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What are people using for upper body armour?
Looking for some soft - D30 or whatever equivilent - armour for the torso, for UK (recreational) downhill, (race) enduro, and alpine holidays. My main desire is elbow pads that dont end up around the wrists or cut of circulation to the hands, or both.
Alternatively, anyone got any elbow guards that actually fit, and go under a slimish jersey?
Back protection is a nice secondary benefit obviously, but I'm too much of a mincer to be tomahawling myself into rock gardens, low speed topple or medium speed slide out are likely to be how I go down.
Hoping to buy over the winter (at a discount if possible) sometime, so not necessarily wedded to whats in stock/on offer now.
My main desire is elbow pads that dont end up around the wrists or cut of circulation to the hands, or both.
Just get decent elbow pads... Fox Launch Pro fit me.
Back protection is a nice secondary benefit obviously, but I’m too much of a mincer to be tomahawling myself into rock gardens, low speed topple or medium speed slide out are likely to be how I go down.
You rarely get to plan your big crashes.
After the head the spine is pretty important.
I've got a slim D30 and a Leatt fusion with a mix. Mostly they have come in when I least expected it.
Dakine Slayer elbow pads are the best I've used for not ending up dangling at my wrists.
Quite close fitting too.
What other areas do you want to protect? Shoulders?
What other areas do you want to protect? Shoulders?
Yes, shoulders good idea, chest maybe also.
Noticed all the cool kids now wearing moto roost guards/back guards (with short sleeve shirts and no elbow pads). Don't know if this is medically driven advice or someone famous got a really specific injury without one or just fashion...
anything around the kidneys/belly I think would be an issue with endurobubbag compatibility.
I'm a fan of the TLD 7850 with some RF Elbow pads.
I have no experience with shirts, but I have Leatt Airflex elbow pads. I've crashed on them thrice do far, and they've been where they need to be and stayed there when hit.
The last one was very instructive: I fell on a round rock forearm first and stopped with my upper arm sandwiched between torso and the rock. I had scratches on the forearm, but they stopped where the pad starts and continued after my elbow joint where it stops
I've go one of these (size M I think?) hanging in a cupboard if you're interested - not been used for quite a few years.
I have a VPD Air Tee. It's good, combined with separate elbow pads (I have POCs), and I find the fit is better than when I've used all in one jackets - plus you can use elbow pads too for more regular riding - I use mine pretty much all the time now, but I'd never where the spine/body protector for regular trail riding.
Noticed all the cool kids now wearing moto roost guards/back guards (with short sleeve shirts and no elbow pads). Don’t know if this is medically driven advice or someone famous got a really specific injury without one or just fashion…
I don't think I ever landed on an elbow even if I did what's the worst that could happen?
(unless you absolutely need both arms for work). I wear elbow pads because for me subconciously trying not to hit my elbows and breaking a wrist, clavicle or dislocating another shoulder.
On the other hand I land on my back plenty... and it only really takes a hard rock or something in a backback to leave you paraplegic.
Two mates have torn spleens and one of them intestines as well fractured ribs and attendant risk. (Mates wife broke ribs)
I use an Alpinestars Paragon pro, good upper body coverage and comfortable on. only downsides are fixed armour and not machine washable.
The only elbow pads I've ever owned that don't end up around my wrists are a pair of VPD 2.0 air.
i have used a s661 d30 thing for a while 3 years or so, for DH and Endurooooo. It was decent, but the zip died
https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/clothing/armour-and-pads/suit/sixsixone-evo-armour-jacket-review/ (short sleeve version)
i like the shoulder and back protection, but the chest part was non existent almost. I crashed hard one day year or so ago and started wearing poc vpd lite elbow pads, which dont slip on me. i dont always wear them, but try to for DH days.
I now wear a TLD roost guard as it is super super comfortble, so i wear it more than the 661. a lot of my friends wear the poc vpd chect and back system
I’ve just bought a Face Face Flank D30 which is a body fit t with D30 armour for spine and shoulders and some weird superman-esque foam pad over the chest that handily keeps the nipples exposed...
I'm not sure there's much point to anything that would be cool enough to pedal in.
Knee and elbow pads are most useful in preventing skin being torn and blood drawn, IME. Though I do like chunky knee pads that can take a bit of the sting out of landing on rocks.
My shoulder's still slightly sore from when I did a steezy hip jump into a tree about six weeks ago, I don't think a thin layer of D30 would have helped that much.
Interested to hear if others have found differently though.
So after a big crash at BPW recently I realized that a broken wrist and (more) broken ribs) isn't fun..
I always wear a helmet, rarely wear knee pads, and that's it..
I've decided that whilst i'm healing, I'm going to wear a thin protective vest thing for the shoulders and trunk..
I've gone for a TLD armored vest thing.. it's just like a thick t shirt, and rather light weight
Quite looking forward to wearing it at bike parks adn the odd rocky enduro race!
DrP
Thanks for the offer NS but the hard armour I imagine will just end up in the back of my cupboard too. Especially as it doesnt look like I'll be getting on an uplift bus or ski lift any time soon.
For the separate elbow option - any recomendations for pads with an adjustable velcro band above the elbow? Most recomendations so far seem to be of the elasticated only variety, which I've found to not really work for my arm shape.
I think a variety of stuff is the best bet - then you can use the bits that work for the weather and trails.
For summer enduro type trails I just wear knee pads and an open face. If it’s not super hot I’ll wear elbow pads as well. If I’m riding at Wind Hill I’ll wear a full face, elbow pads and knee pads. At BPW and Wind Hill in the winter I also wear a Leatt motocross base layer with D30 shoulder pads (landed on my shoulder several tunes in the past and this protects that without being too hot elsewhere).
For full on uplifted DH or something like Megavalanche I’d add a Fox roostguard - they do one that has CE level back and rub protection, and many of the kids wear these - it’s not just a roost guard.
The all in one solutions seem a bit sweaty for everyday use.
JP
I have a Scott one, like a mesh stretch base layer with removable d3o elbows and shoulders, and a massive d3o back pad like a side of a salmon.
I get arm pump whenever I wear any kind of elbow pad, but this thing works for me, sounds like what you're looking for.
IXS trigger is really really comfy. I've had dainese, 661 evo compression and some crappy brand x stuff and the IXS is way less intrusive, cooler, and more low profile. Expensive but I got a good deal from the ebay wiggle returns shop...