I crashed again yesterday, twice. Both were at slow to moderate speeds, but put me on hard ground. I have a bruise the size of a salad plate on my hip, again. I'm 210 with a beer gut. Athletic clothes do NOT flatter my physique and are uncomfortable. I'm looking for some crash gear that will protect a few areas of my body that are not well covered. I already have a pair of Fox Titan Pro Knee Guards which have been field proven. I like them. I also have elbow and lower forearm guards. I also have a roost guard, but it offers no rib protection. The main thing I want to cover is my hips. What is going to be the most comfortable way to cover my hips? Last is my upper forearms which are constantly getting whacked by branches in tight trails. Also keep in mind that my area is very warm. We have lows in the 40s in the winter, highs in the 100s in the summers. So for summer riding I need breathability.
Look for an older Acerbis Zoom XL its a full coverage big guy "chest protector", they can be had on Ebay etc. they have full coverage for front and back with good coverage on the sides as well along with big upper arm tabs. As for hips look at EVS and other brands of under shorts and dont throw away those hip pads that come with riding pants, you can even have them sewn in place,( most have a little velcro tab). PS and don't crash!!.....and learn how to get off and dissipate the energy ( both are a hard learn). (nothing is 100% coverage like an armor suit!!)
these for example. http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/20861/i/evs-ug-ultimate-shorts Acerbis Zoom 2 Plus is correct name (its a non current model but can be found around the net) http://www.onestopmotorcycles.com/product.php?printable=Y&productid=1865&js=n
I have 2 pairs of Klim tactical shorts and they give really good hip protection. I crashed at 45mph on a solid rock cobble stone trail last week and walked away without a bruise. They also make longer rides easier since they have a built in manpon http://www.revzilla.com/snow/klim-tactical-shorts
Boy those KLIMs are nice too. I guess I'm going to have to pay a visit to the local Cycle Gear and see if they have any of the EVS or KLIM in stock.
The chest/roost protectors are adjustable now. I just ordered a XXL/XXXL adjustable one. I stopped riding for over a decade. I broke ribs three times in the past. I need the rib protection for sure now.
I just found out that my buddy wears a kidney belt with a little spine protection. I like that. I'm not trying to get full coverage but certain key areas would help my confidence a lot. Key areas for me are (in order of importance): #1 Knees (pretty much have them covered with my knee/shin guards). I've had ACL reconstruction and I'm fighting a meniscus issue. #2 Back/Spine #3 Hips #4 Ribs Other areas that I just consider an annoyance: #1 upper forearms -- might need to try to find a sheet of D3O to sew into the tops of my elbo/forearm guards #2 fingers/knuckles (pretty much covered by my Cycra guards)
Bigbill, what did you order and where. I destroyed my old one at Odessa along with my elbow and bicep.
I always say you need to learn to ride your bike better ... The rider is the first defense against injury ... Myself, I just got tired of the fall overs and other small mistakes I was making over and over and just forced myself to ride better ... The gear is just insurance or a hedge against a crash ... I'm not an insurance lover, so my 'insurance' is planned all along my ride as I decide what to do and what-not-to-do next.
Good in theory Usually my brain shrinks and something else swells making me believe I can still do what I used to. Truth is I can't but always fins out just a little too late.
Yep theory only and when you hit the dirt, the question usually is "What happened?" -- I'm gonna get some better gear just not sure what ...
Since my last post I got some of these Bilt shorts with padding: http://www.amazon.com/BILT-ARMA-Dominator-Armored-Shorts/dp/B00CHTA1NI I went with the Bilt brand because the padding is better than the other examples I tried. They padding feels the same as my expensive Alpine Stars jacket. But in the shorts it's just too small of a patch to do any good. I think they are going back. Here's a pic of the results of yet another crash on Sunday. 5 days ago and still hate'n life:
