Product Test -- Ridge Ninja Jacket

After Friday's spinal injury announcements, I decided the Ridge Ninja jacket was a test that shouldn't sit on the back burner for long. Just as full face helmets, gloves, leg and arm pads are now part of most riders' must wear equipment list, so too should upper body and spine protection be an integral part of that group. No one can argue that Downhill and freeriding has progressed into a dangerous realm over the last few years. If you're pushing the limits, why not protect yourself?Having tried many forms of upper body protection including various motocross "roost" plates, hockey shoulder pads, and the beautiful, but super pricey Dainese gear, I have not been able until now to find an inexpensive, functional spine/upper body unit that filled all my needs. All models seemed either too restrictive, expensive, or lacking in proper protection for my chosen sport. Along comes the Ninja jacket to fill the bill.

The Ninja jacket features an easy entry full front zip design and integrated kidney belt. Hard plastic armour plates backed by closed cell foam are featured on the adjustable sholuders, chest and full back coverage. Far from bulky, the Ninja fits snug, yet comfortably and can easily be worn against the skin without chaffing. At Rose Hill last week in 35+C weather, the Ninja was a little on the warm side when covered by a long sleeved jersey, but one could easily wear nothing over the jacket to improve ventilation.

As advertised, the Ninja's spine protection provides full back coverage from the crack of your ass right up to your shoulders. The back plates are super comfortable and still allow tons of movement while the shoulder cups offer plenty of adjustment. Comfort is great, but does it really matter if the product doesn't work?

So far this season, I've had plenty of opportunity to fully test the Ninja jacket. The shoulder cups have saved my flesh from more than one encounter with immovable objects. To be honest though, I've worn armour that covered the shoulders well in the past. What makes the Ridge better than your avage bear is it's spine coverage. The Ridge's six armour plates don't offer articulated protection a la Dainese, but the Ninja gives you more than enough protection against injury at less than half the suggested retail of the Gladiator. While riding the Green Dot in Revelstoke recently, I had occasion (a 15 foot freefall, landing parallel to the ground, in back-breaker style across a 10 inch diameter tree) to test the Ninja fully. I truly believe without the Ninja, I would have broken my back, but the crash left my back covered with little more than a group of tiny little bruises shaped like the closed cell foam backing the plates. I have yet to need the chest plate, but if it
works anything like the rest of the jacket, I'm sure it will keep you well protected.

What about downsides? Hmmm... let's see, the spine pads poke the back of your skull when sitting down but it's really only present when shuttling, not when on the bike. I would not mind integrated arms and the kidney belt could fit a little lower down on my torso, but that could very well be a matter of personal preference as other team riders have yet to complain.


To keep the jacket clean and funk-free, hand wash in cold water and hang to dry.


With a suggested retail of just $200 Canadian, the Ridge Ninja Jacket is easily one of the best values in the armour marketplace. Just think, if that small investment could save your back in a crash and let you ride again, isn't it worth it?

Ridge Sport is a small Calgary based company offering a surprisingly large product line including (but not limited to) helmets and body armour. Visit www.ridgesport.com or contact Jon at Ridge for more information on where to find the goods.