous cost of MTB armour. Motorbike stuff is much cheaper. I bought ONeal Motocross armour for £100, including back, elbows, shoulders & chest. Only worn it biking in winter so far (under a fleece) so I may find it a bit too hot when summer comes. Otherwise very comfy. Only downside is the noticable shoulder lumps - otherwise no-one would spot you were wearing it. Haven't tested it in anger yet, but has probably prevented some minor injuries in 2 or 3 spills. The knee pads I wear cost about 50% of the ONeal armour!

Kowalski675

buffoon wrote:

Often surprised at the outrageous cost of MTB armour. Motorbike stuff is much cheaper.

Not if you compare like with like - prices are much the same for comparable products.

paulbox

John_Carter wrote:

Hello People,
I've started MTBing serously a while ago and had afall, wasn't too bad but was oainful and hurt my ego, so I realised I could use training but also armour.

I'm strugling to choose a set that would work for me and coudl use soem recomendations.
Ideally I want something light as I'm not doing DH or crazy dangeourus things, but equally I don't want to break my arm/elbow...

I was thinkinf of this one: G-form http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/categ ... -13-46979/ - but not sure how much protection taht actually offers - I dont want broken bones.

On a side note, when is it enough protection?
Do I need chest/back armor if I'm not doing DH? How about a full face helmet?

Please do share your thoughts,
Thanks!

Personally, if I'm riding normal XC stuff I just wear helmet & gloves. If I'm going to a trail centre I will always wear knee (and shin if using flats) pads and sometimes add some elbow/forearm pads. If I'm messing on dual slalom or a bit of DH (e.g. somewhere like Chicksands) I'll wear full face helmet and body armour.

I'm a bit of a censored , I bought the FF helmet & body armour to try and make me feel a bit braver, I suppose it helped a bit, but not a lot to be honest.

I like the 661 stuff, use their riot knee and shin pads, think they are great. I have no problems with them staying in place.

As I don't think anybody else has mentioned it, don't wear a full face helmet for XC riding, they are incredibly hot and you will probably pass out on up-hill sections.

In the past I have thought about getting some sort of back protector (something like this: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/alpi ... -prod92057) for trail centre usage, but that would probably also get very hot. Hopefully Camelbak will do the job if I ever need it.

buddy_club

+1 for learning how to crash properly, I've had a few decent off's but still walked away because i rolled, whereas ive seen people involved in minor crashes come away with more injuries than the few cuts and bruises i ended up with!

Kowalski675

PaulBox wrote:

In the past I have thought about getting some sort of back protector (something like this: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/alpi ... -prod92057) for trail centre usage, but that would probably also get very hot.

I've got one of those. It would be bloody hot wearing it on a pushbike. Round a trail centre in summer it would be unbearable, and you'd probably end up testing it when you crashed due to dehydration and exhaustion.