so, i'm a bit of a nutter. does one need serious protection for trail riding? (i.e. full helmet - shin pads, etc etc)

i'm just a careful person and a nervous nancy.


will i get laughed off the trails? (not that that would stop me)



-joshua...

You can never be too careful

depends on the trail type. If I'm riding something not to technical, but fast and flowy, then just a skid lid and shin guards. If I'm riding technical with lots of decents then its full face, shin and forearm guards.

I'll be getting some shin pads when i eventually buy a more aggressive bike. I might even need some for xc.

Just wear what ever you feel comfortable wearing. I know/see XC riders who stay on fire roads wearing a ff helmet and shin guards and I know and see DH/Freeriders who MIGHT wear a helmet and no other protection.

A helmet in my opinion should be worn no matter what the trail is like and if there is a lot of brush overgrowing the trail or if it is very rocky I would suggest some shin guards as well.

DBD

i ride extremely technical xc and all i need is a helmet. if ur good, u won't crash that often anyway.

i ride mainly technical xc type trails, but i always ride wearing my ff and shin/knee guards. some people may think it's a bit overkill for the don trails (where i usually ride) but i usually try to hit up the stunts in there and will hit the kickers and stuff scattered around the trail trying to get a bit of air.

i wear the ff mostly cause i don't wanna break my face. i'm getting a bit more confident with my riding skills though, so i'm going to be getting a skid lid when i get the funds. we'll see if i'm still brave enough to ride some of the stuff i've been riding as of late heh

I have only one helmet, a fullface, so I wear my fullface and generally shinguards (assuming light-medium trails) and when I go full out freeride and DH and push my limits I also wear elbow guards (already 2 people I know have broken their arms on the trails I ride).

Whatever you're comfortable, I wear shinguards most of the time, since my new Dainese ones are really comfy and don't get in the way, hence why I also use them for XC.

Does anyone wear a cup? It would really hurt if you managed to hit your guys on the top tube. Yikes!

I don't, although I've had several "accidents" involving what was mentioned above. Painful.

Helmet and glove usually. I have some knee/shin gaurds for when I'm running on platforms. I also carry a Field first aid kit, but that is just something got programmed into my head from Boy Scouts.

It's temperature-dependent. The colder it gets, the more of my DH gear I wear on trail rides.

The only rider I am positive who wore a cup was a kid at the races who was paid 100$ if he did both his DH runs in nothing else, well he had his other helmet on as well and a pair of shoes.

DBD

Word.


I dont really care what anybody wears for protection but keep in mind, you don't wear that stuff for the million times you dont need it...you wear it for the one time that you do.

I wear a cup with a Maxxis sticker on it/no shorts,elbow and knee/shin guards. My lid is a '74 K-mart moto.Oh,the sticker is a small one.

Pardon me while I attempt to gouge out my mind's eye with a coathanger...

Got a living will?

I always wear a helmet, gloves and glasses.

I am seriously considering shin guards even though I use clipless pedals. Even with the clipless, twice I've managed to wack my shins pretty hard and am just looking for a pair that are light and comfortable.

I have considered wrist guards and ankle protection but that's only because I've twisted my ankle badly once (still hurts) and I've seen/read about a lot of broken forearms.

I do XC and don’t crash every day so feel that wearing a helmet is enough. On the other hand, my wife crashes more and the marks in her knees and shins act as biking deterrents so will probably buy her some shin guards or a combo of shin and knee guards soon. You should wear whatever makes you feel safe.

I ride our trails with a helmet, glasses, gloves and knee/shin gaurds.
The trails are steep and rocky and I have spikey platform pedals.
Glasses are pretty much an essential as I have had mud off the tyres thrown into them and tree branches slap across my face. A helmet is also essential, shin gaurds become essential if your pedals are spiked for grip and you don't like scars.
If you feel more comfortable/safer wearing full armour go for it, I have been tempted to go that route myself after reading about a few of the injuries some others have recieved.

If im xcing, its gloves and a vented helmet, possibly whack the shinguards on because no one likes a whack from their pedals.

If im doing street, dirtjumping or freeriding, its my 661 mullet, the same gloves, sunglasses if its dry weather, shin and kneeguards, and dianese elbow guards.

I wear elbow/forearm pads + helmet (not F/F) + gloves on every ride, no matter the difficulty. If someone laughs @ you, F'em.... The jokes' on them.

That's what I'm sayin' Killer B! F'm all!@!@#$$@!

The only thing I would really add is an atheltic mouthguard. But hey, I work in a dental office and get them for free and since I am going to be a dentist I tend to think a little bit more about my teeth than most, besides who wants to go to a dentist that looks like a pro hockey player? By the way- I am not talking about those cheap ones that can be purchased at any sporting good store that attaches to a football helmet- these are more like invisalign or something not as noticeable but still protective. gotta love the white smile

Funny post Man!

Actually, I thought about those teeth guards when I 1st got into the sport (12 yrs. ago) but have never seen the need since....

Useless IMO....