We review
a lot of kit here at Pinkbike. In fact, sometimes it can feel like a constant merry-go-round of helmets, gloves, tyres, or if we're extra lucky the latest bikes. It often transpires that we spend little time in the things we actually like most and more time trying to understand why things don't fit, work or feel as good as the manufacturer insists they should.
Downhill helmets and pads have come a long way in terms of comfort, safety and in some cases fit, but it's also in some ways one of the more conservative areas of design. Where as enduro protection has morphed from deep-trail helmets, to detachable chin guards and now the modern light weight full face, downhill helmets have arguably seen a process of refinement more than revolution. Similar could be said of knee pads, which have got more secure and in some cases sleeker or more comfortable, without perhaps seeing the massive overhauls in technologies that we saw around ten years ago with the advent of materials and technologies such as D30.
My current go-to's include the 100% Aircraft 2 helmet, some Scott Prospect goggles with a very light tint, and a Leatt 3.5 Chestguard. On my knees, I wear the 7iDP Sam Hill pads. My typical riding in the park consists mixture of riding the tech runs as fast as I can, interlaced with fun blue runs with great turns. Truthfully, I don't have that much interest in the jump lines. It's just not my cup of tea.
Henry QuinneyPosition: Tech Editor & Kettle Supervisor
Favourite type of trail: Fast tech and rough chatter
Chosen Protection (USD): 100% Aircraft 2 ($400), Leatt 3.5 Chest Protector ($149.99), Scott Prospect Goggles ($104.99), 7iDP Sam Hill Knee Pads ($94.99)
I like the Aircraft 2 helmet a lot. It feels like a great blend of ventilation, without going too far and becoming too light or
enduro. It feels sturdy and whilst the way we review helmets is inherently subjective, it just fits my head well. Sometimes, I find that to get a helmet to fit I have to go to the huge XL or even XXL sizes, and quite frankly it looks and feels absurd. With the Aircraft 2, however, I was able to achieve a great fit in a large by just changing the pads.
When you are pushing on a hot day I would say it is noticeably better ventilated than other full-face helmets that I've ridden in. Yes, it can be warm in there, as with any full face, but by comparison, it does do a good job.
I like the Scott Prospect goggles for their huge field of vision. I don't like looking through goggles and feel like your seeing the world in a super-widescreen ration, as the top of your vision is obscured. Yes, you get used to it, but I like the Prospects because they don't suffer from this at all. I use a silver lens, which isn't particularly dark and works reasonably well in patchy light. I do sometimes swap it out for a light one though if the conditions warrant it, which is easy enough.
I really like the Sam Hill pads when using them for a review. They manage to include lots of things I want in a pad - flexible enough to pedal, plenty of firm protection over the knee cap and decent coverage. They are slightly bulkier than some other pads, but for the protection they offer, I would say they're very reasonable.
The roost-guard I use is the Leatt 3.5 Chest Protector. Honestly, I always thought this style of protection was a bit in-your-face, and previously I thought it was kinda dumb. Maybe I'm mellowing in my age, or maybe just becoming more pretentious, either way - I've been using it a lot and I've really began to like it. This is for three main reasons - it's more safe than not having it, it's light and unrestricting and finally when wearing it on the outside, it's very easy to unclip and vent on the chairlift or hot-sticky gondola cabin on the way back up.
I've been visiting Whistler for the last twenty years and I'm still not even being close to being sick of it, unlike Henry, who took
one lap on A-Line and decided that was enough jumping for him...
Along with the pure entertainment factor of being whisked to the top of a mountain and then being able to chose from a wide variety of trails, it's also an incredibly efficient zone for product testing – there aren't too many places in the world that are better suited to bike, suspension, and wheel smashing. My preferred lap runs the gamut from the blown out chunkiness of Goat's Gully to the the fun and floaty jumps on A-Line and Dirt Merchant – it all just depends on my mood.
Mike KazimerPosition: Managing Tech Editor, nap aficionado
Favorite type of trail: Pretty much all of them.
Chosen Protection (USD): Giro Insurgent helmet ($350), Smith Rhythm goggles ($80), iXS Carve Race knee pads ($130), Fox Baseframe Pro sleeveless back protector ($190)
The full-face helmet I've been wearing the most lately is the Giro Insurgent, mainly due to the very comfortable fit. It's also nice and quiet, free of any annoying plastic creaks or squeaks. It weighs a reasonable 1053 grams, and has the 'just right' feel I'm looking for in a DH-oriented helmet – it doesn't feel like I've strapped a bowling ball to my head, and it also doesn't feel it'll disintegrate during a small tip over. It's decently ventilated too, although that factor's not as high on my priority list, since I take my helmet off at the end of every lap.
For goggles, I always run clear lenses, and ideally chose a pair with a wide field of vision - I don't like seeing the top or edges of the goggle frame while I'm riding. Smith's new Rhythm goggles have been doing the trick this season - they fit well with my helmet, and the wide strap keeps them securely in place.
I typically go with a slightly burlier knee guard when I'm riding in the bike park compared to what I'd wear on a more pedally ride. The speeds are higher, which means the impact force is going to be greater if I do make a mistake and end up sliding around in the dirt. iXS's Carve Race knee pads have a viscoelastic foam inner pad, with a harder plastic shell on the outside. I typically wear pants unless it's a million degrees out, but in theory that plastic shell should slide better on the ground, and adds some extra durability. There's also additional foam padding at the sides and the top of the knee for even more protection. The silicone strip at the top of the pads does occasionally irritate my skin - in an ideal world, the pads would have a taller cuff and use dots of silicone rather than one solid strip.
Fox's Baseframe back protector is super comfy and barely noticeable, even on hot days.
It took me a while, but I finally found a back protector that I don't mind wearing all day long – Fox's Baseframe Pro Sleeveless Chest Guard. It's essentially a lightweight tank-top with a removable D30 back protector housed in a sleeve on the back. There's also a foam chest protector, and a small bit of foam padding at the hips. It easily fits under a jersey or a t-shirt, and it's not bulky or uncomfortable in the slightest. I already have some titanium souvenirs in my spine, and I don't want any more, so I figure a little extra protection is a good idea.
There are few things sweeter than getting ferried to the top of a hill littered with amazing bike trails, so any day at Whistler is a good one in my book. I love being able to spend time purely focusing on descending, having fun, and improving skills, without any worry about how many pedal laps you have left in the tank. Natural tech trails are my happy place, but I'm learning to love the jumps just as much - ultimately it's pretty hard to have a bad time when you're riding bikes and relaxing on the uplift.
Dario DiGiulioPosition: Tech Editor, local kook
Favorite type of trail: Love it all, but tech has my heart.
Chosen Protection (USD): Fox Proframe RS Sumyt ($360), iXS Trigger Race knee pads ($160), EyeBuyDirect Glasses ($25), Safety Squint ($Free)
Before you freak out about the glasses - I know. Contacts are key for me, and some weird new prescription needs has me searching for a pair that actually stay in place over the course of a rough run, so hopefully soon I can be back in the land of protected eyes. For now, I'm just another kook on the hill, rocking the biggest pair of glasses I could get my hands on. Maybe it's the start of a trend, who knows.
At the moment, I'm rocking the Fox Proframe RS Sumyt helmet in the park, despite it being more of an all-mountain piece of protection. It is DH rated, with a whole host of certifications, and the spherical Mips system has proven to be very effective on other helmets I've tested, so I feel confidant in the protection it offers. The upside to the lighter construction, besides the 820g overall weight, is the amount of airflow you get around your head, which makes busting out as many laps as possible just a little bit more comfortable. My one complaint with this helmet is the squeaking that comes from the contact between the two slip-plane layers in the shell. You don't really notice it at speed, but when things are slower and quieter, it can be quite irritating.
Goggles, how I miss thee. These EyeBuyDirect glasses (called the Intrepid should you want to cop my look) are massive, so they do offer pretty decent protection from dust and debris - but they're no replacement for the real thing. The one upside to this absurd look is I do get a ton of air through the front of the helmet, keeping things cool.
Similar to Kaz, I tend towards the burlier knee guards when I'm in the park, because why not. These iXS Triggers are about as beefy as I'm willing to wear, but they remain comfortable over a day of riding, even when temps are high. The silicone can be irritating after a few hours, but it's pretty much the only reminder that I have them on. Thanks to the full-knee coverage and hard plastic, I don't really worry about any sort of tipover, and can use the pads as a soft catch in case that does happen.
The ground in the bike park is basically concrete, compacted by thousands of tires, so I feel safest with a serious full-face helmet, goggles, gloves, legit knee pads, and upper body protection. Most of the time, I’ll also opt for long sleeves and pants unless the temperature rises above thirty degrees.
Lately, I’ve added in elbow pads for the same reason - there’s not much cushion between your funny bone and the rock-hard berms of Aline and the like, which is where I end up spending the most time, even though I primarily ride a downhill bike in the park.
Matt BeerPosition: Tech Editor & neck tan specialist
Favourite type of trail: High-speed tech, aka the bike workout.
Chosen Protection (USD): Fox RPC helmet ($500 USD), Fox Vue goggles ($134.95 USD), Fox Raceframe Impact D3O Back Chest Guard ($189.95 USD) POC Joint VPD 2.0 Knee Long pads ($160 USD), Racer Mountain Elbow pads (€69 EUR), Leatt 4.0 Lite gloves ($69.99 USD)
As the summer progresses and the upper trails around Whistler open up, I’ll trim a few layers and drag an enduro bike into the park for testing and turn to the more technical, nature trails. If the ride is lift-assisted, I’ll still reach for the full-face helmet but I might resort to one of the lighter, heavily vented options out there. With that said, should the laps take me to those fast, machine-made trails, I try to town down the intensity and lower the chance of hitting the deck.
For the most part, my gear of choice would be a Fox RPC helmet and Vue goggles with a lens that locks into the frame - I’ve seen scary incidents with lenses popping out in seemingly innocent crashes. The RPC helmet is on the larger side, in terms of volume, but the variable-density foams inside have convinced me that they offer superior protection.
When it comes to knee pads, I look for ones with a plastic cup in addition to an impact-absorbing material. Fox’s Launch Pro D30 would be the go-to if there might be any uphill segments involved in the ride. Otherwise, I love the coverage and robustness of POC’s VPD 2.0 Knee Long, …long knee pad.
Racer is a seldom-seen company on this side of the pond offering quality protection goods. Surprisingly, their thick elbow pads are quite flexible and haven’t caused increased arm fatigue - something I’ve found with other equipment in this area. They won’t deter broken limbs, but they will take the sting, and stick, off of road rash.
Another key piece of protection I’ve been wearing in the bike park for a decade now is a roost guard, or whatever you want to call it. The Fox Raceframe Impact D3O Back Chest Guard describes what it does best and like the elbow pads, it won’t stop fractures, but it will deter pointy rocks from stabbing your ribs or bumping your spine. I tend to wear this item over my jersey in the cooler months to avoid chafing any sensitive areas and underneath in the summer to increase airflow.
On occasion, I’ll skimp on gloves for a casual pedal or big mountain mission, however, they are a must-have for me in the bike park. I’ve found that they add a level of grip over sweaty palms or rainy grips and hold the bars with less force, therefore avoiding hand fatigue. One extra layer to shield your palms against high-speed sandpaper doesn’t seem like a terrible idea to me either. Exterior protection on gloves isn’t totally necessary to my choices yet I’m happy to have these on when I get whipped by a lingering alder branch or fence marker.
I like to go pretty storm-trooper in the bike park. I always wear a full-face helmet, goggles, chunky knee pads, elbow pads, and a chest protector. Most of the time, I’ll also opt for long sleeves and pants unless it's above 100 degrees or so. My current go-tos are the Smith Mainline Helmet, some Oakley goggles that I won at Crankworx a few years ago (and still do the trick), and a Fox Raceframe Impact Chestguard. On my knees and elbows, I wear the POC Joint VPD System. I always choose tech over jumps.
Christie FitzpatrickPosition: Content Manager, potato enthusiast
Favourite type of trail: Awkward and lumpy.
Chosen Protection (USD): Smith Mainline Helmet ($310 USD), Oakley Airbrake Goggles ($220 USD), Fox Raceframe Impact D3O Back Chest Guard ($189.95 USD) POC Joint VPD System Knee Pads ($175 USD), POC Joint VPD System Elbow pads ($150 USD), Wild Rye Galena Gel Gloves ($38 USD)
After a couple too many handlebars to the chest, I don't ride the bike park much without a chest protector - especially at anything high speed. The Fox Raceframe Impact D3O Back Chest Guard was the only one I could get my hands on when I decided to pull the trigger during Covid, and I've been really happy with it. Like Matt says above, it'll go some way in protecting your squishy important insides from rogue rocks and branches, and once I have it on I barely notice.
I'm a little hot and cold with gloves - sometimes I can't imagine riding without them, and other times I find I have better braking control with them on. If nothing else, they're good blister protection. When I am wearing gloves, I'm usually wearing the Wild Rye Galenas. They're super comfy and I can identify them easily amongst our gross pile of bike stuff in the mud room.
To be honest, I've only ever owned my POC VPD Joint System for elbows (again, a Crankworx special from 2021) - but they work great. I don't tend to wear them when I'm trail riding anymore, but I probably should. They get a little hot under the silicone on the super warm days but it's worth it considering how many times I've scraped the skin off the rest of my arms. For the knees - the VPD Joint System are thickset but comfortable, they slide on nicely under my riding pants without leaving me feeling restricted or chafing. I'm not scrambling to pull them off after my evening laps, and I feel the tradeoff is pretty good. For trail riding, I'm currently testing some lightweight alternatives I'm really stoked on.
I know that the Smith Mainline is targeted mostly at enduro riding, and isn't the perfect helmet for smashing laps of A-Line four nights a week. But because I don't ride particularly high speed jump trails (I just really enjoy spending all night scratching my chin, cross-eyed, picking apart tech lines), and can probably count my total summer days in the bike park on two hands and two feet, it works for me. I do feel it's a great option for both in and out of the park, and it delivers excellent breathability and solid protection. Plus, I don't have room on the shelf for another, bike park specific helmet.
I've recently been testing the Leatt Gravity 4.0 MTB Pant which are pretty slick, and add a nice extra layer of protection in the bike park. On my feet, I only really get along with Fiveten Freerider Pros. I'm currently learning to ride clips (pray for me).
How much is being able bodied worth to you?
The human body at that junction isn't a one size fits all. And any neck brace that's selling me on their brand limiting spine injury has an impossible sell. No way they can say my neck is the the one neck/chest/spine/chin that when in this one specific brand of helmet and specific brand of brace with this specific set of pad inserts...is stopping my neck from snapping by limiting that 1-5mm of excess articulation.
And I'm a guy who lawn darted as a kid and landed straight down on my C3 vertebrae and have a compression fracture of it. It's witchcraft at a minimum.
You might as well go naked because nothing is perfect
Like so much in mtb protection, there’s lots of marketing, buzzwords, acronyms, and very expensive gear, but very little research done to actually proving out benefits, which is so frustrating.
By the way, I’m all in on wearing the best gear I can: I use shin, knee, and elbow pads and a full face every ride. Just feels like shots in the dark choosing between items, wish there were better data guiding our choices than “this helmet feels robust”
Why should I change my riding style... I am a competent rider but shit still happens. We're riding fast over crazy stuff, through the woods, and catching air. Stuff is bound to happen and once you're ejected from that bike you can't react fast enough most times to get yourself out of danger. I know better riders than I who've broken their necks. Maybe it helps, maybe it doesn't but in my experience i'd rather have it than not on the chance it makes it even 5% less likely i'd end up in a wheel chair.
Saying simply "get gooder so you don't break your neck" is the dumbest shit i've heard all day and its only 10am.
It makes a life ruining injury significantly less likely to occur, and doesn't have any downside, other than costing a couple hundred bucks
The other glaring issue is that in a perfect situation and the do their job perfectly they can only prevent a fraction of neck/spine injuries. Majority of spine and neck fractures are from compression not from your neck bending too far one way or the other (think landing and your head pushing downwards into your spine).
I was almost paralyzed this way shattering three vertebrae and a neck brace would not have helped in the least.
I do use my neckbrace when I'm on my DH bike... but I don't when I'm on my trail or cheater bike going down the same trails. I'm so weird.
I raced MX and enduro at national expert level for years all through the 90’s to 2004 and had many concussions,
I had 13 in 1 year and had to retire for a year because of it , this was years before many knew or took an interest in concussions seriously, and many years before neck braces were around, they were only introduced after I stopped racing for good , I would have worn one without doubt if they were available and maybe would not have had so many injuries, a big part of the problem was a heavy by today standards Arai helmet which contributed to the hits , years later going back to riding trials I worn carbon helmets.
I only ride trails on my MTB now , never ridden DH or park , I have no idea why you guys don’t wear a neck brace!
Believe me , many concussions, brain scan , neck scan and X-ray, ambulance , disalgesic pain killers , headaches , and memory loss for me could have been prevented, you only have one brain and neck!
@wburnes: is there a reason you're so hostile to people relating that neck braces interfere with their range of motion? If someone's losing range of motion to the extent that it's interfering with vision or one's ability to react to trail features, then the brace is increasing the likelihood of a crash, which makes every ride more dangerous, objectively speaking.
If you haven't experienced that issue, then by all means keep wearing a brace (seriously!), but there are reasons that the vast majority of pro mountain bike racers, not to mention essentially 100% of Moto pros, have ditched them. Considering that those neck braces usually come with sponsorship dollars attached and guys have STILL ditched them citing safety concerns, it's just not credible to claim that the braces "don't have any downside."
The less solid part of the study is that this is not a randomized group. But fig 6, which shows other injuries and cervical spine injuries in one graph, suggests that there's no big difference between the groups in being injury prone.
A scientific paper would need a lot more info on how data was collected, how injuries were classified etc etc but in terms of statistics it doesn't look bad to me. (for whatever that means, I'm a physicist who sometimes reads medical papers, not a statistician)
Every day I come on to this site, make totally reasonable arguments for my position, and then get hit with "but the PROS". Newsflash, the pros aren't special. They make dumbass decisions all the time, just like everyone else on Earth.
If they were smart they would be wearing a neckbrace.
Some of us actually want neck braces to work for us. I've tried every single model I could get my hands on (and actually purchased a Leatt and an Atlas) and tried both with a bunch of different DH and Moto helmets, and have been unable to find a combination that provides unrestricted range of motion such as you describe. In other words, there may not be a "properly fitting" option for some of us, according to your definition.
Or you could just keep insulting people's intellect because their real world experience doesn't jive with your assumptions. Your choice. :shrugs:
The sample size we're dealing with here is certainly large enough to run regression analysis on while throwing a good number of fixed effects into the specification to account for the potential confounding factors and still come out with a stat sig result (provided the relevant ancilarry info is in that dataset or could be joined to it).
It won't ever be able to give us the same confidence that the effect we pick up is attributable to the intervention like an RCT would but, conducting neck brace RCT is unethical so it's the next best thing.
I'm tempted to try to get in contact w the authors to see if they'd share the data w me.
1. Not a deflection. Not a logical fallcacy either
2. I doubt this. If you have really weird anatomy or a deformity/preexisting injury maybe
3. Your intellect being insulted is a choice of interpretation on your part, not mine
This was never subjected to peer review. That doesn't make it useless. And I can tell you for sure that some stuff that passes peer review is useless. There's only so much you can check when they expect you to do this reviewing on a voluntary and unpaid basis next to your busy job.
The big advantage of a dataset like this, contrary to some stuff that gets sent out for peer review, is that it is more likely that the person presenting this did their best to present them as is, because their carreers don't depend on gettting this paper accepted.
Don't get me wrong, I am very much in the science camp of the 'science is just another opinion' discussion, but to me, peer review alone is not enough to guarantee quality. Confirmation by independent research that gives the same outcome is a must for this type of research in my opinion, but the incentives for scientists are to do something that is novel so there's not enough of that around.
Getting funding for a 5 year study with 10000 subjects that need to be followed, including the purchase of 5000 neck braces would be hard.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2446460
You can't do an intervention like this in a double blind manner anyway, it's not like someone wouldn't notice they get a neck brace on. Theoretically you could make a placebo neck brace that shatters on impact with minimal energy absorption but that would indeed be unethical.
Just when writing this the idea occurred to me to have this research sponsored by Strava. Embed a GPS into the neck brace, then you can correllate the rider's Strava account with their brace's. Even in a completely anonymized way.
So we can't tell from this whether you are more likely to fall with a neck brace on (as some have suggested here)
This data does seem to suggest that IF you take a FALL bad enough to hurt you, a neck brace does a pretty good job at protecting your spine.
Levy got me through the pandemic w/ the PB podcast and to me is the voice & face of PB (that's just me...I don't expect others think this) so for him to be gone so long w/ zero explanation is super frurstrating. I haven't totally tuned out of PB but I'm about 75% less interested than I was just b/c he's such a funny dude and the podcast w/ Levy's funny ass schtick was a highlight of my week. I miss the guy & wish PB would just give a simple 10-20 on it. We don't need details - just whatever's happening. If PB can't be real w/ us why should we respect it?
www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/06/whistleblower-ufo-alien-tech-spacecraft
Regarding chest protection, I don't see much value in it. My front chest might be the only part of my body that I never injured in a crash. Surely wouldn't have saved me in my last big crash where I landed sideways on a stum fracturing some ribs and collapsed lung. In MX it makes sense as protection from roost.
When I finally had the balls to reach up and check, my collar bone was fine, but my ribs were broken on that side along with a seperated shoulder. Didn't even impact on my ribs, they just happened to be the week link.
I have, looks rather uncomfortable.
Probably saved a mates rib when they went over the bars and cracked the chest guard.
Instead of that Fox baseframe sleeveless, go for the Baseframe Pro SS:
Same concept and back protector, but it also has removable D3O shoulder pads, so if you don’t want them, leave them out.
But the biggest upgrade is the chest: it has a removable D30 chest plate, similar to the back one.
So you get way more protection (plain EVA does very poorly), and you get more venting (because it’s perforated), and on hot days for trail and enduro riding, you can remove the chest plate, and be MUCH cooler, while still manning spine protection.
And it washes and dries easier.
Manufacturers really need to stop putting these fixed EVA foam panels in protection.
@wburnes I’ve had a couple of situations riding where my non dominant contact lens fell out in rough and dusty terrain. Trying to make it down the mountain while essentially blind is terrifying
A lot of people don't have any of these issues with contacts or glasses, but I was just ready to move on. Really excited to see (pun intended) how it goes
www.gogglesnmore.com/universal-glasses-insert-for-ski-goggles
I'll go under the laser knife eventually, but I'm a bit too young yet.
It’s worked in several pars of goggles so far, so I believe it’s universal or damn close.
I have no options for surgery to fix my eyesight and have never worn contacts
www.foxracing.com/product/baseframe-pro-d3o-chest-guard-jacket/27744.html
leatt.com/us/product/body-protector-3df-airfit-hybrid-20?selected-color=Y29uZmlndXJhYmxlLzkzLzU0NDA%3D
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1080603212000154?casa_token=kI5z9b0gckcAAAAA:pH_H89G5Sg7MfqaIQHSzRiRBNlAEI8YPle52vFkQk3sDq9cL-3hrgTaNWvAsNES0ZFKlNoIiPC0
Spoiler, 10x more elbow injuries than knee injuries (although I suppose could be survivorship bias from way more people wearing knee rather than elbow protection)
And one of the other things is that elbows have lots of small, thin sections that fracture easily, and heal poorly.
Since I don’t pedal with my arms, the only downside to elbow pads is that they are warmer than not wearing any.
So I got some vented ones,
Besides the fracture risk it’s also just a common place to get annoying cuts and bruises. I wear pads every ride
As an aside huge shoutout to the Canadian medical system. Had my crash up at whistler on a holiday long weekend. Was in the operating room 6am Monday morning in Vancouver having my elbow replaced by an apparently world renowned elbow surgeon. Couple months off the bike while i rehabbed. 10 years later I am riding 4-5 day’s week and going almost as hard as I ever did. Elbow is at about 95% functionality. Also huge shout out the Canadian taxpayer for covering the bill. I think all told I payed $35 for upgraded arm sling. And my apologies for the long winded story if you made it this far.
I have a set of prescription Oakleys Flak XL's which are great for vision, but my god.. it looks like I'm dealing cheap speed out of a truck stop. They are embarrassing.
I'd love to see a story on Prescription riding glasses/goggles. Cheers.
The hero dirt lens from sportrx is like a trail prizm lens with transition from lighter in the trees to darker when out in the sun. I recently got their in house frames with these lenses and they are incredible.
I tried some over the glasses goggles and they are so uncomfortable. As annoying as contacts are, seems like the only option for goggles.
For normal riding, I use some Adidas cycling glasses which are corrected with tint-changing lenses. I use them also as normal sun shades because they tint from cat. 0 (clear) to cat. 3 (highest category that is still allowed to use for driving here in Switzerland).
If i ride the bike park i use an older model Smith OTG snow goggle over the glasses. Don't know the actual model.
Newer models don't give the same amount of space for glasses. It works well and with the cycling glasses underneath it is not a problem in a crash because the whole thing is pretty stable with a well fitting helmet. The glasses can snap off each part without damage.
Only downside is mostly in winter that the glasses might fog up when standing still. So i always take the goggles up as soon as i stand. When i start riding again with the skis, i just start to ski and if i am up to speed i put them down. This way they don't fog up. In the summer in the bike it's usually not a problem.
Oh, and clean glasses / goggles fog up less. So just keep them clean. Always a good idea to bring a small microfibre cloth and a cleaning spray for the breaks.
www.gogglesnmore.com/universal-glasses-insert-for-ski-goggles
I picked up some RaceFace Ambush pads in XXL recently, but they fit a little small around the thigh. They work, but perhaps there is something that fits better.
I also have some POC VPD Air knee pads in XL (I think..), which fit great, but they have never stayed put on a ride. I constantly have to pull them up if there is any pedaling - they've definitely stretched out. They don't inspire much confidence and I'm not sure how much they'll actually protect my knees.
Fox moto style looks dope, however they runs short at least when u 6'+, so no stomach lower back protection
Great job @pinkbike to advertise and make us buy shit. This is the best way to keep most people off of mountain biking. Everybody seem to have drank the kool aid.
As much as marketers want us to believe, even the fanciest shoulder cup/pad only absorbs a fraction of the impact. Saw plenty of collarbone breaks playing years of competitive ice hockey, and we all wore pads no mountain biker would be caught dead in.
Best way to protect is to build muscle and flexibility.