-
Posts
-
-
Does Anyone have any experience,
I was told that it is a great thing to have if you are just starting to do some downhill anybody any ideas or reviews? Greatly appreciate it.
-
i am not that much of a downhill only rider but i do know it is an essential part of riding. you will need full helmet, body armor, shin protection and nice gloves. i would recommend fox and sixsixone.
-
Purchase of body armor should either proceed or coincide with the purchase of a Downhill bike. It’s more than just a good idea. When you are new to DH more armor is better. Normally it will be the difference between getting up and riding away or ending your day early. On the extreme, it will be the difference between getting up and riding away or a trip to the hospital.
A full face helmet is a must. Some parks won’t let you on their trails without one. My rule is that the helmet should be slightly uncomfortably tight, without going straight to headache. Also, no odd pressure points. If somebody tugs on the face guard, your head should move simultaneously with the helmet. You may have to try a dozen helmets before you find one the fits.
A 661 pressure suit is a similar to what you are seeking up top. Spinal protection, chest protection, shoulder caps and forearm protection in one suit. Many brands have removable forearm protection, which is sweet because you can use the forearm protection for other progressive riding. Fit however is most important. The fit should be tight. Shoulder caps, chest and spine protection shouldn’t slip or slide but your movement should not be limited either. Same with your ability to fill you lungs.
For leg armor go with something similar to 661’s Race Knee/Shin. Personally, I look for protection to start at the top of my shoe. Then if I need to twist, turn or move the knee pad to fit over my knee cap I look for something else. Chances are if you are twisting and tugging the armor to get it to fit in the shop then you will be doing this on the trail. That’s not a good thing.
If you can afford it, hip armor and carbon knuckled gloves are super sweet. The two most annoying injuries I have had are broken knuckles and a bruised hip. Worse than the cracked ribs or the torqued ankle. I haven’t broken a knuckle since I went to carbon gloves. I have put my hip armor to the test several times without any bruising. At this point I will ditch the chest protection before I ditch the hip armor.
If you pop onto any of the online bike shops, you can see what is out there by brands. I can’t start to name them all. I don’t actually own any 661 one stuff. It’s never fit right. However, their stuff is cheap and durable.
-
I have the Kenai pads from Specialized, which are lightweight but still provide a modicum of protection. I am no downhiller, so I don’t anything heavy duty but it’s nice having the protection for Xstruntry riding.
-
Lizard Skins makes a great knee/shin guard as well as elbow/forearm protection. I recently purchased both and couldn’t be more pleased. You can find them much cheaper (Ebay) than what is listed on the website. The plastic is VERY hard and seems to be extremely durable.
Knee/Shin
[url:3m6nox4x]http://lizardskins.com/products/view_product.html?type=mountain&product_line=protective%20gear&product_id=97&name=SOFTCELL%20Knee%20Shin%20Combo&name2=&page_number=1[/url:3m6nox4x]Elbow/Forearm
[url:3m6nox4x]http://lizardskins.com/products/view_product.html?type=mountain&product_line=protective%20gear&product_id=103&name=SOFTCELL%20Mountain%20Elbow%20Guard&name2=&page_number=1[/url:3m6nox4x] -
Got a full face comp sixsixone helmet. Its light weight, fits really good to, not to tight but not to loose either. For other armor stuff, I would go with either specialized or fox.
-
I busted my knees and bought 661 4×4 knee/shin guards. They work great and cover the back of the leg so that you can avoid that pedal bite that can happen a lot if you don’t keep your pedals under control. Then I busted my elbow, guess what I need know. I think most important to start with is the helmet. I busted that up too, but that is what it is there for. I ride the downhill as much as possible and haven’t been broken off too badly.
-
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.