Body Armour? Recomendations and advice.

[JetSetDemo]

Hi chaps, i am thinking about investing in some body armour whilst there are plenty of good deals on line this week. I was going to go for the POC VPD Air T and some undershorts but have come accorss some nice protection from a companey called Leatt, would love to hear any feedback on the brand or any general advice. The Tee is avalible at Wiggle this week for £144 thats 30% off and the shorts for £60 again just over 30% off. I love my POC elbows but even in Large they are a little snugg so also any comments on sizing appreciated.

 

[pgtips]

I use the Troy Lee Armor and I'm very happy with it. Not restrictive at all and feels like there is plenty of support.
Troy Lee Designs UP7855 Armor | BODY ARMOUR & PADS | Evans Cycles
Interested on some impact shorts though so I be watching this post.

 

[drjarvis2003]

I bought this a few weeks for 80 pounds and they are comfy enough but too hot over about 18c.
evo-short-sleeve-compression-jacket?gclid=Cj0KCQiA_s7fBRDrARIsAGEvF8SNf20aOtEHre8q4igm2LF7ShDUqxZ0ZiJidSUBJmv3jTfLUUv9mS4aAkv4EALw_wcB

 

[jonathan horticulturist]

IXS Trigger Upper body protection I got. 30% off at wiggle at the moment.

 

[Krisj]

@JetSetDemo I’ve had leatt gear when riding mx and I’ve got to say the quality was spot on also very comfortable
A trusted brand for me

 

[Krisj]

The Troy lee top amour looks good though
Out of the two I’d have to go with the Troy lee purely because of the added elbow protection

 

[Doomanic]

I finally (as in I've worn it so it's mine) settled on Fox Titan Sport body armour.

I tried the Troy Lee mentioned above but it was a bit too small.
I also tried some no-name MX armour from Amazon for £36. It was exactly the same plastic mouldings as the fox but the padding underneath was considerably thinner.

The TLD would probably be better for general usage but I'd prefer the extra protection the Fox offers on park days.

 

[drjarvis2003]

I'm curious to see how hot this will be for an ebike. I struggle with the more lightweight 661 evo short sleeve jacket.?

 

[Doomanic]

I wore it at BPW last Friday. We were cycling up and I was warm, but not uncomfortably so.

 

[Highflyer]

Knox Action Shirt with Chest upgrade together with Knox Defender MTB shorts. Light and not noticeable while riding and easy to wash. The company CEO likes his mountain bikes too ! I have used their armour range for trails, motocross and road racing and would not rely on anything else. Plastic knights of armour are too uncomfortable on slow sweaty climbs !!

 

[Dax]

I'm curious to see how hot this will be for an ebike. I struggle with the more lightweight 661 evo short sleeve jacket.?

Depends on ambient temperature.

 

[Ron]

Needed body armor Sunday last as I crashed at Wilder Ranch Santa Cruz CA going down hard on my side and have very sore ribs 5 days later and probably the rest of the month, on a steady diet of pain pills, not good. If I had carried more speed I probably would not have gone down. I’m still tentative only my EMTB in technical terrain. Need to practice now that the rain yesterday washed away the smoke from the CA wildfires and will make the trails nice and tacky but I am at least a week away from being able to ride with the rib and chest pain. I think I too will look into body armor.

 

[JetSetDemo]

@Ron i know that feeling!

 

[MarkH]

Another thumbs up for TLD. Had mine for a couple of years and it's been excellent although a bit sweaty on the hottest days.

 

[TheBikePilot]

I have the fox set as well. Comes with a removable back protector. Very comfy, haven’t had a stack in it yet..

Like others have said not too hot and got that and a full face helmet after a stack and sore ribs for two weeks!!

 

[Smiffy277]

I used Leatt when I used to ride MX. It was a no brainer to go for Leatt for MTB. Its the dogs IMO.

 

[High Rock Ruti]

Hi chaps, i am thinking about investing in some body armour whilst there are plenty of good deals on line this week. I was going to go for the POC VPD Air T and some undershorts but have come accorss some nice protection from a companey called Leatt, would love to hear any feedback on the brand or any general advice. The Tee is avalible at Wiggle this week for £144 thats 30% off and the shorts for £60 again just over 30% off. I love my POC elbows but even in Large they are a little snugg so also any comments on sizing appreciated.

View attachment 7885 View attachment 7886

High Rock Ruti

I had the POC armor jacket lasted several years also the POC armor shorts both have provided great protection, When the jersey is ripped right on top of the VPD you know you've, been saved. My all time favorite is the discontinued POC hardshell shin to over knee, still wearing them going on five years. The upper body armor is hot above 80 at 85 I get dizzy. I highly recommend covering your elbows, shoulders and forearms, rarely do I crash in a way where I can forward roll so it's hands, elbows and shoulders I like the "wrister" gloves really great wrist support

 

[Nobblynik]

I have the Leatt 3df air lite and its fantastic, highly recommended.

 

[Nicho]

I have the Leatt 3df air lite and its fantastic, highly recommended.

I also have that one and think it is good, although it is more comfortable with a thin base layer underneath.
However, I got the full sleeve version and on reflection I should have gone for the short sleeve one as it would be a more flexible arrangement to use it with seperate elbow/arm protectors.

 

[Zimmerframe]

There's a few threads now on this ...

Here's two for additional reading ..

Recommend me some protection

after saying that I never fancied going to a bike park, after a first go on managed trails with berms and drops etc etc I have changed my mind :p cos im proper old and already mostly broken I have bought myself a full face helmet and I want to get some knee pads that I can use for any riding...

www.emtbforums.com

Body armour

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...

www.emtbforums.com

This one seems quite filled out so I'll put my latest crap useful information in here ..

...................

Since starting mountain biking, I've been a bit of a natural ... at falling off ..

The latest bad one, 6.5 weeks ago ... yes, I'm counting .. it still hurts .. left me (when finally checked out properly..) with two fractured fingers, two fractured ribs, dislocated shoulder and a torn rotator cuff (you don't want that).

I've spent that time trying to "up armour" in the effort to A: avoid the same B: continue to ride whilst injured without injuring myself further.

My findings ..

Body armour is a compromise. It probably shouldn't be, but with what you can buy - it is ! I'm only referring to upper body armour here.

You basically have "focused" armour. This comes in various formats (or form factors is we're keeping @steve_sordy entertained).

Back protectors.
Back protectors with shoulders.
Back protectors with shoulders and or chest and or elbow protection.

These protect the main impact areas, but not necessarily many of the vital organs or a large part of your upper body. They come in various flavors or EVA type foams, some vented with holes, some not. Some are memory foam, so just slow to react to changes. Some "reactive" so they harden when impacted. Some hard plastic shells over foam and some a mix of all the above.

You then also have "encompassing" armour (I'm making these terms up by the way...) These types try to protect as much of your upper body as possible.

There is only really one of these, the Troy Lee Designs 7855. It's made of dual density foam panels and protects nearly all of your upper body.

It's pulls on like a sweatshirt, it's light, it breaths well. If you want general protection from falling off, it's pretty much the go too.

Where it falls short is :

Lower back protection is lacking.
It does everything well, but nothing excellently ! If you want more extensive protection for your shoulders, back, chest - it doesn't give this.

In an ideal world, there would be a 7855 plus with either well vented extra hard shell back/shoulder/chest panels or D30 CE2 back and beefed up shoulders and chest.

As I said earlier - it's a compromise though - if you have these, it will be heavier, more cumbersome, hotter... So you're less likely to just throw it on for every rider like you can with a 7855.

(to be clear, Kenny make a dodgy looking copy of a 7855 - but Kenny, like Alpinestars, are absolutely crap at providing information on their website. I think "shot" also sell a badged copy of the Kenny" .. )

If you want more protection - you have to go to a "focused" armour type product. (But you lose general protection in the process).

These come in many shapes and sizes and will suit different people for different things. @Doomanic rides in a Fox Titan (old version). This is actually a pretty sound choice. It gives excellent chest/back/shoulder arm protection. There is a new version, but unfortunately they've shortened the back and removed the kidney pads from the kidney belt. No idea why, you're already restricting air movement with the belt, you might as well armour the damned thing !

This leads us to the cheapest armour option, if you're not sure ... The Fox titan copies from amazon and e-bay. Normally about £35. Not as nicely finished as the Fox one, the adjustments aren't as tidy and the sizing varies. A Large on me is big in the body, but the arms are too short so you can't put your thumbs through the thumb holes - it still works fine like that. The foam isn't is thick or dense as the proper fox one either. But, for the the price of a single known brand armoured sock - you can't go far wrong. You wouldn't really want to wear it all the time though, it's a bit bulky, though you forget about it after 10 minutes or so once you're on the move.

Alpinestars make the lovely looking "bionic Tech" range .. this looks fantastic, but I found the whole range to be obscenely hot due to the foam sections having hardly any ventilation. So whilst the armour looks vented - the foam behind it isn't ! I think this was my biggest disappointment of all the armours I've tried.

The leatt airfit range is nice. It fits well. Compared to a 7855 it's more "focused". I found the armour sections to be far less vented and considerably warmer. The "Hybrid" was a huge disappointment. It just felt overly bulky for the limited protection it gave, especially in the chest area. The Airfit light is really the one to goto as a day to day ride. The standard airfit I felt was a bit bulkier/warmer in the armour sections than some of the other options out there on the market and I'm not sure I'd want to wear it or every ride.

Anyway, before I send myself to sleep ...

What's new !!! and cool ... Well, D3o have some new stuff ! D3o I normally find quite heavy/bulky/HOT/not breathable.

They have two new back protectors .. The BP4 L1 and L2 offering CE1 and CE2 (and other things, but I'm trying not to bore us all to death)

Interestingly, they've made them the same size !! normally the CE2 Do version is wider ... but shorter due to trying to get the weight/sweat factor down. So these would be interchangeable, making it far easier for manufacturers to offer the same items with different armour levels.

The L2 version gives double the force resistance for only a 30% thickness/weight increase over the L1.

Compared to previous D3o it's hugely breathable and considerably lighter !

"Racer Gloves"/ Racer/ are using this with the Motion 2 Top. This looks nicely thought out and also uses the latest D3o shoulder and elbow pads.

RACER® - MOTION TOP 2 bicycle gloves and protections

Find here all the information about our product MOTION TOP 2 in the category Gloves And Bike Protections - lycra vest - d3o®.

www.racergloves.com

I think I have one of these on order to try out .. So a possible review to follow..

 

[steve_sordy]

This ought to do the trick.
We are on an emtb right? So weight doesn't matter!

 

[High Rock Ruti]

High Rock Ruti

If you can withstand the embarrassment of looking like the human Michelin man, this armoring works and is not as hot as mesh armor jackets. I have sustained very hard falls and rode on

Warm Regards
Ruti

 

[Zimmerframe]

High Rock Ruti

If you can withstand the embarrassment of looking like the human Michelin man, this armoring works and is not as hot as mesh armor jackets. I have sustained very hard falls and rode on

Warm Regards
Ruti

How do you find it for heat ?? I spoke with Forcefield and they also recommended the same "EX K Harness Adventure" . I quite liked the old version as it had a single piece chest plate rather than a split. They also said to wear it over a t-shirt or base layer. Have you ever tried it next to the skin with a top over it instead ? It rates really well for impact.

It looks a bit "strappy" with the ones below your biceps, and the sections round the forearms look like you've wrapped 5 t-shirts round your arms before doing it up

The shoulders look like the hang down a bit too far to protect a lot of the shoulder too ?? (I've got very picky with armour !! )

 

[Nicho]

This ought to do the trick.
We are on an emtb right? So weight doesn't matter!

And the lance will come in handy for shifting those pesky horses he is always trying to pass.

 

[Zimmerframe]

This ought to do the trick.
We are on an emtb right? So weight doesn't matter!

And the lance will come in handy for shifting those pesky horses he is always trying to pass.

I think that's @Rob Rides EMTB great great great great great grandfather. One lot of armour and dozens of helmets.

 

[High Rock Ruti]

How do you find it for heat ?? I spoke with Forcefield and they also recommended the same "EX K Harness Adventure" . I quite liked the old version as it had a single piece chest plate rather than a split. They also said to wear it over a t-shirt or base layer. Have you ever tried it next to the skin with a top over it instead ? It rates really well for impact.

It looks a bit "strappy" with the ones below your biceps, and the sections round the forearms look like you've wrapped 5 t-shirts round your arms before doing it up

The shoulders look like the hang down a bit too far to protect a lot of the shoulder too ?? (I've got very picky with armour !! )

High Rock Ruti

I wear either a long sleeve or a short sleeve depending, that synthetic athletic materials that evaporate once soaked with sweat. Very comfortable. However when it's above 85 F I wear an evaporative vest, soak in water it is very cooling and under the forcefield is comfortable. The design being slung together with elastic strapping the various armors allow for the air to blow on in between, it looks ridiculous and it works like magic once I went OTB superman landing on both elbows and one shoulder, not even any pain, never mind injury. Love the stuff

Warm Regards

Ruti

 

[magnil]

And "Racer Gloves" .. with the Motion 2 Top. This looks nicely thought out and also uses the latest D3o shoulder and elbow pads.

RACER® - MOTION TOP 2 bicycle gloves and protections

Find here all the information about our product MOTION TOP 2 in the category Gloves And Bike Protections - lycra vest - d3o®.

www.racergloves.com

I think I have one of these on order to try out .. So a possible review to follow..

That one looks really nice. Please update us with your findings when you get it.

 

[High Rock Ruti]

Hi chaps, i am thinking about investing in some body armour whilst there are plenty of good deals on line this week. I was going to go for the POC VPD Air T and some undershorts but have come accorss some nice protection from a companey called Leatt, would love to hear any feedback on the brand or any general advice. The Tee is avalible at Wiggle this week for £144 thats 30% off and the shorts for £60 again just over 30% off. I love my POC elbows but even in Large they are a little snugg so also any comments on sizing appreciated.

View attachment 7885 View attachment 7886

High Rock Ruti

Cover those elbows, very often the first point of contact.

Warm Regards

Ruti

 

[Zimmerframe]

For those of you who want to keep it a bit more casual looking on the trails ... the armoured Kevlar lined slashproof hoodie ! With CE1 Shoulder Elbow and Back : Looks like it would be good for a re-branding with "EMTB Forums" on the back @Rob Rides EMTB

The best abrasion resistant tridavar motorcycle or onewheel hoodie

Get your Hoodie on. 100% lined w Anti Cut Tridavar inside this Hoodie with CE PU Level 1 Protection for riding scooters, motorcycles or onewheels

www.heroicracing.com

And an upgrade kit to upgrade the back to D3o BP4 L2 (CE2) and the latest D3o shoulders and elbows :

D3O LP2 Level 2 Value Package Protectors - Motorcycle or OneWheel Limb protection

Hands down the best light shoulder, elbow and back protection in the market. D3O LP2 and BP4 pad allows you to ride the limit and have the confidence that you have the most energy absorbing protection you can put in your suit.

www.heroicracing.com

 

[Zimmerframe]

That one looks really nice. Please update us with your findings when you get it.

Review - Racer Motion Top 2

Product name: Racer Motion Top 2 Price paid: €200 Score (out of 10): 8 Racers (Racer Gloves) second version of their "Motion Top" with lots of improvements. There are dozens of different "body armours" out there. They all pick their own line through the different compromises you have to make...

www.emtbforums.com