Dual sport / dirt gear recommendations

[SwiftTone]

Getting into the dirty stuff. My 150k miles worth of experience has all been on pavement. So I'm really lost on gear choice in the category. Since I'm riding a dual sport and likely to be riding to and from the trails I'd like to not look ridiculous doing so. Also since I'll be riding on the road I'll prob need some abrasion protection as well. Haven't actually bought anything other Scorpion AT950 helmet.

So far my gear list is:
- Klim Dakar jersey
- Klim Dakar jacket
- Klim Dakar pants (in or out of boot??)

I'm a bit lost on these items:
- Boots - I find Dainese sport boots fit me the best, and I really like boots that have hinged ankles, as well as hard parts to prevent lateral movement. Which boots fit like Dainese and have hinged ankles and parts to prevent lateral movement? Worth it to go waterproof even when not riding in the rain or just get Gore-Tex socks? Also something that is lower profile, semi comfortable for walking and under $425. So far I've come up with Sidi X-3
- Torso armor - hard or soft? jacket or vest? I think the Alpinestars Bionic Tech V2 for hard or Bionic Pro V2 for soft looks good. Pros and cons of these jackets as well as these styles? Do these get hot since riding speed is lower than road riding?
- Butt and hip armor - Seems to me its all soft for these? recommendations?
- Knee armor - Do I need additional shin protection if I have knee braces and boots? Low profile recommendations?
- Pants - in or out of boots? Pros and con of each?

Feeling like a total n00b. Help me out will ya??

[loudbeard]

I have a bunch of Klim gear and it’s all been great, I prefer over the boot.

AStars Tech 7 Enduro boots

[gumby]

My 150k miles worth of experience has all been on pavement.

That's quite impressive for the youngster you are. Damn impressive.

[SRTie4k]

I'll just list what I wear. This is after quite a bit of research trying to figure out the best outfit for dual sport riding.

The most important thing to remember is that dual sport riding is more often slow and technical vs adventure riding, so you will definitely want gear that flows tons of air. I started out trying to wear my adventure gear (Rev'It Tornado jacket and pants) and quickly overheated in the slow technical stuff.

Leatt 3DF AirFit body protector - I really like this thing, it's all mesh with viscoelastic foam armor, which means flows tons of air and has good protection. I did modify it with different armor, but out of the box it's still great.
Klim Dakar/Mojave jersey - I wear these over the top of the Leatt body protector for more abrasion protection. The Dakar is for slightly colder weather (works well at 50-70), and the Mojave for hot weather (70+).
Bohn Armored Mesh pants - I wear these over my base layer and under my pants, as they have armor in 7 or so spots and don't flop around like in-the-pant armor. I tried knee pads (EVS TP199) but they were stiflingly hot comparatively. These flow lots of air.
Klim Mojave pants - There are merely ok, they don't really flow enough air IMO but they are well armored. I actually like my Rev'It Tornado pants better for airflow, but those have armor in them so I keep them for adventure riding. I chose OTB because I somehow end up frequently riding through standing water and I don't like water in my boots.
Alpinestars Toucan - Great dual sport boots with enough armor and comfortable to walk in as well. They are waterproof so do get hot, but with a pair of light Merino wool socks it's not a big deal. They are expensive, though. I'm also partial to the Gaerne Fastback Enduro's, they look like really nice boots for not too much money.
Klim Aggressor -1.0 Cool base layers - I'm a convert to the layering concept, so I wear these in hot weather as a base layer. They are comfy and flow tons of air, and when it gets ridiculously hot out I dip the shirt in a stream and it's like having AC.

[typeone]

what sizes are you? i have a handful of dirt/DS gear i'd let go for some beer in trade if you're interested in used at all.

-----

- Boots - i personally wear Gaerne SG12s for dirt but if you want more flex, less weight and cost, check out the Sidi Agueda
- Torso armor - i'm still using hard chest protectors (Leatt) that go over a jersey. they flow more air for me and are quick to remove in hot weather during breaks.
- Butt and hip armor - look into base layer pants or shorts like the Troy Lee Shock Doctor stuff, i love the LLP and LLS lines. i wear the LPP5705 HW pants year round
- Knee armor - on my second set of Leatt Dual Axis kneeguards, fantastic fit, durability and protection
- Pants - i wear in-the-boot but used to do over-the-boot for a while as well. in-the-boot are lighter and stay tucked in closer so nothing flapping or snagging. over-the-boot will protect a bit more from water running down into your boot but i found they get very heavy in wet conditions and eventually snag and tear during off-road use. dry sumo/DS rides no issue. (TLD + Thor)

i agree with SRTie4k on layering ... a compression base layer goes a long way to keeping you feeling 'tight' throughout the ride and wicks sweat.

[SwiftTone]

I have a bunch of Klim gear and it’s all been great, I prefer over the boot.

AStars Tech 7 Enduro boots

Why over the boot pants?

Did some research into the Tech 7 Enduro. Seems to be a good boot for my purposes. Seems a bit bulky compared to the X-3 and the styling seems more loud but thats just personal preference. Also for similar price the Gaerne and Sidi boots are made in Italy which score some points. Don't know if Italian made boots actually better or it's just in the head. What don't you like about your Tech 7s?

[ZX-12R]

Why over the boot pants?

I prefer them for several reasons.

• More options for larger individuals
• Works better for people with large calves
• Keeps water and dirt out of your boots better
• Warmer options tend to be available
• Tend to have more pockets
• Tend to have more configurable vent options

Most of the in the boot pants I've found are focused on being minimalistic for racing purposes. Over the boot pants tend to better accommodate non-competitive riders who need to carry things, ride in varying climates, and provide more creature comforts at the expense of some weight.

[SwiftTone]

I'll just list what I wear. This is after quite a bit of research trying to figure out the best outfit for dual sport riding.

The most important thing to remember is that dual sport riding is more often slow and technical vs adventure riding, so you will definitely want gear that flows tons of air. I started out trying to wear my adventure gear (Rev'It Tornado jacket and pants) and quickly overheated in the slow technical stuff.

Leatt 3DF AirFit body protector - I really like this thing, it's all mesh with viscoelastic foam armor, which means flows tons of air and has good protection. I did modify it with different armor, but out of the box it's still great.
Klim Dakar/Mojave jersey - I wear these over the top of the Leatt body protector for more abrasion protection. The Dakar is for slightly colder weather (works well at 50-70), and the Mojave for hot weather (70+).
Bohn Armored Mesh pants - I wear these over my base layer and under my pants, as they have armor in 7 or so spots and don't flop around like in-the-pant armor. I tried knee pads (EVS TP199) but they were stiflingly hot comparatively. These flow lots of air.
Klim Mojave pants - There are merely ok, they don't really flow enough air IMO but they are well armored. I actually like my Rev'It Tornado pants better for airflow, but those have armor in them so I keep them for adventure riding. I chose OTB because I somehow end up frequently riding through standing water and I don't like water in my boots.
Alpinestars Toucan - Great dual sport boots with enough armor and comfortable to walk in as well. They are waterproof so do get hot, but with a pair of light Merino wool socks it's not a big deal. They are expensive, though. I'm also partial to the Gaerne Fastback Enduro's, they look like really nice boots for not too much money.
Klim Aggressor -1.0 Cool base layers - I'm a convert to the layering concept, so I wear these in hot weather as a base layer. They are comfy and flow tons of air, and when it gets ridiculously hot out I dip the shirt in a stream and it's like having AC.

What was your reason to go with soft vs hard armor in the torso?

Surprising that you can ride down to the 50s in any jersey. Probably because my mindset is still in road moad where 50s on the highway means I'll be layering up. Are jerseys already sized with armor in mind? Meaning if I usually wear medium would I order medium if I intent to wear armor underneath? Also, any benefit of wearing armor under or over the jersey?

Mojave pants - are you talking about the knee armor? These look like its their 2nd to coolest pants. What temperature do you find these hot?

[SwiftTone]

what sizes are you? i have a handful of dirt/DS gear i'd let go for some beer in trade if you're interested in used at all.

-----

- Boots - i personally wear Gaerne SG12s for dirt but if you want more flex, less weight and cost, check out the Sidi Agueda
- Torso armor - i'm still using hard chest protectors (Leatt) that go over a jersey. they flow more air for me and are quick to remove in hot weather during breaks.
- Butt and hip armor - look into base layer pants or shorts like the Troy Lee Shock Doctor stuff, i love the LLP and LLS lines. i wear the LPP5705 HW pants year round
- Knee armor - on my second set of Leatt Dual Axis kneeguards, fantastic fit, durability and protection
- Pants - i wear in-the-boot but used to do over-the-boot for a while as well. in-the-boot are lighter and stay tucked in closer so nothing flapping or snagging. over-the-boot will protect a bit more from water running down into your boot but i found they get very heavy in wet conditions and eventually snag and tear during off-road use. dry sumo/DS rides no issue. (TLD + Thor)

i agree with SRTie4k on layering ... a compression base layer goes a long way to keeping you feeling 'tight' throughout the ride and wicks sweat.

I'm about a US 9.5/EU43 boots. 6' 175lbs.

Torso armor: Are any designed to be worn specifically over or under jersey or just user choice?

SG12 seem to come up often for recommendations. Will see if there are any local deals where I can try them on.

I always wear Underarmor type base layers but non compression. They tend to ride up and not stay in place for me.

[SRTie4k]

What was your reason to go with soft vs hard armor in the torso?

Surprising that you can ride down to the 50s in any jersey. Probably because my mindset is still in road moad where 50s on the highway means I'll be layering up. Are jerseys already sized with armor in mind? Meaning if I usually wear medium would I order medium if I intent to wear armor underneath? Also, any benefit of wearing armor under or over the jersey?

Mojave pants - are you talking about the knee armor? These look like its their 2nd to coolest pants. What temperature do you find these hot?

The choice of soft armor was primarily because I'm riding a CRF250L on only moderately technical class 6 roads and pavement, so not high speed in highly technical rocky terrain, and not enough power to whiskey throttle myself into looping it. The chance of falling on rocks hard is pretty minimal, and soft armor is way more pliable, comfortable and better at absorbing the type of fall that I would most likely be in.

The last time I rode in the 50's was on the Flatlander, which has minimal pavement and mostly low speeds. It was a little cold when we did hit pavement, but I eventually switched to my Mojave regardless because the technical work was so much more involved.

As for jersey sizing, I wear a Klim XL over my Leatt body protector, and it's still a somewhat loose fit (I'm 6'2" 225lb 44" chest). If I was wearing armor over the jersey, I'd go by the sizing guide (which I believe says I'd be in a Large). Like I said I wear it over the armor for the abrasion protection for the road side of dual sport riding, but you can of course do the opposite, although I'd want hard armor over the top in that case (although I'm not crazy about the idea of landing on pavement in hard armor).

As for the Mojave's, I don't run armor in the pant, I run an armored mesh pant under the Mojaves. Yes they are supposed to be free flowing, but the only mesh panels on the pants are above the knee, so you don't get all that much airflow when seated and less than other mesh pants I have when standing. I wish it had mesh on the lower leg. The Baja might be better for that, but it's also very expensive.

[SwiftTone]

I have a bunch of Klim gear and it’s all been great, I prefer over the boot.

AStars Tech 7 Enduro boots

Picked up my first piece dirt gear which is a pair of Tech 7 Enduros. I'm usually a 9.5 but they don't do half sizes. Seems to feel fine walking around the house. Still dialing in the fit.

I haven't been one to get colored gear but going a different direction this time and love the color combinations on these boots.

[Yev]

Those look dope, man!