High Grade Back Protection
Discussion
My 17yr old son broke his neck last week (he's not paralysed). Not great and the last week has been horrific. He's still in hospital and has been really strong and positive but reality is starting to dawn on him and his mood is starting to drop. Dr's have today said that he'll still be able to bike in the future. Won't help with our trips to Morzine in 6 weeks, so I really want to cheer him up.
Money no object, what is the best back protection available for MTB? We also ski, so it would be great if it could be used for that too.
I had been looking at something like this:
https://foxracing.co.uk/product/baseframe-pro-d3o-...
My worry is that the D30 is flexible and may not be as rigid in a crash as some of the plastic systems.
All advice gratefully received
Money no object, what is the best back protection available for MTB? We also ski, so it would be great if it could be used for that too.
I had been looking at something like this:
https://foxracing.co.uk/product/baseframe-pro-d3o-...
My worry is that the D30 is flexible and may not be as rigid in a crash as some of the plastic systems.
All advice gratefully received
Sorry to hear about your son. My kids have done DH for years and we have had some big offs.
We used to put them in these (MX) type body armour - probably the best as back, shoulder and neck protection.
Leatt-Fusion-2-0-Vest-Body-Protection
However they have progressed and found them too restrictive, so they now ride with:-
Scott softcon air body armor
I ride with
Leatt body protector 3df airfit lite
We used to put them in these (MX) type body armour - probably the best as back, shoulder and neck protection.
Leatt-Fusion-2-0-Vest-Body-Protection
However they have progressed and found them too restrictive, so they now ride with:-
Scott softcon air body armor
I ride with
Leatt body protector 3df airfit lite
First off sorry to hear about your son and hope fore a speedy recovery.
https://www.d3o.com/
https://youtu.be/dua0Glau94Q?si=Es7FvR6EvRVfbWRg
While d3o might look very light weight as a form of protection it stiffens up when stressed from an impact- the idea being it’s the best of both worlds of comfortable to wear but offers protection when needed. I have had friends use knee pads with it and never heard any complaints from them. Any form of protection will be better than none. If you was to go for some more traditional hard body protection I’m not fully sure it would be any better or worse because a crash isn’t exactly the same each time (speed, surface condition, other items worn, distance sliding/rolling etc…). If it’s more comfortable to wear, he’s more likely to wear it which is probably the important thing. Good protect protection are expensive but generally get more comfortable, longer lasting and cooler to wear.
https://www.d3o.com/
https://youtu.be/dua0Glau94Q?si=Es7FvR6EvRVfbWRg
While d3o might look very light weight as a form of protection it stiffens up when stressed from an impact- the idea being it’s the best of both worlds of comfortable to wear but offers protection when needed. I have had friends use knee pads with it and never heard any complaints from them. Any form of protection will be better than none. If you was to go for some more traditional hard body protection I’m not fully sure it would be any better or worse because a crash isn’t exactly the same each time (speed, surface condition, other items worn, distance sliding/rolling etc…). If it’s more comfortable to wear, he’s more likely to wear it which is probably the important thing. Good protect protection are expensive but generally get more comfortable, longer lasting and cooler to wear.
First of all, I hope your son makes a full recovery. Hopefully it sounds like his prognosis is good and at his age he will heal quickly. A big injury doesn't have to affect you for the rest of your life but it may make him re evaluate the level of risk he wishes to take.
The D30 type armour is very good, and similar it saved my shoulder in a bad crash on a bike some years back. Im not sure scientifically how much better or worse it is than full hard armour but as mentioned, hard armour is more restrictive. I ride with Leatt stuff at the moment and I don't even notice it once I'm riding.
The D30 type armour is very good, and similar it saved my shoulder in a bad crash on a bike some years back. Im not sure scientifically how much better or worse it is than full hard armour but as mentioned, hard armour is more restrictive. I ride with Leatt stuff at the moment and I don't even notice it once I'm riding.
Sorry to hear about your son. Fingers crossed he makes a speedy recovery
I ride downhill out in Madeira, so super steep, rocky and generally unfriendly for ground-body interfaces. For the last few seasons I have been using a Fy Racing Barricase long sleeve upper body suit. I think it is primarily focussed for MX, so it can get a little sweaty on the uphills, but it offers great protection.
My 12yr son who has just started riding out here has a SixSixOne Recon Advanced Jacket which seems to be pretty good.
On a related note, once he has back on his bike, it might be worth considering adding a neck brace into the mix for downhill duties, especially while his neck is getting back up to full strength again.
I ride downhill out in Madeira, so super steep, rocky and generally unfriendly for ground-body interfaces. For the last few seasons I have been using a Fy Racing Barricase long sleeve upper body suit. I think it is primarily focussed for MX, so it can get a little sweaty on the uphills, but it offers great protection.
My 12yr son who has just started riding out here has a SixSixOne Recon Advanced Jacket which seems to be pretty good.
On a related note, once he has back on his bike, it might be worth considering adding a neck brace into the mix for downhill duties, especially while his neck is getting back up to full strength again.
Edited by Before the music stops on Thursday 5th June 15:02
Glad he isn't permanently injured and hope he heals fast.
It's great to up the protection, especially after a stack when you need to regain confidence, but he will absolutely cook in the the Fox one you have posted, and it is only CE level 1 on the chest. Also, the shoulder protection won't really do much, besides making it a bit more cumbersome and adding to the heat and weight. You can achieve higher levels of protection - CE level 2 everywhere - without covering the entire torso like that
IMHO, the two current best for DH on the market are the Leatt 4.5 Evo, and the Alpinestars A-5 Plasma
Both of these have come out recently, and most importantly both are CE level 2 front AND back. They both have their version of D30 (plasma, and flexmesh pro) which is really magic stuff, with the leatt having the addition of a slim harder shell over it.
I do have the Leatt myself, and it is great, very light & slim under a jersey, but has great coverage, with a bit of extra reassurance with the side panel wrapping around the ribs. I ride seriously rocky and gnarly east coast bike parks, and I need every bit of protection I can get, and I trust this. Loic Bruni and Ronan Dunne wear the A-5 Plasma (see: Ronan's Hardline crash for how well it works).. There is also the Alpinestars A6-plasma which also has level 2 back, but only level 1 front, but it is also very light and slim.
If you want more protection than that, you start to get into moto stuff like you posted with arms and shoulders and they are simply too heavy, cumbersome, and hot for DH riding. CE Level 2 is the best certification currently available, so you would be a fool not to have it, certainly on the back.
This video may help - these guys review pretty much every one on the market and know their stuff. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwognBHccBs
Oh, and if you want the best knee & elbow pads on the market, alpinestars a-impact plasma elite shield are CE level 2, and what half the DH world cup field wears. I can attest to their comfort and how well they work (they also have d30-esque plasma inside).
It's great to up the protection, especially after a stack when you need to regain confidence, but he will absolutely cook in the the Fox one you have posted, and it is only CE level 1 on the chest. Also, the shoulder protection won't really do much, besides making it a bit more cumbersome and adding to the heat and weight. You can achieve higher levels of protection - CE level 2 everywhere - without covering the entire torso like that
IMHO, the two current best for DH on the market are the Leatt 4.5 Evo, and the Alpinestars A-5 Plasma
Both of these have come out recently, and most importantly both are CE level 2 front AND back. They both have their version of D30 (plasma, and flexmesh pro) which is really magic stuff, with the leatt having the addition of a slim harder shell over it.
I do have the Leatt myself, and it is great, very light & slim under a jersey, but has great coverage, with a bit of extra reassurance with the side panel wrapping around the ribs. I ride seriously rocky and gnarly east coast bike parks, and I need every bit of protection I can get, and I trust this. Loic Bruni and Ronan Dunne wear the A-5 Plasma (see: Ronan's Hardline crash for how well it works).. There is also the Alpinestars A6-plasma which also has level 2 back, but only level 1 front, but it is also very light and slim.
If you want more protection than that, you start to get into moto stuff like you posted with arms and shoulders and they are simply too heavy, cumbersome, and hot for DH riding. CE Level 2 is the best certification currently available, so you would be a fool not to have it, certainly on the back.
This video may help - these guys review pretty much every one on the market and know their stuff. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwognBHccBs
Oh, and if you want the best knee & elbow pads on the market, alpinestars a-impact plasma elite shield are CE level 2, and what half the DH world cup field wears. I can attest to their comfort and how well they work (they also have d30-esque plasma inside).
Edited by GCH on Thursday 5th June 20:02
GCH said:
Glad he isn't permanently injured and hope he heals fast.
It's great to up the protection, especially after a stack when you need to regain confidence, but he will absolutely cook in the the Fox one you have posted, and it is only CE level 1 on the chest. Also, the shoulder protection won't really do much, besides making it a bit more cumbersome and adding to the heat and weight. You can achieve higher levels of protection - CE level 2 everywhere - without covering the entire torso like that
IMHO, the two current best for DH on the market are the Leatt 4.5 Evo, and the Alpinestars A-5 Plasma
Both of these have come out recently, and most importantly both are CE level 2 front AND back. They both have their version of D30 (plasma, and flexmesh pro) which is really magic stuff, with the leatt having the addition of a slim harder shell over it.
I do have the Leatt myself, and it is great, very light & slim under a jersey, but has great coverage, with a bit of extra reassurance with the side panel wrapping around the ribs. I ride seriously rocky and gnarly east coast bike parks, and I need every bit of protection I can get, and I trust this. Loic Bruni and Ronan Dunne wear the A-5 Plasma (see: Ronan's Hardline crash for how well it works).. There is also the Alpinestars A6-plasma which also has level 2 back, but only level 1 front, but it is also very light and slim.
If you want more protection than that, you start to get into moto stuff like you posted with arms and shoulders and they are simply too heavy, cumbersome, and hot for DH riding. CE Level 2 is the best certification currently available, so you would be a fool not to have it, certainly on the back.
This video may help - these guys review pretty much every one on the market and know their stuff. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwognBHccBs
Oh, and if you want the best knee & elbow pads on the market, alpinestars a-impact plasma elite shield are CE level 2, and what half the DH world cup field wears. I can attest to their comfort and how well they work (they also have d30-esque plasma inside).
That's fantastic, thank you. Had a chat with him this morning and he agrees about the full body Fox and just wants a vest - he already has some decent elbow pads. The Leatt 4.5 looks perfect and is now top of his list. It's also on sale for £140 at the moment, so I'm happy too.It's great to up the protection, especially after a stack when you need to regain confidence, but he will absolutely cook in the the Fox one you have posted, and it is only CE level 1 on the chest. Also, the shoulder protection won't really do much, besides making it a bit more cumbersome and adding to the heat and weight. You can achieve higher levels of protection - CE level 2 everywhere - without covering the entire torso like that
IMHO, the two current best for DH on the market are the Leatt 4.5 Evo, and the Alpinestars A-5 Plasma
Both of these have come out recently, and most importantly both are CE level 2 front AND back. They both have their version of D30 (plasma, and flexmesh pro) which is really magic stuff, with the leatt having the addition of a slim harder shell over it.
I do have the Leatt myself, and it is great, very light & slim under a jersey, but has great coverage, with a bit of extra reassurance with the side panel wrapping around the ribs. I ride seriously rocky and gnarly east coast bike parks, and I need every bit of protection I can get, and I trust this. Loic Bruni and Ronan Dunne wear the A-5 Plasma (see: Ronan's Hardline crash for how well it works).. There is also the Alpinestars A6-plasma which also has level 2 back, but only level 1 front, but it is also very light and slim.
If you want more protection than that, you start to get into moto stuff like you posted with arms and shoulders and they are simply too heavy, cumbersome, and hot for DH riding. CE Level 2 is the best certification currently available, so you would be a fool not to have it, certainly on the back.
This video may help - these guys review pretty much every one on the market and know their stuff. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwognBHccBs
Oh, and if you want the best knee & elbow pads on the market, alpinestars a-impact plasma elite shield are CE level 2, and what half the DH world cup field wears. I can attest to their comfort and how well they work (they also have d30-esque plasma inside).
Edited by GCH on Thursday 5th June 20:02
For boarding I wear D3O knee pads (POC) and a backpack with an inbuilt protector… It’s close fitting so no need to remove it on the lifts and I need to carry water/stuff for the kids anyway so I get the back protection for free. I used to wear a Dianese hard shell but found it too restrictive and ended up removing the shoulder pads because they gave me blisters!
https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Evoc-Trail-Pro-Protector-...
I use the same pack on my bike but I’m a mainly “wheels on the ground rider” - I’d look like an idiot wearing body armour and a full face helmet for the riding I do, but it’s nice to have the back protector just in case (I tend to ride with a pack anyway)
https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Evoc-Trail-Pro-Protector-...
I use the same pack on my bike but I’m a mainly “wheels on the ground rider” - I’d look like an idiot wearing body armour and a full face helmet for the riding I do, but it’s nice to have the back protector just in case (I tend to ride with a pack anyway)
Sorry to hear about your son. I have had similar in last couple of years - eldest has managed three concussions while racing DH and Enduro, and most recently the 3am UK time phone call from his pal to say he had crashed on Dreamline (look it up) in Queenstown (where he lives currently) and was not in a great way..
Ours use D30 flexible and it has worked well - one took a Morzine rock to the chest at high speed and walked away. The one with concussion has also suggested it has worked really well for him at times, and indeed when he has smacked his head he has had very few other injuries.
Oh, and good helmets are worth every penny...
Ours use D30 flexible and it has worked well - one took a Morzine rock to the chest at high speed and walked away. The one with concussion has also suggested it has worked really well for him at times, and indeed when he has smacked his head he has had very few other injuries.
Oh, and good helmets are worth every penny...
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