Body armour

[Skv1878]

Hi everyone,
Had a bad fall in the summer which resulted in a broken shoulder blade..
Now thinking of purchasing some body armour but debating between the Fox Titan Armour Vs Poc Spine VPD. Just after some views as there is a big price difference but after the fall which occured on a red route I'd rather be 'armoured' up.
Thanks

 

[Doomanic]

I've got the Fox Titan that I bought for BPW type days. I wouldn't want wear it all the time. Troy Lee do the 7855 long sleeve top that would be more suitable for every day use.
Troy Lee Designs UPL 7855 HW Long Sleeve Shirt | Chain Reaction Cycles

 

[R120]

I have been through various bits of body armour, and I think the Leatt kits is about the best out their for back/upper body, I use it, and both @Rob Hancill and @TheBikePilot do too.

Their 3DF range is a good blend of proper protection and all day riding comfort

https://www.leatt.com/shop/bike.html?cat=769&p=2&protection_areas=1968

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

Yeah - the Leatt stuff is good and fits well. Can take padding out of it to thin it down too if you want, for example if you want to make it a bit lighter remove the chest protector.

 

[Skv1878]

Thanks Guys. Will have a look at the Leatt armour and Troy Lee.
Thanks again.

 

[khorn]

Does the Leatt stuff also fit guys with a bit of a belly.......I’m asking for a friend?

Karsten

 

[R120]

yup

 

[khorn]

yup

Thanks

Karsten

 

[Skv1878]

Last question.
Airfit Lite or Airfit Body. There doesn't seem to be much price difference and was wondering which ones you guys reckon.
Thanks

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

Last question.
Airfit Lite or Airfit Body. There doesn't seem to be much price difference and was wondering which ones you guys reckon.
Thanks

Lite. I have the Body and it’s a bit bulky. I think @TheBikePilot has the Lite. The extra bulk stops me wearing mine as much as I should.

 

[Skv1878]

Thanks Rob

 

[Zimmerframe]

Lite. I have the Body and it’s a bit bulky. I think @TheBikePilot has the Lite. The extra bulk stops me wearing mine as much as I should.

After a long (ish) spell of reduced ground surfing, I went on an efficiency drive last weekend and managed three quite magnificent OTB's all on one ride - all on steep sharp nasty rock.

Adorned in copy fox titan with the matching shorts, sam hill kneed pads and, following a trailside stitch up, recently acquired shin guards. I survived in one piece. It was quite a good demonstration of how effective the armour is, as pretty much everywhere which wasn't armoured was bruised. One kidney area is not bruised but is still pretty sore from some evil rock.

Needless to say, without it, I'd have been pulp - I probably wouldn't have been able to successfully perform the second two OTB's if the armour hadn't worked so well on the first one.

I've got used to the fox copy armour, it's saved my ass on numerous occasions, but I would like to move to something less bulky/better air flow at some point but haven't found anything I think is equivalent in physical protection.

I know the reactive armour should work in theory, but it's crap on my d3o gloves and we stopped using it with the horses as it's ineffective with really hard sharp impacts.

So a couple of questions ..

How effective is it on the leatts in real life ?

I like the look of the leatts and the troy lee 7855, but I'm not sure they protect the waist/pelvis that much ? The troy lee looks like it does, but I think the bottom two sections aren't armoured.
Following a fractured pelvis in March, I look at each piece of armour to make sure it would ideally protect me from all my previous "incidents" (within reason).

Or is the answer to find some form of high waist armoured grandfather style shorts ?

 

[wepn]

the troy lee 7855, but I'm not sure they protect the waist/pelvis that much ? The troy lee looks like it does, but I think the bottom two sections aren't armoured.

That's what I have & protection is down to the waist/gluteals. There are longer options but this allows free movement & probably just enough protection.

It's supposed to be under armour so I put a large green flannelette shirt over it. I prefer the more approachable Hulk look instead of SWAT team ninja.

 

[R120]

Padded shorts are the answer to that question - I think the Leatt stuff is incredibly well made compared to a lot of other products I have tried, with real though put into it.

A lot of these armour products are designed to work as part of a system, i.e integrate with other products with the manufacturers range to ensure full coverage, so sometimes mixing and matching causes fit problems and gaps.

One thing I have found is that with back/core protectors some of the longer ones interfere with your shorts, as they droop below the waist - I have an ION Scrub Vest which is a great bit of kit, but has a long back with a non removable D30 pad below the main back protector, that comes down to below the waist/ top of your bum, and as such it won't tuck into shorts, and if you sit it over the shorts it interferes with them and get annoying when rotating your upper body as it catches sometimes.

With the Leatt vest it stops at the waist, which means you can't move your upper body freely, I then wear 661 padded shorts below.

One of the best items I have is these 7 Protection hydro bib shorts, they have hip pads built in, storage pockets, and a zipped fly for when nature calls.

7 Protection - Hydro Bib Short

 

[Shifty]

I have the non Newtonian D30 in my motorcycle gear. But it takes quite an impact to stiffen up.
Son whacked me with a baseball bat whilst holding the back armour over my guts. YouTube style to check it out. That bloody hurt still hahah!!
I digress ... but I might go for more traditional armour for the EMTB

 

[WLEBay]

Hi everyone,
Had a bad fall in the summer which resulted in a broken shoulder blade..
Now thinking of purchasing some body armour but debating between the Fox Titan Armour Vs Poc Spine VPD. Just after some views as there is a big price difference but after the fall which occured on a red route I'd rather be 'armoured' up.
Thanks

I have the POC jacket (chest, back, shoulders, elbows), shorts, and extended knee pads.
the jacket is a bit much for every day riding but very very protective. I take out the chest and back protection often for trail rides and it’s reasonably good for all day. The shorts are great but the chamois is not ideal beyond 2hrs or so. The knee pads are good for 2-4 hours but are pretty seriously bulky and not great in hot weather.

Overall I always feel very safe and protected in the POC gear but it does limit my use on on hot days here in NorCal where temps are above 80.

 

[MitchF]

This thread got me thinking, I always wore armour on my MC/MX's, so why don't I on my EMTB, same risk. So, I picked up one of these, tried it yesterday on a 2-hr ride.
Comfortable, didn't overheat. Thankfully didn't need it.
The rear spine guard is removable.

Axo Rhino CE Protector Vest Protective Clothing Armour ATV Motocross Supermoto | eBay

 

[JaySal]

Just a thought for people, I've got the Forcefield Pro Shirt for motorcycling and it fits brilliantly. You can remove armour from the areas you feel you don't need it. Easy washable and you can buy the shirt and swap pads as your waistline increases or decreases. It's all level 2 certified so should withstand a serious tumble and cool enough to wear beneath a jacket for mountain biking.

 

[Zimmerframe]

as your waistline increases

@khorn ??

https://www.forcefieldbodyarmour.com/armoured-clothing

Looks nice.

Sadly doesn't have the degree of coverage I'd need as a 9th dan Maladroit Ninja

 

[TheBikePilot]

I use the Leatt 3DF AirFit. Use it on almost every ride. I only put the back protector in for Bike Park stuff. Super lightweight, easy to wash and you forget you're wearing it. All the pads are removable. I would reccomend an undergarment to prevent chaffing around the nips Nike Combat works well.

It's saved my bacon on numerous occasions. If you have ever cracked a rib like I have you'll take anything that may help!!

Leatt 3DF Airfit

Use the Fox Titan Shorts which, again, you don't even notice.

Fox Titan Race Shorts

 

[Pdoz]

Has anyone here ever felt their chest protection made any difference for broken ribs?

I look at all these soft shell suits with non d30 foam pads on the sides or chest pads covering the sternum and seriously doubt the reduced ventilation / movement is justified? All those years of wearing hardshell pressure suits and bouncing down rocky trails on motorbikes without any side protection...

for the record - I've has a flail chest / pnuemothorax and doubt side foam would have helped in that incident. I have a camelback with spine protection, elbow , knee guards etc . I'd really love to know if anyone has had a big one and thought afterwards that those side chest foam pads really helped.

 

[Mikerb]

Surely the pads are there to distribute impact force and protect vital organs.....rather than merely providing surface protection. Nothing will stop a broken rib if the impact is hard enough but if it stops a rib spearing your internal organs then job well done!!