Downhillers and Body Armor

PB Forum :: Downhill
Downhillers and Body Armor
Author Message
flag jonathanmb1
Posted: Dec 1, 2013 at 0:35 Quote
Never worn the jacket, but I wear POC's VPD 2.0 DH leg guards & elbow pads. My opinion (not stating a fact here) is that they are hands down the best armor on the market. If the jacket is of the same quality, BUY IT! It will be warm (hot), but supremely protective and very comfortable. I do wear the POC VPD Spine Tee, and that thing is pretty sweet. Once again, warm, but very comfortable & it protects very well. I've walked away from a 20-25 mph crash on concrete that involved impact to my elbow & shoulder, both hard enough to break bone. I was wearing the VPD 2.0 DH elbows & VPD Spine Tee. I got up from the crash and rode on with just a scraped wrist. Both the elbow pads & Spine Tee are still useable, and get used. Long story short, POC protective gear is worth the money, and will probably be the last armor you ever have to buy. Some people have a tough time getting POC gear that fits correctly though, so if you can try it on before buying, you probably should.

Edit: I don't wear the Spine Tee unless there's a chairlift involved. I get too hot in it for pedaling or hiking up (in San Diego, CA).
flag JohnsonB
Posted: Dec 1, 2013 at 11:41 Quote
jonathanmb1 wrote:
Never worn the jacket, but I wear POC's VPD 2.0 DH leg guards & elbow pads. My opinion (not stating a fact here) is that they are hands down the best armor on the market. If the jacket is of the same quality, BUY IT! It will be warm (hot), but supremely protective and very comfortable. I do wear the POC VPD Spine Tee, and that thing is pretty sweet. Once again, warm, but very comfortable & it protects very well. I've walked away from a 20-25 mph crash on concrete that involved impact to my elbow & shoulder, both hard enough to break bone. I was wearing the VPD 2.0 DH elbows & VPD Spine Tee. I got up from the crash and rode on with just a scraped wrist. Both the elbow pads & Spine Tee are still useable, and get used. Long story short, POC protective gear is worth the money, and will probably be the last armor you ever have to buy. Some people have a tough time getting POC gear that fits correctly though, so if you can try it on before buying, you probably should.

Edit: I don't wear the Spine Tee unless there's a chairlift involved. I get too hot in it for pedaling or hiking up (in San Diego, CA).

i'm stuck between the POC VPD 2.0 DH & Alpinestars Bionic Tech Jacket. I don't have any local stores to try them on so it's hard to make a decision based off internet pictures Madder
flag Thrashmulisha
Posted: Dec 2, 2013 at 1:48 Quote
I am getting a leatt and tld shoulder brace, I got lucky in an over the bars "experience" 3 months ago. And I'm still not 100%, I'm really lucky I didn't break my neck, I dislocated my shoulder bad. for 3 weeks I could barely tie my shoes or do simple tasks. I'd venture to say without the fullface I'd probably not be doing so well either
flag Thrashmulisha
Posted: Dec 2, 2013 at 1:58 Quote
I think if I had been wearing a leatt my shoulder would've been in much better shape because I dislocated it against my helmet (gopro vid).
flag myanh
Posted: Dec 2, 2013 at 15:45 Quote
Thrashmulisha wrote:
I think if I had been wearing a leatt my shoulder would've been in much better shape because I dislocated it against my helmet (gopro vid).


Hi hopefully you are ok i ve Been using leatt brace for 3 years. It give really good protection i have one just good thing to say about it.if you have question about it just ask.
flag myanh
Posted: Dec 2, 2013 at 15:45 Quote
myanh wrote:
Thrashmulisha wrote:
I think if I had been wearing a leatt my shoulder would've been in much better shape because I dislocated it against my helmet (gopro vid).


Hi hopefully you are ok i ve Been using leatt brace for 3 years. It give really good protection i have just good thing to say about it.if you have question about it just ask.
flag myanh
Posted: Dec 13, 2014 at 13:11 Quote
Anyone try leatt BODY PROTECTOR 3DF AIRFIT i like to have some opinion on how much it could protect for dh biking. Iam using fox titan jacket now for over a year its excellent protection but bulky and restrictive mouvement. Iam WONDERING if the BODY PROTECTOR 3DF AIRFIT will offer same level of protection., not to sure of that when i look of the back protector, doesnt cover much at the bottom
flag Weldertron
Posted: Dec 13, 2014 at 14:06 Quote
JohnsonB wrote:
jonathanmb1 wrote:
Never worn the jacket, but I wear POC's VPD 2.0 DH leg guards & elbow pads. My opinion (not stating a fact here) is that they are hands down the best armor on the market. If the jacket is of the same quality, BUY IT! It will be warm (hot), but supremely protective and very comfortable. I do wear the POC VPD Spine Tee, and that thing is pretty sweet. Once again, warm, but very comfortable & it protects very well. I've walked away from a 20-25 mph crash on concrete that involved impact to my elbow & shoulder, both hard enough to break bone. I was wearing the VPD 2.0 DH elbows & VPD Spine Tee. I got up from the crash and rode on with just a scraped wrist. Both the elbow pads & Spine Tee are still useable, and get used. Long story short, POC protective gear is worth the money, and will probably be the last armor you ever have to buy. Some people have a tough time getting POC gear that fits correctly though, so if you can try it on before buying, you probably should.

Edit: I don't wear the Spine Tee unless there's a chairlift involved. I get too hot in it for pedaling or hiking up (in San Diego, CA).

i'm stuck between the POC VPD 2.0 DH & Alpinestars Bionic Tech Jacket. I don't have any local stores to try them on so it's hard to make a decision based off internet pictures Madder

I own a lot of POC, except the jacket. I prefer a hard spine protector. I have also heard the the pad floats around and can be very annoying unless you sow it into place.

I got a Fox Titan, and have been very pleased. the spine protector/kidney belt is also removable if you don't want the whole one piece deal.
flag YoungerIsBetter
Posted: Dec 13, 2014 at 17:39 Quote
Most World Cup riders don't use chest protection. They wear shin/knee pads and elbow pads. Again they don't wear chest protectors because the restrictive movement and as those tracks get insanely difficult they need that last bit of movement that the chest protector takes to push to there limits and go even faster. Also they are very bulky and do not look good at all. I personally don't like chest protectors because they look terrible.
flag myanh
Posted: Dec 13, 2014 at 18:38 Quote
well we all know we are not world cup racer but more general joe i dont thing much about fashion on a dh bike more about my safety.
flag Nobble
Posted: Dec 13, 2014 at 19:28 Quote
YoungerIsBetter wrote:
Most World Cup riders don't use chest protection. They wear shin/knee pads and elbow pads. Again they don't wear chest protectors because the restrictive movement and as those tracks get insanely difficult they need that last bit of movement that the chest protector takes to push to there limits and go even faster. Also they are very bulky and do not look good at all. I personally don't like chest protectors because they look terrible.
Actually, I believe UCI requires it.

nevermind, it's "strongly recommended" and is required if the national league in the host nation requires it.
flag YoungerIsBetter
Posted: Dec 13, 2014 at 19:36 Quote
Nobble wrote:
YoungerIsBetter wrote:
Most World Cup riders don't use chest protection. They wear shin/knee pads and elbow pads. Again they don't wear chest protectors because the restrictive movement and as those tracks get insanely difficult they need that last bit of movement that the chest protector takes to push to there limits and go even faster. Also they are very bulky and do not look good at all. I personally don't like chest protectors because they look terrible.
Actually, I believe UCI requires it.

nevermind, it's "strongly recommended" and is required if the national league in the host nation requires it.

Yes it's recommended and some parts are mandatory for certain races. For example Leogang back plates were reccomened.
Back plates are mandatory here at Leogang and that rule left more than a few riders scrambling for protection that meets the event s criteria of a rigid panel. Amazing how Jason Marsh of Santa Cruz Syndicate s Marsh Guards can pull double duty...
flag trasselkalle
Posted: Dec 14, 2014 at 6:19 Quote
myanh wrote:
Anyone try leatt BODY PROTECTOR 3DF AIRFIT i like to have some opinion on how much it could protect for dh biking. Iam using fox titan jacket now for over a year its excellent protection but bulky and restrictive mouvement. Iam WONDERING if the BODY PROTECTOR 3DF AIRFIT will offer same level of protection., not to sure of that when i look of the back protector, doesnt cover much at the bottom

I cannot speak about the Fox Titan, but my advice is to try on the 3DF AirFit if you can. In L (which is my size according to their table), it was loose around the neck which meant that the shoulder pads were also loose and would move away from the area they were intended to protect during most crashes. They should be fine if you are a bit bulkier though as I'm a slender 165 lbs with gear (5'11"). I'm actually going for a 2015 5.5 in L most likely, after speaking with Leatt about my issue. It has a more rigid upper part (=not any cloth flapping around) but I'm trying to find a dealer where I can try it on first. They did not recommend going for a smaller size though. I like that the 5.5 has more protection in the lower chest and around the sides as well, but it will inevitably be bulkier and therefore maybe not something you would like.

The 3DF AirFit was a nice piece of armor, although somewhat short in the back protection. Consider a kidney belt with back armor to sort this afterwards, if you want more back protection in the lower back. I wouldn't worry about it for DH use, as it is certified for MX use also. Sure, any soft armor will not be as puncture proof as hard plates if you get something really sharp (like a branch) straight into you, but that is a very unlikely situation. I'd say that the shoulder pads were a bit smaller that I would have liked, but then again - they are mostly for abrasion protection as no armor will protect your collarbone if you land on your shoulder. Elbows/lower arms, back and chest are at least what I tend to abuse the most and the 3DF AirFit is good in those regards imo.

Oh, and does the Fox Titan have the same level of certification for protection? If not, I suppose it could be because they don't submit them for testing, but it could simply be that they don't pass (or don't submit because they know they don't pass).
flag myanh
Posted: Dec 14, 2014 at 7:48 Quote
trasselkalle wrote:
myanh wrote:
Anyone try leatt BODY PROTECTOR 3DF AIRFIT i like to have some opinion on how much it could protect for dh biking. Iam using fox titan jacket now for over a year its excellent protection but bulky and restrictive mouvement. Iam WONDERING if the BODY PROTECTOR 3DF AIRFIT will offer same level of protection., not to sure of that when i look of the back protector, doesnt cover much at the bottom

I cannot speak about the Fox Titan, but my advice is to try on the 3DF AirFit if you can. In L (which is my size according to their table), it was loose around the neck which meant that the shoulder pads were also loose and would move away from the area they were intended to protect during most crashes. They should be fine if you are a bit bulkier though as I'm a slender 165 lbs with gear (5'11"). I'm actually going for a 2015 5.5 in L most likely, after speaking with Leatt about my issue. It has a more rigid upper part (=not any cloth flapping around) but I'm trying to find a dealer where I can try it on first. They did not recommend going for a smaller size though. I like that the 5.5 has more protection in the lower chest and around the sides as well, but it will inevitably be bulkier and therefore maybe not something you would like.

The 3DF AirFit was a nice piece of armor, although somewhat short in the back protection. Consider a kidney belt with back armor to sort this afterwards, if you want more back protection in the lower back. I wouldn't worry about it for DH use, as it is certified for MX use also. Sure, any soft armor will not be as puncture proof as hard plates if you get something really sharp (like a branch) straight into you, but that is a very unlikely situation. I'd say that the shoulder pads were a bit smaller that I would have liked, but then again - they are mostly for abrasion protection as no armor will protect your collarbone if you land on your shoulder. Elbows/lower arms, back and chest are at least what I tend to abuse the most and the 3DF AirFit is good in those regards imo.

Oh, and does the Fox Titan have the same level of certification for protection? If not, I suppose it could be because they don't submit them for testing, but it could simply be that they don't pass (or don't submit because they know they don't pass).

thank you for the info
flag higiff
Posted: Dec 14, 2014 at 18:05 Quote
A few of the guys that ride in lapierre team wear the dainese rynolite jacket,

 


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