Full face helmets, goggles, knee pads...what do you wear?

mike said:
Wound care, gah, that's my beef. :bang: I don't wear pads to not get injured, I wear them so I don't have to wear freaking plastic in the shower.
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Between playing baseball from age 8-22 and then several years of adult softball, football from age 8-18, BMX riding and now mountain biking for 30 years this July, I have scraped up/opened up my left knee 1000x and my shins are rarely w/o scabs of some sort, usually due to brush contact vs crashing which knock on wood, it's been a while.
 
From someone that just crashed I wear light mid level IXS flow elbow and knee pads when needed.and they saved me major injuries/ major rash.

To me... They are so easy and comfortable on/offowhy not. I ride pretty aggressive.. If they save me some pain an injury once or twice a year awesome.

I don't even remember I have them on often pads are not the pads of yesteryear...

I wear a Bell helmet most the time little Fuller than my lightweight Giro.

Good eye protection is a must.

When I ride parks I wear FF.

No ego too... if I never fell might be different but I am not a perfect rider.. I ride my share of rocks and speed. I want to keep riding as long as I can and I take a spill or two a year minimize the dammage.

I am unclear why anyone would judge people for wearing protection....
 
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mike said:
Wound care, gah, that's my beef. :bang: I don't wear pads to not get injured, I wear them so I don't have to wear freaking plastic in the shower.
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Exactly @mike and @scan. I have better things to do with my time. :stop: Wound care and shopping the local drug store for bandages large enough and absorbent enough is time consuming. And ... I'm tied of my wife rolling her eyes and shaking her head as I head for the first aide supplies after a ride. :thumbsdown: :D
 
I wear my armored gloves on trails with narrow lines between rocks (Chiquito comes to mind), to try to avoid busted knuckles.

Knee pads when it's cold, or on trails where I might run into something, like abrasive rocks or cactus. I'm with @mike, wound care sucks plus my skin is thin so I bleed a lot. Seems that crashes are unpredictable and it's more often than not the easier trails where crashes happen for me... when I'm usually not wearing pads.
 
I know you have all been waiting patiently to see what I endorse... :facepalm:

On most rides, I don't throw on additional padding (standard kit = baggie shorts with padded liner, jersey, helmet, glasses, full finger gloves and usually a hydration pack. Oh shoes and socks too) - but I usually carry my forearm guards, and I don them for rides down The Luge, 5-Oaks, etc.
I need my forearm/elbow pads. That's where I fall when I fall. I hit my forearm on virtually every crash - often as a function of a tuck and roll. I rarely hit my knees.

If I am doing an assortment of hard trails, and/or if it's cold out, I will wear some manner of knee protection along with the forearm guards. I have three different sets of knee protection from Race Face padded leg warmers to IXS hard-shell knee guards. Come to think of it, I have full length IXS knee-shinguards too - but only when shuttling or riding park.

I use a full face and goggles when shuttling or riding park. NEVER wear a full face and sunglasses. That's just as dorky as wearing goggles with a half-lid.

I have seen a steadily increasing number of riders doing very mundane and easy trails with full-face helmets. Whatever makes you feel better.

Chris Whistler3.JPG
 
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mike said:
But the truth is, the worst injuries trail riding won't be avoided with armor and a helmet. Particularly, spine injuries. I was reminded of this when I lawn-darted into a big rock last month. Skill and discretion are far better protection than anything you can wear. So, most of the time, I try to bring those along with my pads.
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Great point. Pads are generally not going to prevent a broken wrist, ankle, collarbone or some other common MTB injuries. I have a pretty good sense of self preservation and won't ride certain things when I'm not feeling it. I can always come back another day. For most riding I just go with gloves and regular helmet. Knee pads for long or technical descents. Elbow pads less often, but I should wear them and knee pads more often. I seldom seem to crash on hard trails, it is more on easy sections where I'm not paying as much attention.
 
I don't usually wear much for padding. If I'm going to take extra risks, I'll wear some. I'll plop on a full face, knee/shin, etc. But I don't ride over my level much, I mostly try to stay just shy of my limit, "comfortable out of control".

Just a manner of risk management and acceptance. I've had wrecks where I was glad I had pads, wrecks where it wouldn't have mattered much, and wrecks where I wish I did have something more. But... usually the times I wish I had more I probably wouldn't have been wearing it (exception was when I broke a rib riding a supermoto track, chest protector would have been worn if I had one).

I've said it countless times though, you have to be willing to accept the risk if you are going to take risk. I'm nirsinu a broken foot still. Nothing would have prevented it except...not doing risky activities. That's why I'm not anything more than "bummed" about my condition, because I know I'll get hurt, and I will again. I'm not changing my riding, though I will get better padding before going to Snow Summit next season.
 
I’m sure all of you are over 50 but myself being 52. I don’t usually wear pads or FF. I have some nice ones in my pack at all times. If doing luge. Car wreak. Hawk or old goat I’ll put em on. I ride as hard as I did 15 years ago. I love going fast, but always within my limits. And that is the key. If you feel comfortable with speed you’ll be ok.
 
I’m with @uzziboy ...
I own a full face and rarely if ever wear it. I now own after 25 years some TLD elbow/forearm and knee/shin pads, but only carry them in my pack when I know I got some serious chunk within the ride. I have the scars to prove it, but I like to ride fast and think for the most part it’s just too cumbersome. Plus, if it’s a big ride with a lot of big ups and big downs I’m not going to stop and take off and put on.
 
I picked up a new set of G-Form knee-shin guards. My old ones have given up on me. They won't stay up anymore. I have really liked them because I don't like getting scratched up. They are really comfortable and breath well. I don't get overheated using them in the summer.

I purchased the new set directly from G-Form. They had by far the lowest price for XL in black - $79.73 with tax and shipping. They are probably a closeout of an old model but look like a improvement over my old set. The impact-absorbing pads are harder, and appear to be thicker,on the new ones which should protect better but might not be quite as comfortable. The compression fabric has been greatly improved and should hold up better.
New on left and old on the right.
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gform2.JPG
 
bvader said:
I am unclear why anyone would judge people for wearing protection....
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They usually project their insecurities onto the Stormtrooper, often times electing to wear pads themselves, tho for pussy Sh!t trails and at pussy Sh!t speeds. These are the folks who tend to ride like sissies and like to make fun of what they cannot handle. It’s all good tho, because they suck [it].
 
Mikie said:
I’m with @uzziboy ...
I own a full face and rarely if ever wear it. I now own after 25 years some TLD elbow/forearm and knee/shin pads, but only carry them in my pack when I know I got some serious chunk within the ride. I have the scars to prove it, but I like to ride fast and think for the most part it’s just too cumbersome. Plus, if it’s a big ride with a lot of big ups and big downs I’m not going to stop and take off and put on.
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I’ll do oaks, up chutes b up Beckham, down Beckham to cactus, up bumblebee, down hawk, up new goat, down old goat, up new goat and out chutes. That’s when the pads come out. Whole ride regardless of temp.

Whiting luge. Nah. Aliso nah. Unless stairs or other assorted quasi leagal trails. Even San Juan nah.
 
DangerDirtyD said:
They usually project their insecurities onto the Stormtrooper, often times electing to wear pads themselves, tho for pussy Sh!t trails and at pussy Sh!t speeds. These are the folks who tend to ride like sissies and like to make fun of what they cannot handle. It’s all good tho, because they suck [it].
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I wish you would not hold back...
Open up, share your feelings, say what’s REALLY on your mind. C’mon... dig deep. :coffee:
 
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