Protective Gear?

[Frank]

Protective gear?

I wear the basic helmet, goggles, elbow guards, roost protector, gloves, knee guards, boots, and yes, jersey and pants. My question is what are some of the more experienced riders wearing?

I have recently felt like my sides were bouncing around a lot and came across kidney belts. Here is an interesting article. http://www.easterndirt.com/?p=1080 What is your input?

[Btrigg88]

Wow! Once I scrolled down the article a bit I kind of lost my concentration.

Seems like a lot of the top guys don't wear much pro at all. Maybe because they don't crash? They also tend to move around on the bike much more than the average guy. Im sure that limiting your range of movement and increasing heat next to the body will not improve lap times. It's sure not going to hurt to have more protection than not. I see a lot of road bike guys wearing kidney pro, but not that many woods racers. I would cover myself in bubble wrap if I could. Cause I crash a lot. I just went to a tek vest due to broken ribs. It's a huge improvement over roost guards. But it's heavy and hot.

[swedishfishmx]

Helmet- Shoei VFX-W. I would recommend a good high end helmet (Arai, Shoei, AGV, Airoh, 6D, etc). Honestly if I was in the market for a new helmet and price was no issue I would look at getting a 6D Helmet and nothing else.

Boots- This is another thing that I would not skimp on. Gaerne SG-10 or SG-12, Alpinestar Tech 8 or Tech 10, Sidi Crossfire, or basically anything with a pivoting ankle support system. Gone are the days of full leather boots, which do no offer the support needed.

Knee braces- I think having a decent pair of knee braces or good but not necessary. If you have had knee issues before then I would buy some, if not you can just wear some guards (just wear something)

Gear (pants/jersey/gloves/goggles)- Get a nice set of vented gear. You can find left over gear for pretty inexpensive if price is an issue. I like gloves that offer no real padding but my hands tend to pay the price if I haven't been riding enough. Goggles are a must and try to pick a brand that others use because this gives you a better chance of buying lenses/tear-offs from them. I use 100% goggles, much because of how they fit and the fact that the people I ride with all wear them too. I have a full stock of goggles, lenses, laminated tear-offs and roll-offs available.

Kidney Belt- I wear a kidney belt that I found in the garage. It's pretty old but works perfect. I like how it keeps my mid-section from bouncing around and gives some support to my back.

Chest Protector- Invest in one, any of them will do. Some fit better than others. I like the Fox Proframe chest protector because it allows me to wear my camelback underneath it. Leatt makes some great products, so just because you may not wear a neck brace doesn't mean you can't own a Leatt chest protector.

Everything else is not completely necessary. I tried elbow guards and they are so uncomfortable that I threw them off first chance I got.

[swedishfishmx]

Wow! Once I scrolled down the article a bit I kind of lost my concentration.

Seems like a lot of the top guys don't wear much pro at all. Maybe because they don't crash? They also tend to move around on the bike much more than the average guy. Im sure that limiting your range of movement and increasing heat next to the body will not improve lap times. It's sure not going to hurt to have more protection than not. I see a lot of road bike guys wearing kidney pro, but not that many woods racers. I would cover myself in bubble wrap if I could. Cause I crash a lot. I just went to a tek vest due to broken ribs. It's a huge improvement over roost guards. But it's heavy and hot.

Btrigg check this out: http://www.leatt-brace.com/index.php/ch ... e-november

It won't make you hot and it will be much more comfortable....not to mention a little more stylish .