Those of you with kids. Do they wear full armour? Mine (7 and 4) just wear helmets. I see so many kids wearing full armour. Is it really nessasary? Is it them just wanting to look like dad? or do you feel that they truly need all the armour?
Im all for my kids being safe, im just curious what other parents thought process is. We all grew up riding bikes without so much as a shirt let alone pads.
I was the same as you as a kid…but the stuff is available now so why not armour him/her up. I am all for tough love, but if they hurt themselves it could turn them off riding all together.
[Thread hijack] - Does anyone know where to get decent knee/elbow pads that would fit a 3 year old?
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I have armour for my kid (TLD youth) but it doesn't fit yet…he ususally just rocks his Fox gloves and a helmet. However, when the stuff fits, he will be wearing it. I am amazed I didn't get more hurt as a kid, and the things people do now a days on bikes are way higher consequence…
[Thread hijack] - Does anyone know where to get decent knee/elbow pads that would fit a 3 year old?
try roller blade gear.
just to clarify im not against my kids wearing armour. Im not trying to toughen them up or anything. Im just curious about it. Knee pads or elbow pads are one thing but some kids i see are in full on storm trooper mode.
It always reminds me of bubble boy. lol
This year have to get Gabi a new helmet. Will be getting the piss pot style Pryme one from MEC. Will protect the back of her head as well as on top.
Because she is almost 3 armour isn't an issue. But I did score a mint condition Mace jersey for her in XS for when she can fit it. At value village of all places.
However, if she does later on show interest in BMX racing or some DH she will beg getting some the gear
just to clarify im not against my kids wearing armour. Im not trying to toughen them up or anything. Im just curious about it. Knee pads or elbow pads are one thing but some kids i see are in full on storm trooper mode.
It always reminds me of bubble boy. lol
I'm with you on that. Gloves, helmet for sure and maybe knee pads. But full armor is a bit much and really doesn't do that much for young kids (usually doesn't even fit properly).
Yea I think the full armour trend comes more from the mom department, its deffinatly overkill at that age in my opinion. Second I've seen moms fearing about trying to push their kids into adult sized armour because its protection is better, its just dumb. If the armour doesnt fit, the armour is no good. I tried explaining this to them but there was no chance I got through.
As a kid I think the best investment is in a good helmet first and foremost get kids used to wearing the full face all the time ASAP. I cracked my giro madmax helmet as a 12 year old and my dad without a twitch just went out and bought another one right away, it was a good investment.
Second get some shin pads. Kids dont quite shrug off the big pedal smacks to the shins quite as well as some of us have become acustomed to doing.
That should be good for now maybe look into elbow pads on the way for the older one.
Fox makes stuff in small sizes. Look for the Peewee sizing. My 4 yr old daughter has a knee, elbow and a "roost" guard, all in Peewee small that fits her well. She is also using a motocross style helmet as I couldn't find a bike one to fit her. My 6 year old fits into the Pryme XXS size.
We use the pads for BMX, mainly due to the high probability of collisions with 8, 4-6 year old kids starting in a gate. We tend to use the knee/shin pads at the skatepark and ski hill.
It seems like half the time when they crash, the knee pads slip or they take it in their hips. On the plus side, the pads really boost my daughters confidence.
Yea I think the full armour trend comes more from the mom department, its deffinatly overkill at that age in my opinion. Second I've seen moms fearing about trying to push their kids into adult sized armour because its protection is better, its just dumb. If the armour doesnt fit, the armour is no good. I tried explaining this to them but there was no chance I got through.
As a kid I think the best investment is in a good helmet first and foremost get kids used to wearing the full face all the time ASAP. I cracked my giro madmax helmet as a 12 year old and my dad without a twitch just went out and bought another one right away, it was a good investment.
Second get some shin pads. Kids dont quite shrug off the big pedal smacks to the shins quite as well as some of us have become acustomed to doing.
That should be good for now maybe look into elbow pads on the way for the older one.
I could'nt agree more.
One thing to remeber is that the weight of a full face causes enormous stress to the necks of your 7-8 and unders. I do not let my 6 year old wear his full face except for practice and race day and even then I get him to remove it whenever there is a break. He does not like this to much but I insist. Bucket helmet for everything else.
Does anyone know where to get decent knee/elbow pads that would fit a 3 year old?
Toy R Us. I paid $10 for a TINY knee and elbow set for my then 2yr old.
As far as amour for kids I see your "Bubble Boy" point.
I got a 3yr old Girl who rides the bmx track on her run bike. Elbows, knees, gloves and a light weight Mace toddler full-face are a must in my view. She takes some relatively big bails and I don't want to scare her off. 90% of the time she gets up and says "My pads saved me!" The other 10 I just convince her she's fine and hope she doesn't tell mom.
"May a commune of gay, Marxist Muslim illegal immigrants use your tax dollars to open a drive-thru abortion clinic in your church."
For those looking to get gear for the little ones there was a pretty good buyers guide in the May issue of Decline.
My kids were only in gloves and helmets until the older one started riding Whistler and some Shore trails. Now he wears armour on the more advanced rides and I let him choose on the more xc rides.
He will be 12 in a month and has been riding at Whistler for the 2 previous seasons.
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For my son and his cousin a few years back, I picked up a couple sets of ex-rental raceface arm/elbow armour from the turkey sale. I cut out the mesh fabric but kept the straps and presto, they had knee and shin pads. Kept them going for a few years until adult stuff fit them.
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