protective wear, school me

[dtrides]

Ok, so it's been a minute since I had a off road bike.
Back in the day some of my go-to gear consisted of:
Hi-point enduro boots
Flak Jacket
kidney belt
leather gloves that had rubber running down the back of the fingers
Bell helmet with snap on roost guard and some googles.

Just to get going I purchased some gear at Cycle gear (more or less dual sport stuff)
The dirt gear for the body seemed to offer very little protection.
The gloves looked like something I would wear gardening (no protection at all).
Same with the pants and jersey's.
I did some searching and found some beefy looking stuff but it was at eye watering prices (like way more expensive than my road racing gear).

So, do I really need $600 dollar knee guards and $1,000 dollar enduro coats to stay safe out there on the trail? (I sure hope not).
School me on some good gear that will get the job done and get me back home safe.
I have ordered Forma Terrain Enduro boots, thats my start...
DT

[1962siia]

I think it depends what/where you plan to ride. Minimum proper boots, shin/knee guards, helmet, and gloves.

I wear an upper body thing that is a chest protector, back protector and elbo guards all in one zip on thing. Depending on weather I’ll wear it over a base layer, put a jersey over it, or wear a jacket over it. Can’t remember the exact model but it’s made by leatt.

I always have moto-x boots and shin guards and padded riding undies and I always wear riding pants. Currently liking the klim dakar otb but that’s just my preference.

I wear regular dirt gloves and they are totally adequate. If you’re doing dual sport on pavement then you might want more protection.

My helmet hits the dirt pretty regularly so it gets replaced every few years with another cheapie eBay helmet. Currently running a particularly ugly Bell mx9. The ugly ones are usually cheaper. Lol. You need goggles as well.

A hydration pack is also a must and can also carry snacks and tools to replace/repair a flat tire.

Lots of different brands and quality out there. I’d say just get some less expensive basics and go ride with folks and learn from them. If you’re riding a lot the stuff wears out quickly so you can get better quality stuff as you replace worn out items.

[1962siia]

In my gear bag normally: boots, compression socks, base layer knee covers, padded riding shorts, knee/shin guards, riding pants, long sleeve base layer shirt, upper body protector thing, jersey, enduro jacket, rain jacket, dirt gloves, neck gaiter thingy, helmet, goggles, hydration pack, tools/front tube/tow strap, ham radio, snacks, chocolate.

Radio isn’t needed but most of the folks I ride with carry them now and it’s helpful if there is a problem. We stay on a freq that doesn’t require a license but I do have my ham lic.

[Starpower]

Originally Posted by 1962siia

I think it depends what/where you plan to ride. Minimum proper boots, shin/knee guards, helmet, and gloves.

I wear an upper body thing that is a chest protector, back protector and elbo guards all in one zip on thing. Depending on weather I’ll wear it over a base layer, put a jersey over it, or wear a jacket over it. Can’t remember the exact model but it’s made by leatt.

I always have moto-x boots and shin guards and padded riding undies and I always wear riding pants. Currently liking the klim dakar otb but that’s just my preference.

I wear regular dirt gloves and they are totally adequate. If you’re doing dual sport on pavement then you might want more protection.

My helmet hits the dirt pretty regularly so it gets replaced every few years with another cheapie eBay helmet. Currently running a particularly ugly Bell mx9. The ugly ones are usually cheaper. Lol. You need goggles as well.

A hydration pack is also a must and can also carry snacks and tools to replace/repair a flat tire.

Lots of different brands and quality out there. I’d say just get some less expensive basics and go ride with folks and learn from them. If you’re riding a lot the stuff wears out quickly so you can get better quality stuff as you replace worn out items.

This ^ is good stuff and realistic. Buy used if you must over passing for now. In addition to the above I also wear this amazing Tee that I cannot tell I'm wearing due the custom fit and I have a freaky shape rib cage that I like as is along with my kidneys and spleen. This is worn under my compression/mesh/armored jacket as mentioned above. Like this -
https://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-Pr...004426&sr=8-10

And this under:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Some of the jackets will provide the protection of this Tee, mine did not.

[bikewanker]

https://www.bayarearidersforum.com/f...1&d=1609014871

[dtrides]

Any value in buying higher grade shin/knee guards such as Alpinestar SX-1 V2 vs house brand stuff from cycle gear?

[1962siia]

I haven't ever used those so no opinion. If I was trying to avoid knee injury I'd look into Asterisk knee braces or something like that.

[dtrides]

..well, I was also trying to avoid wallet injury so I was considering something more affordable...

[MotoJP46]

Leatt and Alpibestars makes some nice knee protection and for far less than the full blown knees braces that are several hundred each.

Leatt dual axis
https://www.cyclegear.com/gear/leatt...ee-shin-guards

Alpinestars SX-1
https://www.cyclegear.com/gear/alpin...knee-protector

[dtrides]

Originally Posted by MotoJP46

Leatt makes some nice knee protection and for far less than the full blown knees braces that are several hundred.

https://www.cyclegear.com/gear/leatt...ee-shin-guards

Yes, same price range as the A*'s. Are they better?

[1962siia]

Originally Posted by dtrides

..well, I was also trying to avoid wallet injury so I was considering something more affordable...

I just use the kind that cover the patella and shins and use two Velcro straps. They are super cheap. Like these:

https://www.motosport.com/thor-2021-...00BZ-X001-Y001

[OaklandF4i]

This is just my opinion.... and there others that will disagree.

I use just the basic two strap velcro knee/shin gaurds. There isn't enough of a difference for the basic guards to pay a lot more than the other.

I've tried a number of the fancier more expensive knee guards with hinges etc and broke them on a regular basis (rivets and hinges) every time I crashed. So went back to the simple velcro strap ones. IF I were going to spend more money, I'd spend a lot more money and get proper knee braces. Thankfully, I don't have any knee issues in many many years of riding.

For me, its boots, helmet, simple knee and elbow pads. That's it. Pants, jersey, gloves, keep you warmer or cooler depending on design and some brands/lines last longer than others. In my experience, that is the gist of it.

Some folks will wear all kinds of additional braces, armor, and padding, I won't try to dissuade them. In my opinion, they will only help reduce the number of bruises you might get in a crash... and not save you from breaking any bones. So if you are willing to pay for and wear them for bruise/bump protection, they are good.

Yes, I've owned and tried a number (compression upper armor.) I really don't like them in the heat and choose to forgo them. I'm not alone either.

Look at the starting line of any professional supercross race. Its pretty telling. None of them are wearing compression suits, very few if any elbow pads. Some might wear an under jersey chest protector... and that's for roost not crashes. Less than 1/2 neck braces. Most all are wearing knee braces.

If a Pro who's livelyhood depends on staying healthy doesn't wear one, there might not be a lot of value in it.

This is just what I wear, what I have tried, and why I wear what I do. You aren't going to find a consensus opinion or position on what to wear or not to wear. Just my opinion and experience, others will vary.

[Butch]

What CJ says, fookin smart guy.
Protect what you cannot afford to hurt.
I have a prescribed/ engineered knee brace that I actually wear most days. Rocks.

Healing is expensive.

[dtrides]

Thanks all for the input.
I think/hope the Forma boots I ordered will serve me well.
I remember I really liked wearing the old flak-jacket ( i think thats what it was called?)as it was easy to take on and off (unlike some of the compression suits iv'e seen), not to hot and fantastic if I took a tree limb to the chest or landed on my back. It also had shoulder protection that I don't see on a lot of new stuff.
I will see if I can find something similar.
Mainly want to get out and put around and have a good time, not anything too serious.
DT

[MotoJP46]

Originally Posted by dtrides

Yes, same price range as the A*'s. Are they better?

Id say they’re on par with one another just at a glance, I’m not certain if the material but you can’t go wrong either route