Armour choice

[Mudwiz]

After some armour - does any body use the MX plastic stuff, or the full body suits, or the armour in jackets?

The forearm stuff in my current jkt seems good, but I'm not convinced the back piece is ever in the best place, and it is without any chest protection, and I'm scared of going into the top of the bike and doing ribs etc.

Hoping this will increase my confidence!

[matthelliwell]

After some armour - does any body use the MX plastic stuff, or the full body suits, or the armour in jackets?

The forearm stuff in my current jkt seems good, but I'm not convinced the back piece is ever in the best place, and it is without any chest protection, and I'm scared of going into the top of the bike and doing ribs etc.

Hoping this will increase my confidence!

I've tried both, though only crashed in the CE armour you insert into the jacket. The jacket armour worked fine. However, the leg armour was hard plastic with a thin plastic pad inside it. When I came off, this twisted, the hard edge of the armour dug in and scrapped off two big bits of skin. It did smart somewhat.

I bought a cheap set of MX armour off ebay and see what that was like to wear. As usual for this sort of thing, it was hard plastic on a thin pad. Under my jacket, it did stay nice and still but I was not convinced that the hard plastic would absorb much force but would trasmit most off it straight through to me.

In the end, I went back to armour you insert into a jacket but made sure it fitted well with the minumum of movement.

As for the chest protection, I can see that chest armour would be good to protect you against thrown rocks or impaling yourself on the handlebars but I would've thought the chances of actually landing on your chest and cracking your ribs are not that high.

[Mutley]

Like many others, I've also fallen off and saved by the armor. It was the standard soft type found in many suits but it did do a great job. It really depends on whether or not it stays in place during an accident.

The full upper body motoX style armor goes on when I can but the weight has already piled on b4 christmas!! so, at the mo it won't fit.

It does feel good when I can breathe up long enough but, like matthelliwell says, it is a pretty hard shell.

[iswoolley]

It seems armour falls into 2 categories; hard and soft. From what I've heard the hard stuff that the MX boys tend to use is more designed to spread the impact of stones, gravel, etc. thrown up by the bike in front. Whereas the enduro lot are more worried about what happens when they hit the ground, so go for the thicker soft armour, which I believe cushions impacts.

Personally I wear the soft stuff, and have a 'shirt' with shoulder, arm, chest and back protection. It doesn't have a kidney belt, but I believe there are models that do. The company is called Knox, and they're British as well!

[Slimie]

I'm really interested in this after my off in October.

I was wearing ATGATT and apart from my helmet (replaced) there was no damage to any of my clothing - Hein Gerick jacket with their own armour and leather trews with Knox at the hips and knees, not a mark on any of it.

I'm not sure nothing could have saved my clavical, apparently they are sacrificial to save your shoulder, but it would be great to hear some other opinions.

Cheers
-Simon[/b]