Safety Gear?

[Uzi9mm]

   What kind of safety gear does everyone use?  Besides helmet, boots, and roost protectors.  Anyone use knee braces or a neck brace?

[ebers17]

Personally, I wear this  http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.umanitoba.ca/cm/vol4/no20/suit.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.umanitoba.ca/cm/vol4/no20/projectgrizzly.html&h=350&w=244&sz=15&hl=en&start=10&um=1&tbnid=nwXkSKuTBNrXBM:&tbnh=120&tbnw=84&prev=/images%3Fq%3DTroy%2BHurtubise%2Bbear%2Bprotective%2Bsuit%2Bpictures%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN   
No, protection I think as far as neck braces and such is all preference.  I don't wear full "knee braces" or neck donuts.  Although the Leatt brace seems like it would do alot and maybe down the road, but being in the woods I don't really see a need for it for me.

[alan]

 Besides Helmet and boots I wear, asterisk knee braces, neck roll, kidney belt, elbow pads, full chest protector, gloves, goggles, motto pants and jersey!

When you are as old as I am you need all the help you can get!   

The neck roll Is the latest item I added because I have 5 bulging disc in my neck!

[Uzi9mm]

Thanks for the replies,

I got everything but knee braces and a neck brace.  I plan to add those soon.  I'm 37 and had no serious injuries and I want to stay that way.  I've seen too many guys get hurt bad.  Some guys doing dangerous, outside the envelope stuff and others were just freak accidents.  But in most situations, some gear would have made a big difference.  LOL, just looked at your link ebers.  Thats what I need.

[KXcam22]

I always follow the "dress for the crash" philosophy.  I'm getting older so I break easier.  My safety gear arsenal is pretty standard except I always wear elbow pads since I do lots of high speed through tight trees.

barkbusters (I consider these safety gear even though I don't actually "wear" them - finger protectors)
helmet
goggles
body armour
MX gloves
MX boots
MX pants
AXO shin guards
Thicker hip pads (I made these out of 3/4" closed cell foam since the axo ones were only 1/8" thick)
FOX elbow pads
Big knee brace on bad knee, no knee brace on sorta bad knee.

I dont' wear a kidney belt. After I raced long enough I found I didn't need it anymore.

Cam.

PS.  My body armor is bright red. I was going to replace it with something more stylishly colored but have since reconsidered.  My riding area is getting busier and the "reflector vest" aspect of the bright color helps other see me.  I tend to get too focused on the trail when at speed and get "surprised" when I meet someone head on. This way they see me first.  I would love to get a pair of asterics but no one in Canada has them that you can try on first.

[Uzi9mm]

Thanks Cam.  I like your philosophy. 

[Hammer 4]

I also think along the lines of "Dress Up To Go Down" at 58, us old guys need all the protection we can get..

I wear everything except a neck brace.

[gwcrim]

Eh..... T-shirt, shorts, tennis shoes.  But only when I can start the bike wearing the sneakers!

[ebers17]

does anyone wear under roost protection?  How much protection does it offer?  I've been looking at the EVS revo 5 protector which looks good, or the sixsixone core saver.  Just don't know if a regular roost protector will offer much protection.

[alan]

Eh..... T-shirt, shorts, tennis shoes.  But only when I can start the bike wearing the sneakers!

Yea! we all want to see you start your KX5 with your sneakers on!

[Platypus]

helmet (one area I will pay top dollar)
boots (another I will pay top dollar)
gloves
jersey
pants
chest protector
goggles

After one decent crash and one totally lame crash in gnarly sharp rocks I have decided it is time to get elbow pads.  Two Saturdays ago my elbow swole up pretty good.  Following Saturday I go down in some sharp rocks and sliced up the same elbow.  I currently do not wear elbow or knee pads but I have been riding on rougher and rougher trails and it is probably time to make those investments.  I will also be getting some spandex undies to secure the jewels.

Alan.  I have started my 500 with running shoes on several times now.  I'm sure I'll regret doing it one of these days  . 

[KXcam22]

Long ago I once started my 400 Maico with loafers on.  It happened to backfire just as my foot slipped off the kickstart. The end of the kickstart happened to catch me under the ankle bone a gave me a small greenstick tibia fracture.  Lots of chance "happends" there.  I had to race the Kingdome the next day with a borrowed sz12 boot and lots of tensors. Yuk. Chance happens - wear gear.  Cam.

[billygoat500]

The year before last I broke my elbow,(macular).
I was going slow speeds through a tight goat trail.
Back tire skipped off a rock when rolling  the throttle.
I was maybe going 10 kph./5mph.
I was wearing FOX (piece of garbage) elbow pads.
Had surgery and a chunk of metal installed in my arm. Going in on tuesday to have the plate removed.  Word to the wise do not buy the FOX slip-on elbow pads they are garbage and give a false sense of security, THOR QUADRANT elbow pads are by far the best out there. I have slammed my elbow to the ground way hard and dont even feel it.  I lost a whole riding season because of those damb FOX pads. And now have to have surgery on tuesday to remove the flippin titanium plate from my arm. Doc says that its an in and out surgury but I think I wont ride for a least a month.Please guys wear protection. who would think that a little tumble (5-10kph) would put a guy in the opperating room.

[Platypus]

I was thinking about these for the elbows:

http://www.sixsixone.com/Catalog_661Bike.aspx?id=d17ed330-34a9-4048-bb31-5f26ef3c388c&product=76fa7e9f-7612-4ff5-adbc-a3b05db43612

And these for the knees:

http://www.sixsixone.com/Catalog_661Bike.aspx?id=ee25955a-4724-4ada-a6d5-d2357e8f5b34&product=dc723865-5360-4d68-84d9-98dbc309a729

Big beefy ABS cups seem like a good idea to me.

[demographic]

I did have one of those mesh vest things with built in back, shoulder and elbow armour but it was a bit tight on me when I bought it so I gave it to a young lad, who wasn't wearing it the day he fell off his bike on the road and died.

Theres a message in there somewhere...

RIP Spike.