Enduro Body Armour

[Reddivedog]

Hi,

I am thinking about trying a few enduros next year and hence considering in investing some body armour.

Can anyone recommend makes to either consider or avoid? I'd also appreciate any tips on what to look out for when selecting kit.

Thanks in advance,

Reddivedog

 

[Fanum]

Hi,

I am thinking about trying a few enduros next year and hence considering in investing some body armour.

Can anyone recommend makes to either consider or avoid? I'd also appreciate any tips on what to look out for when selecting kit.

Thanks in advance,

Reddivedog

Go and try it in a shop.


Reviews will do nothing for you, nor will the recommendations of individuals who have a totally different body shape to yours.

The only thing that should matter is that it fits, comfortably, will stay in place under your kit in active conditions, and that it fits comfortably.

I spunked out nearly 200 quid on Dainese armour....great stuff, and highly rated.....it didn't fit me properly (something I only discovered after an hour having it on), so I never wear it.

I then spent a lot less on force 9 amour, it fitted, i can wear it all day, so I DO wear it off roading

Look at the straps and the adjustments.....they need to be wide, thick and padded, and should adjust to YOU.

The belly belt in particular can be a problem....If you have a firm six pack, most armour should fit you OK, but if like me you have a party keg, you need a deeper (from top to bottom up and down the body IYSWIM) belt, with more adjustment.

If not, the belt will scrunch up, cut in, hurt, and make you stop half way through the day to take it off and throw it away

Use common sense on 'ratings'.......I would far far rather have a very comfortable non-'CE' rated armour suit that an uncomfortable 'CE' rated suit.....

In some cases, the kit has been imported and thus hasn't gone through the 'CE' rating system.....punch it though, drive a knuckle in to it (or get your missus to do it while you're wearing it) and as long as it feels like it will do the job, it probably will........


Common sense and comfort, that's all you need to know

Try it on in a shop....wear it for an hour....stretch, reach up, down, bend, point, generally act like a twat in it......if it still feels comfy and you think you could stab yourself in the tit with a biro and not feel it, buy it.

 

[Ogmios]

i wear it -i have to - literally all the time.
have cheap hard armour/would like upmarket softer (flexible) armour.thats the only change i'd make - otherwise
Fanums right on all accounts.

~~
mildly inebriated og

 

[Fanum]

i wear it -i have to - literally all the time.

What does Mrs O think of that Marc?

Or is it for protection from that sweet innocent young thing that you wear it ?

Must get a bit sweaty in bed mate

EDIT....

Not sure about 'soft' armour.....Mine is a shell stuff with a neoprene type stuff behind it......I know there is some hi-tech material that goes 'hard' under impact, but I haven't seen that in mainstream armour yet

I went for 'hard' plate type stuff because most of my off-roading was on rocky terrain (think boulders rather than gravel) but I can see why softer, more pliant material might be better on gravelly stuff.

I guess it depends( as usual) on what you want it for.

The most critical thing, as we both agree, is fit and comfort though.......without that, you're unlikely to use it, or if you do, it will ruin your ride which makes it all kind of pointless.

 

[tanneman]

I'm reading this with interest. What about the armoured vests with all the protection incorporated?

 

[earthmover]

Fanum has hit the nail on the head for hard shell armour.
I had Dianese armour which fitted me perfectly, and I wore it out! Currently have Alpinestars, which was on offer at the time.
As for the "soft" armour, I have a 661 armoured compression vest and POD knee pads,which I use for trials and mountain biking. Both are comfortable and flexible, and have survived plenty of minor tumbles.
Whereas any protection is better than none, I would still prefer the hard armour for Enduro riding.
Mark

 

[Robbo1200ADV]

Forcefield Gear is good . I use the shirt and long Pants out in Cambodia as it wicks away the heat . On top of that I wear an Alpinestars plastic upper body chest back protector . Works for me . Commonest fractures are collar bones ribs wrists and ankles so protect those areas

 

[CuzGS]

I use knox, its not the best but its a decent mid price buy

One thing, try on before you buy as L aint necessarily very L

 

[Reddivedog]

Gents,

Thanks for your help.

Reddivedog

 

[Mav]

Forcefield Gear is good . I use the shirt and long Pants out in Cambodia as it wicks away the heat . On top of that I wear an Alpinestars plastic upper body chest back protector . Works for me . Commonest fractures are collar bones ribs wrists and ankles so protect those areas

How do you protect against collar bone breaks? Or wrists for that matter...

 

[Fanum]

Another thought for you.....

Don't necessarily look only at MX or Enduro armour as your only solution.

These days, there are many high impact action sports that have armoured kit designed for comfort and different functions.....roller blade kit, Downhill mountain biking, snowboarding, hell, even BMX kit.

It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest to find that the protection parameters are similar.....you don't build 'less' protection in to an item, you build it to be as protective as possible given the weight and fit stipulations.

I do know you can get knee and elbow protection systems for some of the street hockey/roller blading type sports, so if that fits, is comfortable and can compliment a decent chest and spine protector, you might well be able to mix and match protective gear to end up with something that you can wear all day, rather than just take an off the peg suit that doesnt quite fit right.

If I was in the market for protective kit for an enduro, I'd spend an evening googling up the impact protection kit for a all the 'Xtreme' sports I could think of

(I often use google image first for things like this to pick out likely pictures then follow back to the website concerned)


EDIT:

How do you protect against collar bone breaks? Or wrists for that matter...

Case in point

Roller bladers, ice hockeyists and skateboarders probably get (just guessing) more wrist breaks than most sports, so i reckon it's likely their protective kit will be specifically designed focussed on that area.
Whether it's suitable for Enduro riding is another matter, but it's all out there and available if you think outside the box a little

 

[tanneman]

How do you protect against collar bone breaks? Or wrists for that matter...

Roller bladers, ice hockeyists and skateboarders probably get (just guessing) more wrist breaks than most sports, so i reckon it's likely their protective kit will be specifically designed focussed on that area.
Whether it's suitable for Enduro riding is another matter, but it's all out there and available if you think outside the box a little

The gloves for roller blades have a steel or another ridged material insert in the palm that bends the wrist slightly upwards but still in a natural position. This supports the wrist much in the same way as an ankle support and also protects the scaphoid. It doesn't impair the normal hand function apart from bending the wrists. Having taken many a tumble on the roller blades I can tell you that the gloves does a good job. Whether you can use it riding a bike is another matter and I haven't tried it yet.

 

[Wreford Miles]

Forcefield Gear is good . I use the shirt and long Pants out in Cambodia as it wicks away the heat . On top of that I wear an Alpinestars plastic upper body chest back protector . Works for me . Commonest fractures are collar bones ribs wrists and ankles so protect those areas

I use a Forcefield full chest,back and arms jobby...

When you first put in on you think how the hell is this going to be comfy, but it is.

10 - 12 hours a day on the Alto, brilliant kit

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

Forcefield is the daddy. It uses the hight tech stuff that Fanum mentions (soft then goes hard on impact). I use their trunks that have soft armour to protect your tail bone/hips/pelvis and you hardly know you are wearing them - all day comfy.
I've got a Knox upper body hard armour top. No complaints at all but wish I'd known about Forcefield when I bought it.

Andres

 

[Ogmios]

Re: me - all the gear all the time

What does Mrs O think of that Marc?

Or is it for protection from that sweet innocent young thing that you wear it ?

Must get a bit sweaty in bed mate ...

"Sweet innocent young thing ... "
you know She's gonna love you for that comment mate.
However,
No amount of armour is enough protection if She put her mind to an attack.

~~

 

[Dave Ett]

I've got the Acerbis stuff, and I wore it all day every day for a couple of weeks to/round/from Morocco.

Very comfortable, well ventilated so as cool as could be expected and plenty of adjustability.

Didn't get to try it's protective ability, but as Fanum points out - having given it a bit of abuse prior to buying, reckon it'll do the job it's designed to.

Just with it wasn't edged in yellow!