recommend me a full face helmet + pads

[hot66]

I'm heading down with my mates to Les Gets this summer for a couple of days of DH fun I'll be riding my Yeti 575 and not planning on big air, massive drop offs etc, jst lots of high speed technical single track

I've decided now might be the time to finally invest in a full face helmet + knee/shin & elbow pads/guards.

Can anyone recommend some lightweight stuff for occasional use ?

[vwsurfbum]

i know i shouldn admit to this but, i was in halfords the other day and they were selling sixsixone pads off real cheap in their bargain bins.
i bought 2 sets of shin and knee pads for £15 each!!! normally £45!
oh and CRC have a sale on full face helmets at the mo.

[Big Bob]

If its just for occasional use the cheap 661 helmets are not bad, I bought a 'last years' model for about £30 quid from Wiggle. Wouldn't want to wear it all day everyday but it will keep you pretty in a head meets trail situation.

[vz-r_dave]

Fox make very good helmets, get an 07 model for around 60-100 quid.

As for body armour well imo the best out there is http://www.dainese.com/eng/coll_mtb.asp

Best fit, most protection

Prices reflect though so perhaps look for 07 or 08 stock.

[Floor Tom]

Dainese make the best full suits but their individual leg or arm armour are a bit lacking (the old ones were anyway. Not tried the new 3x ones). Personly I would be getting a good quality helmet that fits you properly. I'm not saying you need to go and get a troy lee but don't buy something cheap and uncomfortable just to save money. If its uncomfy then thats probably bacause the load isn't spread across your head evenly and it isn't going to work as well in a big impact. I would be looking at 661 and THE helmets for a good compromise between fit and cost. As for shin and knee armour. Through years or trying various brands I have come to the conclusion that knee pads alone are the way to go. They stay in place when you fall on them so much better than any shin and knee I have ever used. I use Troy lee Tbones but I believe the 661 Kyle Straits and Tomcats are very good too. Elbow and forearm guards are a tricky one as I have notyet found ones I like. I couple these with a spine board for all my downhilling, not sure if you are considering this sort of thing or not, if I was in your situation I probably wouldn't bother.

[anniesdad]

I can certainly recommend the Fox Rampage helmet, although it can be a bit of a faff it feels very snug and secure when you do get it on. Mine's relatively new so may need more wear to soften the padding up. Fortunately, I've not tried it out in an impact situation but expect it will stand up to the job at hand.

As for knee and elbow protection, I wear Dainese whenever I ride and but for the upper thigh strap wouldn't know they were there. I have had occasions upon dismounting the bike (ahem) that the hard outer shell of the knee guard has dug into my thigh, but I'd rather that than a shattered kneecap.

S

[hot66]

I'll have a look at all the suggestions & see what fits me best .

Is it worth getting a seperate back protector or should I just go the whole hog & get a body/ back protector ?


Of course this might all be a bit OTT. I've been Mountain biking since 1988 and bar one or two mishaps been OK. I suppose the only worry is, as I get old it takes me longer to repair

Edited by hot66 on Monday 2nd February 19:59

[GHW]

I have a set of Dainese elbow/forearm pads and they're utterly rubbish when you're clattering down a hill - by the bottom they're usually forearm/wrist pads. I had an off wearing them last year in Morzine and they just slipped up my arm and I earned myself a lovely gravel rash where they were...

For knees, seriously consider 661 Kyle Straits. I've got a set and they're fantastically comfortable, to the point at which you could pedal all the way back up the hill wearing them and hardly notice they're there. They were very popular amongst the punters in Morzine last year. The only downside is there's no shin protection - very bad if you're on extra spiky platforms!

[anniesdad]

GHW said:

I have a set of Dainese elbow/forearm pads and they're utterly rubbish when you're clattering down a hill - by the bottom they're usually forearm/wrist pads.

Pull the straps tighter?

[vz-r_dave]

If you wear indavidual elbow pads you shouldnt expect them to stay on lol, I always find it odd when I see people wearing them.

Same goes for the 661 knee's, they are popular in Morzine because they are fasionable. I always find it funny when the only protective padding people wear for a knarly DH run is 661's lol.

In 2006 a guy I spoke to stacked on his first day of riding wearing on 661 knee pads, he fked both wrists and was out for the first week of a 2 week stay. IMO it is worth while wearing protective gear and the 661 knee pads although cool, trendy and very comfortable are protecting fk all if your hitting 50K in a rock garden.

[Floor Tom]

vz-r_dave said:

If you wear indavidual elbow pads you shouldnt expect them to stay on lol, I always find it odd when I see people wearing them.

Same goes for the 661 knee's, they are popular in Morzine because they are fasionable. I always find it funny when the only protective padding people wear for a knarly DH run is 661's lol.

In 2006 a guy I spoke to stacked on his first day of riding wearing on 661 knee pads, he fked both wrists and was out for the first week of a 2 week stay. IMO it is worth while wearing protective gear and the 661 knee pads although cool, trendy and very comfortable are protecting fk all if your hitting 50K in a rock garden.

Have you ever tried individual knee pads? I have and so have a lot of my friends (I have been racing downhill for the last 5 years to a farily decent standard) and within the people I speak to it is generally regarded the stand alone knee pads stay up better than shin and knee. Personly I have only tried the troy lee tbones and I am confident in saying that they are better at protecting my knee than any other pads I have tried. With regards to the guy who did his wrist in, a full body suit of armor wouldn't have helped him. Wrist guards might have but have you ever tried riding in them? They are hideous! He didn't do his knees in either
I think it is important to remember that you have to be comfortable when riding or it just isn't any fun. To me full armour in france is to hot to be comfortable. Just to give you my perspective I have worn full upper body armor at every race I have done. This year however I am going to be using a spine board and elbow/forarm guards as the freedom I get from not wearing the full suit is worth the risk. Also the extra inch or space I have between my shoulder and the trees is a good thing.

Also someone mentioned the Fox Rampage helmet further up. I was given one of these to use last season and I used it for most of the year. It was good apart from the plastic clip buckle. The strap used to loosen off and I'm not sure it would have held in a big crash like a proper D loop would. I am getting a THE helmet this year for this reason.

[vz-r_dave]

Floor Tom said:

vz-r_dave said:

If you wear indavidual elbow pads you shouldnt expect them to stay on lol, I always find it odd when I see people wearing them.

Same goes for the 661 knee's, they are popular in Morzine because they are fasionable. I always find it funny when the only protective padding people wear for a knarly DH run is 661's lol.

In 2006 a guy I spoke to stacked on his first day of riding wearing on 661 knee pads, he fked both wrists and was out for the first week of a 2 week stay. IMO it is worth while wearing protective gear and the 661 knee pads although cool, trendy and very comfortable are protecting fk all if your hitting 50K in a rock garden.

Have you ever tried individual knee pads? I have and so have a lot of my friends (I have been racing downhill for the last 5 years to a farily decent standard) and within the people I speak to it is generally regarded the stand alone knee pads stay up better than shin and knee. Personly I have only tried the troy lee tbones and I am confident in saying that they are better at protecting my knee than any other pads I have tried. With regards to the guy who did his wrist in, a full body suit of armor wouldn't have helped him. Wrist guards might have but have you ever tried riding in them? They are hideous! He didn't do his knees in either
I think it is important to remember that you have to be comfortable when riding or it just isn't any fun. To me full armour in france is to hot to be comfortable. Just to give you my perspective I have worn full upper body armor at every race I have done. This year however I am going to be using a spine board and elbow/forarm guards as the freedom I get from not wearing the full suit is worth the risk. Also the extra inch or space I have between my shoulder and the trees is a good thing.

Also someone mentioned the Fox Rampage helmet further up. I was given one of these to use last season and I used it for most of the year. It was good apart from the plastic clip buckle. The strap used to loosen off and I'm not sure it would have held in a big crash like a proper D loop would. I am getting a THE helmet this year for this reason.

He didnt break his wrists, he shreaded all of the skin off his wrists and his forearms. A body suit would have stopped that from happening. I can understand being comfortable and sense of movement is much greater when your not wearing the suit. IMO though the protection outweighs the freedom, for instance a fall on puncture ally without the suit would 99% be a visit to the hospital, pottentially even fatal. Wearing the suit provides so much protection that I think its worth it. Even if you feel like your in a constant sauna lol

Regarding the standalone knee pads, I completely agree they are fantastic. No movement and as already stated you dont know they are there. When falling on roots, muddy sections I can see them working, on a rock garden I am not so sure though.

I ride with a Rampage helmet, best bang for buck value out there imo.

[Floor Tom]

vz-r_dave said:

He didnt break his wrists, he shreaded all of the skin off his wrists and his forearms. A body suit would have stopped that from happening. I can understand being comfortable and sense of movement is much greater when your not wearing the suit. IMO though the protection outweighs the freedom, for instance a fall on puncture ally without the suit would 99% be a visit to the hospital, pottentially even fatal. Wearing the suit provides so much protection that I think its worth it. Even if you feel like your in a constant sauna lol

Regarding the standalone knee pads, I completely agree they are fantastic. No movement and as already stated you dont know they are there. When falling on roots, muddy sections I can see them working, on a rock garden I am not so sure though.

I ride with a Rampage helmet, best bang for buck value out there imo.

There is just so much the suit doesn't cover that I dont think you can make such a blanket statement like that. You coller bones are still completly free to be broken and all the soft squishy bits (stomach, kidnys etc) have little protection (what they do have a spine board will cover anyway). so the main areas of protection I can see are your chest which you are at a low risk of hitting IMO, though one of my friends did break his stermun this season. Your shoulders, and the main chance of injury here is separation from hitting them back the way, going into trees etc, something a full suit does not stop. and your upper arms, only soft pads on a full suit which might stop minor bumps and scrapes but not going to do much against a large impact. Now the thing that is left are your forarms and elbows. I am hoping to find something that will stay in place (relativly obviously, my site used to twist round too). If I can't then I may go back to the full upper suit. I liked the fit or the Rampage but the plastic buckle that loosened off did not inspire confidence.

I would definately take my knee pads over the normal shin and knee's in any fall. They generaly have more padding to soak the impact up and dont move. Your shins will take more of a beating but your knees will be safer.

[vz-r_dave]

Floor Tom said:

vz-r_dave said:

He didnt break his wrists, he shreaded all of the skin off his wrists and his forearms. A body suit would have stopped that from happening. I can understand being comfortable and sense of movement is much greater when your not wearing the suit. IMO though the protection outweighs the freedom, for instance a fall on puncture ally without the suit would 99% be a visit to the hospital, pottentially even fatal. Wearing the suit provides so much protection that I think its worth it. Even if you feel like your in a constant sauna lol

Regarding the standalone knee pads, I completely agree they are fantastic. No movement and as already stated you dont know they are there. When falling on roots, muddy sections I can see them working, on a rock garden I am not so sure though.

I ride with a Rampage helmet, best bang for buck value out there imo.

There is just so much the suit doesn't cover that I dont think you can make such a blanket statement like that. You coller bones are still completly free to be broken and all the soft squishy bits (stomach, kidnys etc) have little protection (what they do have a spine board will cover anyway). so the main areas of protection I can see are your chest which you are at a low risk of hitting IMO, though one of my friends did break his stermun this season. Your shoulders, and the main chance of injury here is separation from hitting them back the way, going into trees etc, something a full suit does not stop. and your upper arms, only soft pads on a full suit which might stop minor bumps and scrapes but not going to do much against a large impact. Now the thing that is left are your forarms and elbows. I am hoping to find something that will stay in place (relativly obviously, my site used to twist round too). If I can't then I may go back to the full upper suit. I liked the fit or the Rampage but the plastic buckle that loosened off did not inspire confidence.

I would definately take my knee pads over the normal shin and knee's in any fall. They generaly have more padding to soak the impact up and dont move. Your shins will take more of a beating but your knees will be safer.

The blankhet statement is, if your wearing the protection your more likely to come out of a fall in one peice then if your not wearing any. I would say that I have a good point tbh.

I am not only talking about breaks, my brother had his leg punctured in 2007 and that was a trip to the local doc to get sewed up. He had scratches on his body armour and helmet and one of his knee shins had fractured.

If he was wearing the 661 knee pads and just a full face helmet, I think it would have been an airlift to the hospital. The body armour in this instance saved him from a lot more harm. If the scratches in the armour had been skin he would have been sliced to pieces. It all depends on how hard your pushing it I suppose.

[anniesdad]

vz-r_dave said:

Same goes for the 661 knee's, they are popular in Morzine because they are fasionable. I always find it funny when the only protective padding people wear for a knarly DH run is 661's lol.

I have a riding buddy who wears "Hoodie Armour".

[hot66]

Is a seperate spine protector going to do any good or is it worth getting a body suit inc. a spine protector

[vz-r_dave]

hot66 said:

Is a seperate spine protector going to do any good or is it worth getting a body suit inc. a spine protector

It will be great on its own, imo though its worth putting the extra cash in to get the suit.

[GHW]

Last time I went to Morzine, the only chap in the group who was wearing a body suit was also the chap who spent an extra week in France getting a titanium shoulder joint fitted. His course of physiotherapy should be finished just in time to go back this summer.

If you do go for a proper suit, be very aware that it's still bloody easy to hit the deck hard enough and properly break something. A lot of my pals avoid lots of armour simply because the extra element of fear keeps them from doing anything too risky....

Those 661 Kyle Strait knee pads are bloody good for snowboarding too, if you're into that sort of thing

[Floor Tom]

vz-r_dave said:

hot66 said:

Is a seperate spine protector going to do any good or is it worth getting a body suit inc. a spine protector

It will be great on its own, imo though its worth putting the extra cash in to get the suit.

If you get the Dainese upper suit (it is the mose expensive but the best by a long way) then it will come with straps to run just the spine board. Its an expensive way of getting a spine board but it gives you the option. If you are too hot you can take off the main suit but still have a spine board. If you feel unsafe yu can put the whole lot on. Be wary though the zips to remove the spine board get encrusted with salt pretty quick

[P-Jay]

IMHO when it comes to helments fit is more important that make. Sadly for me the only one I can find are TLD D2's in XL-XXL because I've got a MASSIVE dome. Awesome helment and now and again you can get last years colours on the cheap. There's a bit of a redesign and lots of new colours for '09 so you might get a bargian.

I use the 3x Knee and shin pads and they work much better than my old 661's, they've got a double/jointed knee so they don't slip down.

Daiennese suits are also the best you can get.

If you only want them for one year a year, why don't you just rent some kit when you get there?