How much armor?

There has just been an interesting thread about what kind of clothing people use when riding. I was wondering how much (and which) armor you guys use when riding? We have a local spot with some jumps, drops and gaps, and untill now I have always worn shin armor, full body armor and full face helmet. However, being warm and heavy, I sometimes wonder if I am going too far. What do you guys wear?

Mace arms and legs, plus full face helmet.

I don't go big though… The most extreme thing I hit regularly is a 4' drop to flat, but occasionally will do some bigger rock rolls (wheels never leave the ground on those tho.)

To me armor is for the skinnies and the wet gnar, not so much the drops and gaps.

For trail riding, lighter riding, or exploring a bit, XC lid, gloves, maybe knee pads.

On the other end of things, for riding gnarly stuff I will go full storm trooper style. Upper body armour, leg pads, gloves, full face, and I'm looking at starting to use a Leatt brace (or similar). I don't trust myself.

There are definitely grey areas in the middle, it depends on how sharp I'm feeling about my riding, how familiar I am with the terrain, what the conditions are, etc. …but as soon as it gets properly gnarly, I'm more than happy to be sweating away in my full armour.

Never anything but knees gloves and a helmet. I only wear gloves now because these grips make my palms feel like they're on fire.

nothing while on the bmx.

I don't carry my Dainese around anymore unless I'm shuttling or riding the bike park.

Full-on pedally rides (Squamish, Kill me Thrill me, Comfortably Numb, etc) get an XC lid and SPDs. I've been looking in to some soft knee pads to provide a little pro against hitting my kneecap on my bar/fork when I spin out climbing.

If I'm doing a lot of climbing to reach technical trails (Old Buck to Severed, up Braemar-Dempsey to Pipeline, etc) then I go with regular XC lid and bring my legs.

For full Fromme days (climbing the fireroad) I'll bring my full-face and legs. I've been considering adding some soft elbow pro to protect against scrapes and minor abrasion.

The bike park and cypress get max protection.

There are some grey areas for sure, like some of the gnarlier trails in the Whistler valley (Gargamel, PHD). So many of them are reached by long fireroad climbs that make carrying too much stuff impractical but I often end up wishing I'd brought more protection.

full face, knee/shin pad, glove, proper biking clothes(jersey, short, shoes).

i had bucket before, and i smoked my jaw on a log, when the grip tape on the log ripped off. since then, i threw my bucket helmet in the garbage.

Knee pads, gloves and a full face for everything having to do with the dh bike. On the dj hardtail I wear me kneepads and a skid lid.

sfu- skate lid, gloves and roach leg pads
shore - full face, gloves, roach leg pads, (roach arm pads if it's fromme, full body when it's seymour, or any other shuttle mountain)
whistler/silver - full on everything.

For XC/all-mountain stuff:
[INDENT]XC helmet, gloves, riding shorts, carry a set of 661 Knee pads for the techy descents.[/INDENT]

For DH/Freeride (Whistler, Shore, etc):
[INDENT]Full face, DH gloves (more knuckle padding), DH shorts, RaceFace Rally FR Knee and Arm pads, Dainese Gemini bib shorts (I find those do wonders in the common crash where you smoke your side/hip)[/INDENT]

Dainese Gemini Bib:

mace knee/shin guards, gloves, goggles and my mx helmet

As you can see there is a huge difference in opinion, because it is so dependent on your own previous experience and your very personal perception of risk and ability.

I'm an average rider, I don't ride very fast, I don't do high skinnies (over 2 foot off the ground), I don't drop anything over 3 foot, but I always wear everything I got. Full face, body arm and leg. Even thinking of a Leatt neck brace soon.

This is because I am old(er), I don't heal very quickly any more, I have to keep working because I have a mortgage, wife, 2 kids, 2 dogs, 3 cats, 2 terrapins and 7 goldfish to support. I have seen and been at the receiving end of stupid accidents on easy trails, where wearing the right kind of armour would save a lot of pain from gravel rash etc. On the bigger stuff you tend to be more focused and therefore are less likely to have an accident (although if it goes wrong bigger consequences).

So forget about what everyone else is wearing, or what they may be thinking and just think about yourself. Can you afford to get hurt, do you mind getting a little hurt, do you mind putting up with a little bit more heat in the summer?

And o yeah, just have fun.

As you can see there is a huge difference in opinion, because it is so dependent on your own previous experience and your very personal perception of risk and ability.

I'm an average rider, I don't ride very fast, I don't do high skinnies (over 2 foot off the ground), I don't drop anything over 3 foot, but I always wear everything I got. Full face, body arm and leg. Even thinking of a Leatt neck brace soon.

This is because I am old(er), I don't heal very quickly any more, I have to keep working because I have a mortgage, wife, 2 kids, 2 dogs, 3 cats, 2 terrapins and 7 goldfish to support. I have seen and been at the receiving end of stupid accidents on easy trails, where wearing the right kind of armour would save a lot of pain from gravel rash etc. On the bigger stuff you tend to be more focused and therefore are less likely to have an accident (although if it goes wrong bigger consequences).

So forget about what everyone else is wearing, or what they may be thinking and just think about yourself. Can you afford to get hurt, do you mind getting a little hurt, do you mind putting up with a little bit more heat in the summer?

And o yeah, just have fun.

Well said!

"I have a mortgage, wife, 2 kids, 2 dogs, 3 cats, 2 terrapins and 7 goldfish to support" - Haha! :lol: Right on!

Anything Shore or Whistler: the works, FF Helmet, Roach arm and leg pads, Beastgear body armour, even high top 661 shoes to protect my shitty ankles. I may start using the hip padded shorts for Whistler though, had an wicked slide out and really bruised my hip badly.

Since I don't ride XC and am getting old I wear my full face, Dainese upper body armour jacket and leg armour on every ride…. well, except for riding around the seawall in which case I'll also wear a cup. Forgot my upper body armour jacket at home for one ride and I turned into an even bigger chicken than usual.