Enduro/ADV crash gear

[Tekime]

So after a summer in the woods with the DR I've made a few personal discoveries:

1. Riding a dual sport in the woods is so fun I almost forgot about getting zero track days this year
2. My noob fear has ebbed, I'm getting comfortable enough to start being dangerous(er) to myself
3. I'll eventually bite it hard(er), get a stick in the chest, impaled on rocks, etc.
4. T-shirt isn't going to cut it any more

Looking for some good armor to protect the vitals (chest/ribs/back/shoulders) and maybe some pants for the knees/shins. Something I could wear all day, have pretty good range of movement/low bulk and maybe put a jacket over for longer/multiday trips.

What's the good stuff to look at? Anyone have experience with armored jackets for trail use or is there just no replacement for a full MX-style chest protector?

[Imbeek]

Pants won't protect your shins but knee/shin guards underneath any pants will...buy boots accordingly so the shin guards will fit in front. Boots and helmet are by far the most imortant pieces. All the other stuff (for dirt riding) wears out quick and doesn't protect all that much.

I tried the mesh armored jacket deal...WAY too hot for me, plus the arm tightness contributed to arm pump. Seems like a lot of people, including me, wear a chest and shoulder protector, either under or over the jersey. Personally, I look more for shoulder protection than roost/impaling stick protection.

[breakdirt916]

Boots: the most expensive you can afford. Why? The protection is absolutely necessary. Cheapest ones are $120 and feel like clogs. Adv style may be more comfortable

Body: mesh pressure jacket - why? hard plastic on all the major joints: chest/back/elbows/shoulders. No slide on elbows to cut off circulation to your forearms. Plastic MX roost guards are baggy and loose fitting.

Add Jersey if hot or any kind of warm jacket if cold on top(textile street jacket you may have is okay) or underarmour/smart wool as base layer.

MX pants aren't worth shit except for flexibility/comfort.

Bicycle shorts or hard plastic shorts for the hips. Why? Rocks aim for your hip bone.

Leatt knee guards: why? articulate around the knee and are ultra super comfortable for knee/shin and the knees are almost always one of the first things to make contact with the ground when you fall.

Gloves: lightest armored street gloves. Why? MX gloves are good for planting an herb garden. Your knuckles will thank you when you hit a tree and your palms will thank you when they are not embedded with rocks

[Tekime]

Currently using Forma Adventure boots, LS2 Pioneer helmet, random Fly MX pants that are extremely comfy, and Olympia street/summer gloves w/ some ok protection. Boots/helmet are great - Formas have taken some solid whacks but I did screw up my ankle badly on one fall. Light and comfortable but not the toughest boot around.

Just started wearing my textile Olympia shell w/ CE back/shoulder/elbow pads now that temps are dropping but I still wanted to peel it off a few times this weekend. Would really prefer something snug though - like a pressure/armored jacket... if they actually provide adequate protection. I'll try wearing plastic if it's significantly better.

Those Leatt knee guards look perfect.

I'm riding mostly tight trails, rocks, logs, mud, lots and lots of sticks... typical New England woods trails and power line trails I guess, not so much groomed trails/sandy stuff

[Chippertheripper]

The good stuff?

Boots: sidi crossfire or gearne sg10 or 12

Gear: it’s kind of subjective, but I mostly buy close out gear from Rocky Mountain. I’ve bought a bunch of mesh/vented sets this year because it breathes way better than the regular stuff I already have a bunch of. I have a lot of ripped jerseys, kind of goes with riding in the woods.

Chest plate: I’ve had an armor shirt. I’ve worn a normal chest protector my whole life. I just gotta leatt version that’s fairly snug, as designed. Much different and better. Better coverage for your ribs should you decide to try and harm them.

Gloves: I wear a size smaller than I normally would, and have lots of them. I like them snug so your hand doesn’t slide around inside and create friction when sweaty, leading to (more) blisters. On my smart days I still tape my thumbs.
I use bark busters, so I don’t care about armor.

I don’t wear armored shorts or bicycle shorts. Under armor spandexy undies. Again, I don’t want anything bunching up and creating friction or rub points anywhere on my body, but especially down there.

Helmet: duh. Upon recommendation I got a Mr jump. It’s very light and breathes about as good as anything I’ve ever worn. I’m on my 3rd one now. If it ain’t broke...

Goggles: are the worst. I hate them, but they’re a necessary evil. With contacts (don’t bother with over the glasses ones, you’ll fog in an instant) you need them. I usually rio a piece of foam out the tip to get some extra air into my face. Helps a bunch. Let’s in the rare caterpillar and dust too, but get the fuck out front and you don’t have to worry about dust.

Knee pads: I just got a set of the dual axis leatt ones everyone likes. I haven’t ridden them yet. The crappy old two strap knee/shin guards will move inside your pants during a crash. I’ve proven this over and over and over again.

I also like to cut the mesh liner out of my pants. It’s fucking useless anyways. More often than not I’ll wear a full spandex tight as a base layer. It doesn’t make you hot, it keeps key muscle groups together and supported, and it really helps eliminate chafing.


And duct tape on your nips. You don’t want chafing there either. Duct tape is cheap, and it peels off pretty easy when sweaty. And anybody that sees you getting dressed will assume you’re crazy.

[TwelveGaugeSage]

I wear these under my pants for street or dirt and pretty much forget they are there after I hop on the bike. Actually, on the rare occasion I don't wear the padded shorts I notice my ass gets sore from riding much sooner.

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/...0aAh1OEALw_wcB

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/...-v-e1-n-guards

I like them both enough that when they wear out I will likely replace with the same models.

[tls25rs]

Goggles: are the worst. I hate them, but they’re a necessary evil. With contacts (don’t bother with over the glasses ones, you’ll fog in an instant) you need them. I usually rio a piece of foam out the tip to get some extra air into my face. Helps a bunch. Let’s in the rare caterpillar and dust too, but get the fuck out front and you don’t have to worry about dust.

I have had similar experiences in the past with other goggle brands but I recently started riding with 100% goggles and I have to say that they don't seem to have as bad an issue with fogging as some of the other brands I had used in the past. Worth a shot if you're having fogging issues.

[Paul_E_D]

I got the Leatt 3d armored shirt. I agree with chip that it is next level protection. I went with CEII level. It is soft armor, comfy, but heavy and thick. This is REAL protection, not roost guard bullshit. It's hot, and it gets smelly, and it's a bit of work to get the armor out for washing. But there's nothing else like it on the market.

I wear Forma ADV boots on the street or dirt roads. Beyond that, they are slippers compared to my sidi crossfires. Any rocky terrain or serious chance taking I wear the Sidis.

[Chippertheripper]

Nah, I was saying I’ve had the armored shirt thing before.
This is what I have now:
Chest Protector Adventure Black - Upper Body Protection - Hard Shell - Upper Body Protection - Moto

Because this was two weeks ago:

From hitting the ground.

[Paul_E_D]

The Leatt roost guard at least has hard/soft combo. I actually have that one too. Mine is the ADV version with level2 CE back protector. It's also really good but heavy. I use it when it's hot.

[TheIglu]

What size are you?

I got a body armor (mesh armored jacket style) I won't need anymore. All with half a day of riding on them. Leatt dual axis kneeguards too.

[Paul_E_D]

What size are you?

I got a body armor (mesh armored jacket style) I won't need anymore. All with half a day of riding on them. Leatt dual axis kneeguards too.

I'll take the knee guards!

[TheIglu]

I'll take the knee guards!

For any price my heart desires?

[Paul_E_D]

For any price my heart desires?

Name it! lol

[breakdirt916]

Which size body armor jacket?

My cycle gear one has made it through a very crashy 3-4 years

[TheIglu]

I can't remember, nor can I remember the name of it. Big brand, well reviewed. Once I get home I'll be able to figure out what it is.

Having the shoulder, chest, back and elbow guards all in one unit, along with a nice kidney belt, was way nicer to ride with than I thought it would be coming from using external armor previously.

[Tekime]

Boots: sidi crossfire or gearne sg10 or 12

Next spring I'll probably plonk the cash for some top shelf boots, my feet/ankles have taken the most abuse this year by far.

Goggles: are the worst. I hate them, but they’re a necessary evil. With contacts (don’t bother with over the glasses ones, you’ll fog in an instant) you need them. I usually rio a piece of foam out the tip to get some extra air into my face. Helps a bunch. Let’s in the rare caterpillar and dust too, but get the fuck out front and you don’t have to worry about dust.

HATE goggles and have been avoiding them, I have clear lenses for my Tifosi glasses that work but definitely no real dust/crash protection. Guess I should suck it up and just get some goggles though.

Knee pads: I just got a set of the dual axis leatt ones everyone likes. I haven’t ridden them yet. The crappy old two strap knee/shin guards will move inside your pants during a crash. I’ve proven this over and over and over again.

These are definitely on my short list now

And duct tape on your nips. You don’t want chafing there either. Duct tape is cheap, and it peels off pretty easy when sweaty. And anybody that sees you getting dressed will assume you’re crazy.

Haha, so far my nips are holding up but I do keep some duct tape in my pack, good for any nipple emergencies

I wear these under my pants for street or dirt and pretty much forget they are there after I hop on the bike. Actually, on the rare occasion I don't wear the padded shorts I notice my ass gets sore from riding much sooner.

Alpinestars Bionic Freeride Shorts - RevZilla

I like them both enough that when they wear out I will likely replace with the same models.

I like the hip & coccyx protection, something I've wanted for a while.... short list!

I got the Leatt 3d armored shirt. I agree with chip that it is next level protection. I went with CEII level. It is soft armor, comfy, but heavy and thick. This is REAL protection, not roost guard bullshit. It's hot, and it gets smelly, and it's a bit of work to get the armor out for washing. But there's nothing else like it on the market.

I wear Forma ADV boots on the street or dirt roads. Beyond that, they are slippers compared to my sidi crossfires. Any rocky terrain or serious chance taking I wear the Sidis.

Is that the Leatt 3DF AirFit? If that actually fits me well that's the kind of style I'd prefer

What size are you?

I got a body armor (mesh armored jacket style) I won't need anymore. All with half a day of riding on them. Leatt dual axis kneeguards too.

Small in most shirts. 30" waist, 5' 10" 130lbs or so - just imagine a tall white Bruce Lee

[aldend123]

I know some soft stuff is rated CE-2, but from my own experiences the hard-soft combo gear seems to distribute or absorb force better. Hard plastic is probably going to crash better on the street too if you're hoping to use it for both purposes. I'm assuming it isn't designed for that - it's a trade-off.

If you're interested in neck brace, Leatt's got armor that are designed to work with their brace. Even if you don't do the brace now, leaves the door open.

There are a handful of 'enduro' jackets designed to be worn over armor if that helps expand the options. Scott, Thor, and Acerbis used to. Not sure if they still do. But I think you'll find with enough padding, you'll find you only want wind protection, and only when it gets pretty cold.

[Paul_E_D]

I got the 3df but not the airfit. It was 100 bucks less for the same protection. That looks cooler than mine and mine lacks the cinch straps around the chest

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[typeone]

Nah, I was saying I’ve had the armored shirt thing before.
This is what I have now:
Chest Protector Adventure Black - Upper Body Protection - Hard Shell - Upper Body Protection - Moto

i wear the same one, on my 5th season, holding up great. the interior is just starting to come unglued a bit where i stuff my brace in otherwise intact.

Pro Tip: use a sharp blade to remove the thick back padding where there are vents in the plastic. they may have revised the design but my rear vents were covered over. def helps keep your back a tiny bit cooler. even though i wear an USWE hydro pack over the guard, my back has been more comfortable this season since hacking the interior up. plenty of protection still in place.

[breakdirt916]

taping wear points are a good tip - I always seem to wear out the skin on the bottom knuckle of the thumb...I gotta tape those...never had issues with nips tho

@ Tekime - I would just keep everything you have and add armor: get a $60 pressure jacket (buy used or cyclegear one although zipper will eventually break), the alpinestar padded shorts, and leatt knee guards.

I'll be honest - I haven't tried the leatt 3df...may substitute that instead of the $60 pressure jacket

[loudbeard]

I've been aiming to add neck protection to my game for a while now...looking at options...

There is the chest protector with built in neck protector:
Fusion 3.0 - $399

Or a separate chest protector and neck brace:
Chest Protector - $219
Neck Brace - $249

So it's a bit more expensive going with the separate system by $70 which isn't really a big deal. Any thoughts on comfort and flexibility between the two setups? Currently I really don't wear any upper body protection other than helmet, jersey, and gloves. If I know I'm going to be riding faster stuff I will throw on my chest protector, but for most of the lower speed technical riding i do I don't bother.

[jhawley]

Have this, 5 mins into my first forawy in to dirt riding I ate shit hard on my arm. small scuff and I was fine.Fox Racing Titan Sport Jacket - Cycle Gear

[loudbeard]

I really can't see wearing one of those full upper body jacket thingys. I get hot just looking at the damn things. The only useful aspect of them is I've never found a pair of elbow pads that don't slide down and become wrist pads within the first 5 minutes. As a result, I don't wear elbow pads.

[Chippertheripper]

I really can't see wearing one of those full upper body jacket thingys. I get hot just looking at the damn things. The only useful aspect of them is I've never found a pair of elbow pads that don't slide down and become wrist pads within the first 5 minutes. As a result, I don't wear elbow pads.

They’re pretty meshy, and generally not any worse than a jersey and chest plate.
In the summer time I often just wore that and the prerequisite duct tape.