[Closed] Padded-short-trackworld! Of the hip saving DH/enduro variety

Have some old 661 ones that have been fine and saved my ass bone from agony when landing in a sitting position. They'd do nothing for your hips, though and the coccyx protector isn't the best thing to have between you and the saddle when seated. Defnly uplift only items

I've got some snowboard crash pants, forcefield boom shorts I think there called. Never used in the bike just for snowboarding, made with the d30 material that might be useful

RaceFace ambush are very good, but no tailbone protection.

I've got some 661 shorts that have padding down the outside and tailbone. They're actually fine to pedal in apart from the lack of chamois and they're thin enough you could probably wear some lightweight bibs under them and baggies on top and not cook in the UK at least.

POC do some with some convincingly thick hip+coccyx pads and a tragically tiny chammy. I just got some (having got bursitis after a previous crash). Had a couple of rides, no falls yet; they seem comfy enough for uphill though might feel the lack of a bigger chammy on all day epics. 100 squids.

Previously I had some troy lee ones with thin hip+coccyx pads and a better chammy. Served me well, pads thin but better than nothing, lasted several years. Cost me 35 squids new on ebay.

I think Fox also do some with padding + chammy, haven't seen them IRL though.
Price somewhere between the two. Someone has done a comparative writeup (on a forum post) of these vs the POC if you have a google around.

Race Face Flank

Proper 3D eyetalian chamois and removeable D30 goodness

No tailbone protection tho

(disclaimer- my requirements might be different to others as I'm trying to protect the bolt heads in my hip, and my badly healed coccyx, mostly)

The POCs are imo a bit spoiled by the wee chamois- too small to be useful so it just messes up your options, they seemed good otherwise. Personally I don't use a chamois because I have buns of steel but if you do I can't see it being helpful.

661 Bomber Evo- the D30 ones- are pretty minimal, they feel mostly just like a warm pair of lycras in use. But the protection's not quite right on me, the pads are good, and decent sized, but not really in the right places. I want more hip and coccyx, less thigh, the hip coverage is fairly gappy. But they've still seemed effective when I've crashed in them and the minimal impact is really good. I can wear them for everyday riding, enduro racing and the like, they're sweatier than normal but livable with

661 standard Bombers are much bulkier but have fuller coverage. I only ever wear these for dh, I don't consider them all-day-pedallable at all. But they inspire a lot more confidence.

I had some old 661 ones which where pretty lightweight, padded on the hips/thighs with a small section for the tailbone. They performed well when needed.

FWIW I don't think tailbone padding on cycle specific shorts is really needed, you have to have some strange body contortion to land in this way, plus it will get in the way when seated.

razorrazoo - Member

FWIW I don't think tailbone padding on cycle specific shorts is really needed, you have to have some strange body contortion to land in this way, plus it will get in the way when seated.

I broke mine in a heroic over-manual, straight over the back 😆 But I hit it really badly in an over-the-bars, not that hard to arrange- landing in a sort of seated position but leaning back a bit will do it. Course, that's a big momentum hit, I broke mine with my weight rather than really breaking it with what I hit so I've no real confidence that padding would have helped.

Ouch. I didn't break mine but bruised it so badly I could hardly walk for a week, and that was in the troy lee shorts. Weight too far back when taking off for a steep jump. Like you say though the problem is mostly my weight - I landed on a flat surface - though I guess padding might take the sting away if there was an edge of rock in there?

I have got a set of the forcefield ones. Not the snowboard ones though. Can't remember the name.
They were about 80 quid but they are fantastic. Had a small incident at fod and they protected my hip really well

Interesting discussion. Subscribed for reference.

I've got some TLD lp7605 ones, really comfy, and have been saving me some nasty rocky incidents at the mega, not cheap but well worth the money

snowboard shorts?

I've some fox. I find it's more price of mind. Though they do help.

I'm the same 12screws in my pelvis and a hip replacement.

Race Face Flank

The D3O doesn't really sit on your hips, and they sit really low at the back. I'm right by the size chart.

Thanks for the input folks, much appreciated 🙂

I use these under my shorts

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/one-industries-exo-short/rp-prod129863