[Closed] Is Motocross armour overkill for bike parks like Dyfi or BPW?

Whatever makes you feel most comfy. but I think you'd be OK with the Fox gear personally.

It's not overkill if that's what you want to wear and feel comfortable.

It's not fashionable these days but we used to wear full 661 pressure suit type things when pushing up at Gethin etc, before it was BPW.

The speeds you get at bpw are pretty full on. Friendly, flowy tracks, but lots of speed. Crashing is not ideal.

To me MX armour is more for crosser rock roost than for bike crashing protection. I'd choose a Leatt neck brace rather than armour, decent knee pads and optional elbow pads. Decent full face and long finger gloves.

Its all about how you perceive the risk. Personally I think its over-kill. It probably wont stop you breaking a collar bone, it will probably stop rock rash. There are lots of ways to crash, nothing is 100% safe.

Years ago I tried wearing mine while in the Alps - found it uncomfortable and it did nothing to change my attitude to risk/reward/riding, so I stopped using it. Since then Ive fallen off loads, all my crashes would not have been really any different if I had kept wearing it.

I used to race off road motorcycles, the speed when you crashed was so much higher, any protection could be a life or bone saver. On my MTB things go wrong at a much lower speed, so the consequences are lower. Of course, its personal perception that matters.

Some riders feel the protection makes them take more risks - that could be worse than not wearing it.

I was going to answer 'overkill', but then realised I'm the wrong person to ask....I don't even wear a full face at BPW 😉
Decent trail helmet, knee pads, and sometimes elbow protection if I'm feeling fruity.

Personally it's all about perceived risk and protection.
I've ridden BPW and the like with mates who are storm-troopered up to the hilt, and they've had far worse crashes and injuries than me, even though we're going the same speed.
I think over protection gives a sense of invulnerability that makes you a) take more risks, and b) take your eye off the ball.

Be prepared to sweat & get exhausted

I hear you on that!
Years ago I came off on a blue at BPW (think it was Willy Waver) - landed on my shoulder at speed and destroyed it... badly.

Yeah, I don’t think any armour would’ve helped.

Maybe just a back protector is the way to go. Less likely to boil in it and still relatively comfy while protecting something pretty life-changing if it goes wrong.

Thanks for the opinions as always! 👍🏼

I was at BPW today. I wore my fullface and Fox Titan body armour. The speeds are so much higher than my normal trails that it just doesn't seem right not to. One of the group (the fastest) came off three times today. The first two were innocuous front end washouts but the third was a biggie; it trashed his helmet and his shirt and left him winded even tough he was wearing armour underneath. Would it have been worse without the armour? No idea, but the FF definitely paid for itself; the chin piece took the brunt of the landing and probably saved his teeth.

@doomanic - This might seem an odd question... Do you wear a layer under the Fox titan, over it, etc?

With BPW wear what you feel comfortable in, uplift gives you that ability to go overboard if you want, last week i was there and had the full facer, fox raceframe and pads, it's all about what risk you perceive and how best to mitigate.

If you're going there any keeping well within your limits then lighter stuff can be the option, but i don't know many who go to places like BPW and don't do the opposite, i.e. go past their limit, so good protection is a must!

@zeesaffa I wear a wicking base layer under it to protect my nipples from chafing and usually wear a long sleeve top over the top of it but it was uncomfortably hot and humid today. I probably looked like a wannabe but I don’t care.

Wear whatever makes you comfortable, you could spend the rest of your life bed ridden eating through a straw from an awkward fall on your local trails at walking pace, it's all about how you land and what you land on. The motocross style armour should give you a higher level of abrasion resistance and puncture resistance (provided whatever skewers you didn't miss the armour on its way in) but don't expect miracles from a few millimetres of foam whatever you wear.

Personally if I'm out with mates then the body armour and full face will be on. On my own on local trails then elbow/knee pads and trail lid, it's surprising how easy it is to end up sat on your arse 😀

Forcefield do a D30 based suit with back, chest, shoulder and elbow armour. I use one Enduro riding on the motorbike. Pretty comfy and gives a fair amount of protection.

Its way cooler and comfy than my old Dianese solid armour suit.

There are times when I am going pretty much as fast on the MTB than I do on the Husqvarna. I also get further from the ground on the MTB, though that's because I am rubbish riding the Enduro bike 🙂

just to echo most comments, whatever you are most comfortable in. I used to armour up, until I realised having all that clobber on was actually restricting my movements (or it felt like it was).

These days I only wear a lid and knee pads no matter where I am riding. This allows me to ride in total comfort, but also not give me that perception of being indestructible.

Would I hit bigger features if I had riot gear on.... questionable, as I know my limits.

Maybe do a few runs fully armoured up, then remove as you get more comfortable or confident.... or the opposite, start with little, hits the blues, and as the trails increase in difficulty you increase the protection worn?

I bought the Forcefield but it's so so so hot.
The 661 pressure suit is a mesh material and far better for heat, but still damn hot.

My rule is, if I'm taking a full face, I'm taking full armour

I still wear my 661 Pressure suit when heading to any bike park. It does look like overkill compared to what everyone else wear's but it gives me more confidence when hitting big jumps.

For BPW, Windhill, Black mountain or anywhere i'm getting airborne, I wear an under layer to stop chaffage on the nips but I might just use plasters next time, then a TLD HW shirt which is enough protection for most offs.

I wear TLD knee pads and some Raceface elbows.

I have a Fox Pro-frame which is great as a Full face as its not too warm.

When I ride dirtbikes I wear an Acerbis armour suit, but rarely pit anything over the top. Too hot.

Well, there are lots of different kinds of moto protection. I’d say it’s better than nothing.
At the same time, a roost guard is designed for that, not really for crashing. So I prefer a Shoulder+back protector shirt, with flexible protectors. It feels great, not really bultig, doesn’t restrict me at all, no weird edges sticking up like a roost guard. And gives more protection where you need it: on the shoulders.
Hip/tailbone protection shorts with the soft padding.
Then some bigger knee-shin combo pads from IXS. I stick with my low profile, vented trail riding elbow pads.

All this is much more low profile/flexible than most moto gear, yet gives excellent protection.
Still doesn’t prevent all injuries.

I'm feeling under protected.

I still wear my brand x bodyarmour suit at the bike park on doing dh.not very fashionable I know but I don't care