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Thread: Body armour.. Trials, trails, enduro recommendations.

  1. #1
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    Body armour.. Trials, trails, enduro recommendations.

    I'm sat here nursing an unfunny broken humerus and dislocated shoulder, thinking about my return to bikes. Cautiously. Never having had a broken bone before this has got me thinking about protection when I can fire myself at the scenery again.

    What recommendations do y'all have for body armour? External hard armour, under armour jackets, knee braces v knee guards etc. I'm like chocolate during the summer and tend to melt easily so comfort and ventilation is a biggie. I would also like to avoid looking like a Transformer because that would imply I can actually ride. Nothing worse than all show, no go. Falling off guaranteed.

    Thoughts and experience much appreciated.
    Manopausal.

  2. #2
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    I found the axo Air Cage Pro good for offroad and adventure riding, took a few spills and flips and protected back / shoulder / arms fine --- was comfy-ish (some of the nylon stitching ends can dig in until you find it and melt it with a lighter then all good) can wear just that or a light shirt overtop -- has lasted well with abuse too, just with the whicking material it ends up stinking all over after each ride if you sweat like i do ;p

    I bought from torpedo 7 when it was on special years ago but wasnt expensive unlike essential Knee Braces !!!

    I linked wrong one, this is the one I recommend (https://www.freestylextreme.com/uk/h...on-jacket.aspx)

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scubbo View Post
    I found the axo Air Cage Pro good for offroad and adventure riding, took a few spills and flips and protected back / shoulder / arms fine --- was comfy-ish (some of the nylon stitching ends can dig in until you find it and melt it with a lighter then all good) can wear just that or a light shirt overtop -- has lasted well with abuse too, just with the whicking material it ends up stinking all over after each ride if you sweat like i do ;p

    I bought from torpedo 7 when it was on special years ago but wasnt expensive unlike essential Knee Braces !!!

    I linked wrong one, this is the one I recommend (https://www.freestylextreme.com/uk/h...on-jacket.aspx)
    I have the same. Feel silly with it on but it seems to work. I just wear a teeshirt under it.
    Quote Originally Posted by Katman View Post
    but once again you proved me wrong.
    Quote Originally Posted by cassina View Post
    I was hit by one such driver while remaining in the view of their mirror.

  4. #4
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    you can hide the look if it bothers you with a motox jersey, what they were made for :P

  5. #5
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    I use a EVS G6 Ballistic Jersey which has saved me several times, however 11 months ago I had a 30-40km fall on a trail ride, I fractured 10 ribs, broke my collarbone, punctured a lung, torn my aorta and bruised my liver kidney and spleen, I got a helicopter ride, titanium plated ribs a stent, 4 days in a induced coma and 6 days on a ventilator and 13 days in hospital

    When I landed on my arm it got pushed into the gap between front and rear armour on the side of my rib cage and that did all the damage so while it'll save you some of the time it wont save you all the time
    "If you can make black marks on a straight from the time you turn out of a corner until the braking point of the next turn, then you have enough power."


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    Even BP would shy away from cleaning up a sidecar oil spill.
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    Send Lawyers, guns and money, the shit has hit the fan

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kickaha View Post
    I use a EVS G6 Ballistic Jersey which has saved me several times, however 11 months ago I had a 30-40km fall on a trail ride, I fractured 10 ribs, broke my collarbone, punctured a lung, torn my aorta and bruised my liver kidney and spleen, I got a helicopter ride, titanium plated ribs a stent, 4 days in a induced coma and 6 days on a ventilator and 13 days in hospital

    When I landed on my arm it got pushed into the gap between front and rear armour on the side of my rib cage and that did all the damage so while it'll save you some of the time it wont save you all the time
    This post has stopped my whinging..

    I appreciate that armour is not guaranteed to prevent injuries, particularly if their is a bit of pace involved. My riding is pretty slow and considered, has to be on a 125 trials bike, but I do suffer sudden lapses of confidence and leap off to hug trees.

    The old 250 2t trailie likes to chase possums if I'm not concentrating, more tree hugging and rolling in water filled ruts with the occasional superman impersonation on a whisky throttle.

    My pace could be described as somebody has to be last.

    I was looking at an EVS jacket on torpedo 7, quite a good price. The G6 and AXO are a similar price depending on where you look.

    Are they both comfortable for technical riding? We ride some of the harder trails at The Farm and being a pussy I spend as much time man handling a bike as riding it.
    Manopausal.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by george formby View Post
    Are they both comfortable for technical riding? We ride some of the harder trails at The Farm and being a pussy I spend as much time man handling a bike as riding it.
    No idea on the AXO but we do 80-120km of trails when we do our rides and the G6 is comfortable for that, my level of riding would be "distinctly average", I normally only do the main loops and don't worry about the enduro loops
    "If you can make black marks on a straight from the time you turn out of a corner until the braking point of the next turn, then you have enough power."


    Quote Originally Posted by scracha View Post
    Even BP would shy away from cleaning up a sidecar oil spill.
    Quote Originally Posted by Warren Zevon
    Send Lawyers, guns and money, the shit has hit the fan

  8. #8
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    after a few minutes you don't really notice the kit on, the back protector like others feel stiff when cold, but when they warm up they relax or you get used to it :P slow going enduro (think enduroKEX, youtube that) with the axo was good, but I'm fairly big, I could imagine a smaller frame being dwarfed by the shoulder protectors and upper arm panels --- the axo has under arm rib impact panels but doubt they would have helped in Kickaha's savage spill

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scubbo View Post
    after a few minutes you don't really notice the kit on, the back protector like others feel stiff when cold, but when they warm up they relax or you get used to it :P slow going enduro (think enduroKEX, youtube that) with the axo was good, but I'm fairly big, I could imagine a smaller frame being dwarfed by the shoulder protectors and upper arm panels --- the axo has under arm rib impact panels but doubt they would have helped in Kickaha's savage spill
    Smaller frame? Good to know, I have the build of a 6' 2" Somalian chopstick.

    At this stage I guess I'm looking at price between the two suggestions
    Manopausal.

  10. #10
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    any input from anybody about knee protection?
    I thought elections were decided by angry posts on social media. - F5 Dave

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by HenryDorsetCase View Post
    any input from anybody about knee protection?
    I use POD knee braces. Seems to work.

    Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk
    Quote Originally Posted by Katman View Post
    but once again you proved me wrong.
    Quote Originally Posted by cassina View Post
    I was hit by one such driver while remaining in the view of their mirror.

  12. #12
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    https://www.torpedo7.co.nz/products/...-braces---pair

    or similar --- standard cup ones are fine for light trails but if you're doing anything slightly gnarly -- anti-twist is the way to go -- but like all crashes, you have that chance to just land wrong and die

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by HenryDorsetCase View Post
    any input from anybody about knee protection?
    I just use Fox armour which has worked well but when I can afford to I will upgrade to proper knee braces

    Quote Originally Posted by Scubbo View Post
    but like all crashes, you have that chance to just land wrong and die
    I've tried that, I don't recommend it
    "If you can make black marks on a straight from the time you turn out of a corner until the braking point of the next turn, then you have enough power."


    Quote Originally Posted by scracha View Post
    Even BP would shy away from cleaning up a sidecar oil spill.
    Quote Originally Posted by Warren Zevon
    Send Lawyers, guns and money, the shit has hit the fan

  14. #14
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    Have Leatt body armour (prev version to last, current https://www.google.com/search?client...ody+armour+5.5) and it works really well. Have tried it against the ground a few times and has done the trick. Last time was using small rocks as kicker for a small jump up until one rolled sideways and the bike went horizontally I landed on my side as well elbow, shoulder, knee and hip and didn't get a single mark, felt the impact up until next day but was fine to even to ride. Also wear Leatt armour pants (https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=...9aACCEU&adurl=), Leatt knee pads (not braces) https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=...9aACCEM&adurl=. All of those are pretty comfortable to me.

    Hope you have a quick with your recovery.

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