Protective Gear

[ChrisMember]

I was hoping to get some feedback as to what the experienced riders have decided on after years of trying out different flavors of protective gear..

I’m mostly interested in individual elbow pads, knee pads and armour as opposed to knee pads and one of these jacket type armour setups..

I currently own version one of these and I have found it too be uncomfortable now that I’m wearing a back pack and tool kit bum bag and riding longer distances..

I want something since many times I have been pegged in the chest by a flying rock and without the Armour it would have hurt like hell..

So whats everyone using? Full setups would great and any and all advice welcome..

[glennMember]

I find the sixsixone pressure suit style to be comfortable and effective.they breath good and you dont know your wearing them.

Boony

[DavidMember]

Hello Krusty,
I use Thor under jersey body armour, it has shoulder, chest and articulated back protectors.
I find this light and breaths really well, i forget i have it on
UFO elbow pads,
Six Six One Knee pads, and padded shorts.
I ride with a kidney belt, hydration pack and bum bag and it all works well together with no discomfort.
I have tried some pressure suits on and they just don’t seem right for me. :dry:
I would like knee braces but can’t afford them at the moment but i guess something is better than nothing.

I have tested all my gear by falling off on a semi regular basis and it all works well.
The shorts have saved my butt literally :laugh:

[FezMember]

I use a 4Bp upper body armour and recon the feel and fit is good but I don’t use the removable back protector in mine as it sometimes hits the bottom of my helmet.

[Dwayne OMember]

I too wear the 4BP armour, backpack, toolbelt (on front) & pivot knee guards.
Its all about finding what gear suits your body frame & wearing it to suit your riding style I reckon,,,,
Wouldn`t be caught without wearing any of it after the few crashes I have been saved on by having it all on :laugh: The vivible bumps & scratches on my armour are better on there than peices out of my elbows or shoulders
Yes toolbelts can seem heavy & a hassle to wear, but I find that once on the bike, you forget about it. Thats why I wear it on the front, to better distribute the weight & limit the bouncing around etc

Cheers

[FezMember]

Eagle does your back protector hit on your helmet?

[simon burkeMember]

Boony wrote:

Quote:

I find the sixsixone pressure suit style to be comfortable and effective.they breath good and you dont know your wearing them.

Boony

Ditto :cheer:

Bol :woohoo:

[Dwayne OMember]

Uncle Fester wrote:

Quote:

Eagle does your back protector hit on your helmet?

I think it has on the odd occasion, but I still would prefer it to be on than off mate
The armour does tend to ride up a bit on rides, but I just adjust it when I stop (which is ususllt frequent for a rest or a crash) :laugh:

[RoyMember]

I tried the 661 suit on in the shop and thought it was very restrictive and stiff. Maybe it was just old. I currently have an alpinestar pressure suit. Can’t remember the model. $260 and a bit dearer than the 661. It is very good. Full length back protector (right down to tail bone), kidney belt, adjustable elbow guards. Light and flexible as well. Doesn’t move around once on. After I got mine about 5 of mates got it as well and they all like it. The only complaint has been that a couple of them didn’t like the back protection going so low. They pulled off the last couple of plastic pieces and then all fine.

[scott bockingMember]

I agree that the SixSixOne feels wrong when you try it on but in time it molds to your shape and mine now fits like a glove, albiet a very stinky one :laugh:

STM

[ChrisMember]

thanks for all feedback fellas…

Do you guys with the pressure suits wear it as the first layer then layer on top of it? What do you wear on top of it?

I think maybe I was uncomfortable this past weekend because I had a t-shirt, log sleeve shirt then a jumper.. I then put the pressure suit on.. :laugh: :woohoo:

[alanMember]

i just put a t shirt under the pressure suit or when its hot a kinky fish net shirt i got from ballards .when its cold i don t use the pressure suit just my jacket its got armer in it

[Matt BakerMember]

Ive got an el cheapo EVS one like in the picture you posted up. I cut the kidney belt and fore arm straps off it and its heaps more cumfy. I wear a tshirt under it otherwise the nipple chaffing is shocking, just a jersey over the top.

[MalMember]

Krusty wrote:

Quote:

thanks for all feedback fellas…

Do you guys with the pressure suits wear it as the first layer then layer on top of it? What do you wear on top of it?

I think maybe I was uncomfortable this past weekend because I had a t-shirt, log sleeve shirt then a jumper.. I then put the pressure suit on.. :laugh: :woohoo:

Holy crap Krusty. How do fit all that gear UNDER your pressure suit. I wear a skins type long sleeve top under my suit and a long sleeve shirt if it’s cold and then just the jersy over the top.

I like my pressure suit, I feel very unprotected when it’s not on.

[Paul FaheyMember]

Hi Krusty

I wear 661 armour over a singlet. Had to wear the singlet as like LC4skin I was getting Nip Chaffing on longer rides. I have had my armour for 4 years now and it has saved my skin on many occasion. I tend to have a fair few unco-ordinated moments when I ride. I think its a late starter thing – really have to think hard about everything I do and often the mind does not co-ordinate with the body fast enough!!!

Over the 661 I wear my jersey and then back pack and bum bag. I found the more you ride in the set up the more it just becomes part of the process, it becomes habit and you dont even notice its on.

Only issue I have found with wearing singlet or shirt under armour is that as I sweat the singlet gets wet – no real problem if you keep riding. However I find that when you stop for lunch or something similar on a cool day ride you cool off and the wet shirt/singlet gets really cold and it can really chill you off. In colder weather I recommend that you carry spare shirt and ditch the wet undergarment into your backpack prior to the chill setting in.

My bad experiences with 661 (1996 version, red & black), keep a close eye on the zippers – they corrode also the spine protection armour is held on with a pop rivet system and the inner centre of the pop rivets rusts and eventually the rivets give way and the spine protection segments just fall off (one at a time). If your lucky they fall off while you pull your jersey on or off and you gather a collection of them in your riding gear bag. I havn’t worked out a suitable method to reapply them yet. In the family we bought five 661 suits and all five have suffered the same condition. You just sweat so much doing the sport that any gear close to your body must be rust and corrosion resistant – an oversight (possible diliberate) in the design by 661 – why couldnt they have adopted wetsuit type zippers and corrosion resistant pop rivets? However other than this the suits have been great and I wouldn’t ride without one. The netting holds all the armour in place. And the shoulder protection is ready good and I dont believe the same protection is available from roost guards and obviously not from simple elbow guards.

As the kids have grown out of theirs we have been able to swap a few and have been required to buy some replacements. The new version of 661 has a really long back protector. In my opinion way too long, it also seems weighty and hangs down low on your back – not sure I like the new format. For my eldest son who is reasonably tall it was way too long and touched the seat when he sat on the bike which he didn’t like it. Fortunately we were able to find stock of the old red and black model at Ballards and we are paying greater attention to the fasteners.

Good luck with your selection, get it, use it on the trails you know and get really comfortable with it before you take on an all dayer.

Im with Mal 5.1 – I dont know how you got all that gear on under the suit. I would recommend wearing it over the top of the armour next time and i am worried that if you got all that gear under it then you probably have the wrong size.

Unit

PS Kids wear a rash shirt under theirs to stop rubbing etc.

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