New dirt rider advice

[nhbubba]

The jackets have back protection. Some use plastic roost protectors that are effectively back protection too. Again, I prefer the jackets.
JC has done this once or twice. I'd advise anyone that hasn't to suit up and expect the worse until you know what you're up against.
I'm not up to his level of confidence yet. If I tried I'd take a digger and wreck my elbow.

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I want a track toy.

And a trailer.

And a truck.

Everyone needs these things.

FWIW, that's a 2003 tank, 2nd gen.

That's funny. It looks exactly like every other first gen tank I've seen since.

[-Dutch-]

Copper is a dead giveaway, only available in '03.

[nhbubba]

Looked again, you may be right. Top of the other two gen 2 tanks I have have a slight crease to their tops but the one off the orange mess does not.
Whatever, it works.

[aldend123]

A protective 'suit' seems quicker to get on compared to separates and it'll help hold the elbow pads in place. But it is hotter. Skip the over shirt in this heat and just wear the suit. If you're looking at knee pads, consider how they'll interact with your boots. Some wear longer pads and tuck them in their boot. I have a pair right now that is above, but after several hard downhills, they start to wonder downward. I wonder if I should have gone with a hard pad and wedged it in to the boot. I rode without knee pads for a while because I knew they'd bother me the most. I smashed my knee three times, finally in to a tree at speed. Bought knee pads when I got home. Months later, something still doesn't feel right.

Despite not living in a hot climate, I look straight for the 'hot weather' products. Mesh, perforation, venting, thinner materials. If you're just wearing a shirt and pants, then maybe regular weather gear is fine. But once you're covered with protective stuff, you want the lightest most breathable stuff possible.

I've started to wonder how much all the padding can do when considering the odds of all the types of injuries. I don't care about getting hurt, I care about injury. Is padding going to stop broken bones? Or just give me protection over large bruises?

Neck protection. Some wear, most don't. I have a brace I really should be wearing, yet never have. You can go as simple as a foam neck roll. Again, few wear these.

I thought the jury was still out on neck braces, and neck rolls were mostly useless? I was reading quite a bit about these recently and decided there didn't seem like strong enough evidence to support using one. But I was kinda looking for excuses to not have another item of gear.

[nhbubba]

I don't understand how the "jury is out" on neck support. The advantages seem obvious. And then so do the downsides; less mobility, weight, discomfort. In my opinion it is a tradeoff between comfort and protection. Just like any other gear choice.

Knock on wood, my bones don't break that easily. Somehow I've gotten away with doing some really stupid things w/o breaking anything. But I do have all kinds of joint problems. Hyperextension, twists, severe sprains. This is why most of the crap I wear nowadays is more brace than pad. My Leatt articulated knee brace is now my favorite bit of kit, except for the chafing. Well, that and the boots.

[typeone]

Jewcati, what size helmet are you? i have a nice Troy Lee Designs Air helmet (Medium) i don't use, was going to post for sale. i've also got full sets of jersey/pants and goggles but the sizing is prob too small... M jersey, 34 pant.

on gear, i wear all of it, always have. it takes time to find what works for you, conditions are brutal (long hours in cold, heat, mud, silt, sand, water/rain) so you never know what's going to chafe 'n cut or just be uncomfortable.

on the chafe, try Under Armor heat gear as a barrier. works great. i want to start wearing the super tall knee brace socks as well, my knees get cut to shit sometimes once sand/dirt gets behind the guard.

[Jewcati]

Jewcati, what size helmet are you? i have a nice Troy Lee Designs Air helmet (Medium) i don't use, was going to post for sale. i've also got full sets of jersey/pants and goggles but the sizing is prob too small... M jersey, 34 pant.

on gear, i wear all of it, always have. it takes time to find what works for you, conditions are brutal (long hours in cold, heat, mud, silt, sand, water/rain) so you never know what's going to chafe 'n cut or just be uncomfortable.

on the chafe, try Under Armor heat gear as a barrier. works great. i want to start wearing the super tall knee brace socks as well, my knees get cut to shit sometimes once sand/dirt gets behind the guard.

Unfortunately I am a small helmet and a large jersey! Damn....


'15 Mutistrada S
2009 Husquvarna WR 167

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[black]

Jewcati, what size helmet are you? i have a nice Troy Lee Designs Air helmet (Medium) i don't use, was going to post for sale. i've also got full sets of jersey/pants and goggles but the sizing is prob too small... M jersey, 34 pant.

on gear, i wear all of it, always have. it takes time to find what works for you, conditions are brutal (long hours in cold, heat, mud, silt, sand, water/rain) so you never know what's going to chafe 'n cut or just be uncomfortable.

on the chafe, try Under Armor heat gear as a barrier. works great. i want to start wearing the super tall knee brace socks as well, my knees get cut to shit sometimes once sand/dirt gets behind the guard.

plus 1 on the under armour barrier then i just wear my armor on top of this ( Leatt everything, fits great and i've taken plenty of good spills.)

[csmutty]

Sooo did you take it for a rip around the yard yet??

[Jewcati]

Sooo did you take it for a rip around the yard yet??

Not yet been slammed with family stuff. Also, don't think my wife would be too happy if I ripped up our yard...


'15 Mutistrada S
2009 Husquvarna WR 167

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[typeone]

bah! yards are meant for rippin up

[Jewcati]

bah! yards are meant for rippin up

I finally got that kickstand on...shit, that was not easy


'15 Mutistrada S
2009 Husquvarna WR 167

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Paul_E_D]

Back protector needed?


'15 Mutistrada S
2009 Husquvarna WR 167

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

For me it sure is. THe leatt adventure chest/back protector is a CE2 level spine protector. It's heavy, but I have already tested it's effectiveness numerous times. I am a believer in neck protection too. I use a cheaper, less rigid setup than the leatt but it still integrates with my leatt chest protector and has definite benefits both when the going gets rough.

[nhbubba]

I tried to use my neck brace for the first time today.... found out I cannot wear my camelbak with it! Douh.
Hydration won the day. Shocked the universe didn't give me a neck injury just for tempting it this way.

Good call on the UA stuff. May go ahead and order a pair of those.

[loudbeard]

I tried to use my neck brace for the first time today.... found out I cannot wear my camelbak with it! Douh.

Get yourself a Fannypack! I'm serious. I wear one with the pouch facing rear and I can fit a couple bottles of water in there. As a large land dwelling animal, I require a lot of water when riding, never really liked wearing my camelback even with just a standard chest protector.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

[Paul_E_D]

Camelbacks burst when crashed and while it does cool you off quickly, it is no longer effective for hydration... I now carry bottles in my camelback pack. I'm looking at the nicer fanny pack options though. Shoulder straps and protective gear sorta sucks.

[typeone]

hmm, my USWE water pack and Leatt neckbrace with Leatt chest protector integrate very nicely. where was the interference?

people wear braces in different ways, i prefer the brace under the CP with extra plastic removed or shaped. having the brace float on top of the CP would interfere with my helmet too much.

[typeone]

Camelbacks burst when crashed and while it does cool you off quickly, it is no longer effective for hydration... I now carry bottles in my camelback pack. I'm looking at the nicer fanny pack options though. Shoulder straps and protective gear sorta sucks.

check out USWE for packs, the bladders are very nice. tough construction, freezable, etc. love mine. 100x better than my old Moose i wore for years.

[isaac_]

Camelbacks burst when crashed and while it does cool you off quickly, it is no longer effective for hydration... I now carry bottles in my camelback pack. I'm looking at the nicer fanny pack options though. Shoulder straps and protective gear sorta sucks.

What were you saying your protective gear was? After that high side, I'm thinking I want neck protection. Also what chest protector do you have? It looks way more comfortable than mine.

[typeone]

I finally got that kickstand on...shit, that was not easy

should have been cake ... unless you don't own a spring puller

[Paul_E_D]

I have the Leatt adv chest guard. They make a few versions with almost the same name. Mine is the one actually designed for road use as it is CEII level on the back protector. It is way more than a roost guard.

I have an EVS neck guard but plan to upgrade to the Atlas. I have read up on all of them and I believe this one hits the sweet spot for rigidity vs flex.

[number9]

Almost every time I've crashed on woods trails I land on my elbows or my ribs. I've been using this Titan Sport Jacket body armor from Fox and really like it. Yeah, it's a little hot, but that beats broken bones. I picked it as it had by far the most reviews (and most positive reviews) on Rocky Mountain.

I'm also using an entry-level neck brace from Leatt, I think an older-style Leatt GPX. I picked it up used from Craigslist and to be honest it's worked really well. I've landed on my head a couple of times - admittedly from slow speeds - and I'm very happy with how it's worked. You want to make sure that your neck brace will work with your chest protector/body armor, most manufacturers will tell you whose works with what.

[nhbubba]

I usually land on my hands or knees. My wrists love me. Its an instinct I just can't seem to kill.

Never had a problem with the hydro pack bursting. Guess I'll expect that to happen on the hottest day.

Interference with the brace was at the back, top of the pack, right about where you'd expect. I spent a solid 30 or 40 seconds trying to tuck the brace under the top of the pack or vice versa before tearing it all off in a huff and exclaiming "fuck it". I mean, I was really patient. I'll screw with it again someday when I have a few min. I'm not a small human and with gear under the straps on the pack are extended all the way out. Not sure I'd tried this brace (atlas) with the new jacket I bought (fox) or if I had tried it with the old shit (evs) jacket I had before. Maybe it fit better on the flimsy evs jacket. Can't remember anymore.

Are any of you guys are making these braces work with packs?

Maybe I'll consider the fanny pack. I see the market has responded to the factor by calling these things "enduro" and "scramble" packs. So much more badass when you change the name. I've seen experienced looking trail bosses with these before. Having the hydration straw on your lapel is frickin' awesome though. I'm not the fast guy in the pack and usually only get a moment for a snort of water as I catch up to the group. Very reluctant to give up my hydration pack. Camelbak Mule with a Moose fender tool pack stuffed in it has proven to be just about the perfect size for my use.

[isaac_]

I have the Leatt adv chest guard. They make a few versions with almost the same name. Mine is the one actually designed for road use as it is CEII level on the back protector. It is way more than a roost guard.

I have an EVS neck guard but plan to upgrade to the Atlas. I have read up on all of them and I believe this one hits the sweet spot for rigidity vs flex.

Lemme know when you upgrade your neck gear I'll take what you have now off your hands.

[number9]

Let's say I have a friend who already has a KTM woods bike but also wants to get a dedicated KTM MX bike.. should I they get a two-stroke or four-stroke? Was thinking of a 125SX or 250SX or 250SX-F or 450SX-F.. would like to spend under $3k.