Do you wear protection?

whtbread

whtbread

New Member
How many of you guys where protection when you ride? I'm just an average rider that pushes myself to get better. In doing so I have had my share of crashes. I do great on the trails but tend to steer away from difficult obstacles. I'm thinking about getting some protection:

http://www.btosports.com/p/TROY-LEE-DESIGNS-BP7850-HW-SHIRT

and some low profile elbow, knee/shin pads. Has anybody tried the shirt above? Any recommendations on other products? I'm thinking it would be good to use while I am learning and may mean the difference between a minor fall and a visit to the emergency room.
 
That shirt looks pretty awesome but awfully hot. If I was thinking I needed something like that I'd just go with the real deal protector with a neck brace and full pads. But that "shirt" does look neat and affordable.

That said, I have the veggie series SixSixOne separate knee and shin guards and wish I bought the better, harder articulated full knee/shins. All pads are hot in the summer. Lightweight or not.

And THAT said, I wear at least my shin guards all the time to reduce pedal tattoos. I'm going to buy elbow/forearm pads too since I've already grated both arms from a fall this season.

Wear pads if you feel you need 'um or have a tendency to superman over the bars.
 
This thread has potential

To be constructive, all I wear is a helmet and gloves. Some friends used to wear knee pads, but they were getting over knee injuries.
Wear whatever makes you confident.
 
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Depends on how stupid I was the previous ride ...

Seriously, I pretty much run XC standard -- gloves, helmet and glasses. Lately, though, I've also been wearing a wrap above my left knee. It's not so much for protection as to hold the muscle together. I've managed to do something to my quad right above the knee, although I have no idea what it is that I did to it. It just feels really weak all the time and it inevitably cramps during races. I think it might have happened at Fair Hill back in April.

I fractured my elbow a few years ago in a snowboarding accident and spent the early part of MTB season with a full forearm and elbow brace on it. That was really annoying, though -- I actually ended up tearing it off and throwing it away during a race becasue it was making my arm itch like crazy.
 
No. That's why I have a son.:popcorn:

Oh, you meant while riding bikes. Given that I only do XC, my only protective gear is a helmet, protective glasses, and gloves.
 
I think I am going to give it a try when I know there are going to be obstacles. Hopefully it will help me learn without getting hurt too bad.
 
Save your money. You are going to roast in that shirt. I think for XC style riding (even with log rides, steep chutes and the occasional 2-3' drop) you will have more than enough protection with knee and elbow guards. Get the soft kind LIKE THIS and skip the ones with hard plastic shells. They are more cumbersome for XC and slip off easier.
 
a.s. said:
Save your money. You are going to roast in that shirt. I think for XC style riding (even with log rides, steep chutes and the occasional 2-3' drop) you will have more than enough protection with knee and elbow guards. Get the soft kind LIKE THIS and skip the ones with hard plastic shells. They are more cumbersome for XC and slip off easier.
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Thanks for the honest opinion. When I say obstacles I am talking about more of the man made stuff like the skills course at White Clay Creek and some of the bridges that are very narrow etc.
 
Ok so on my morning ride today another rider asked me if I thought my baseball hat was gonna stop my head from cracking the ground, so that being said and this topic being started, whats a good helmet to get ? And why do so many people wear gloves ?
 
The best helmet is one that fits your head properly. Don't worry about what brand, model, etc. Just go to a bike shop and ask to try on a bunch of different brands and adjust the straps and other adjustments so it's snug on your head.
 
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First and foremost, get a lid. I just picked up a Uvex XP100. So light and ventilates much better than the Giro Hex I had for the past 3 years.

a.s. - Those are the veggie pads that I have but mine don't have the bend in them and they slip down easily. Unless I pair them with shinguards, then they stay put.
 
Triple-B said:
Ok so on my morning ride today another rider asked me if I thought my baseball hat was gonna stop my head from cracking the ground, so that being said and this topic being started, whats a good helmet to get ? And why do so many people wear gloves ?
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Any helmet sold in stores should meet the snell standards. It's going to come down to how much you want to pay really. I really like Bell and Specialized helmets myself. As for gloves...your hands are the first thing that are going to hit the ground 90% of the time.
 
If I'm riding somewhere like JH or Wawayanda, I wear knee pads...more times than not, they are not needed, but I think I feel more confident. A friend wears shin guards because she's gotten hit mutliple times from the pedal.

My knee pads are SixSixOne Veggies...
http://www.xsportsprotective.com/sixsixone-veggie-knee.html

I ordered the wrong size at first...they aren't the most fun to wear when it's really hot, but I figure it's better than dealing with a banged up knee.
 
white clay skills park

whtbread said:
Thanks for the honest opinion. When I say obstacles I am talking about more of the man made stuff like the skills course at White Clay Creek and some of the bridges that are very narrow etc.
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As an XC focused rider, all I wear is helmet, gloves, and glasses (like everyone else on this list).

with regards to the skills park at white clay, just take one obsticle at a time and pick ones that aren't too scary right away.

the funny thing about obsticles is that they are usually wider than the trails we ride all the time, but put it off the ground and it messes with your head.

also, speed is your friend. going at a comfortable speed makes you more stable and you can follow a straigher line with less wobble. you'll also have momentum on your side.

if you get into more downhill/free ride, then some body armor might be a good idea.
 
To me my helmet is critical, just like a seat belt.

Also, my gloves and glasses are as well. Every time i go riding i hit my hands on trees on tight turns, or branches, or if i fall. I cant also count the number of times a bike in front of me, or mine, kicks up rocks/dirt, or i hit face slapper branches. Also, the wind makes my eyes tear.

I couldnt ride without all the of those.
 
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