What riding gear does this noob need?

K

KC10Chief

Member

Oct 10, 2004

187

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• Oct 11, 2004

• #1

I was curious what kind of riding gear I should get when I get my bike? I'm planning to buy the bike and go to the bike shop and go nuts with whatever money I have left! I know I need a helmet, gloves and boots. I'll probably start out riding trails mostly, but might do a little bit of MX. Nothing crazy. Do most riders wear some sort of eye protection? I usually wear glasses when riding my mountain bike due to debris flying around from other riders. How about the jerseys and pants? I hear the dirtbike pants are pretty tough and won't get easily ripped up if I fall. How about a chest protector or shin guards, knee guards, etc? What are the basic necessities? Thanks! Matt

 

rickyd

Hot Sauce

Oct 28, 2001

3,447

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• Oct 11, 2004

• #2

Heres what i reccomend,
Boots, knee cups, mx pants, jersey, gloves, chest protector , pcs neck support from ProCycleSafety.com helmet and goggles..

This past weekend for the first time i used a camel back hydration system, worked out pretty good, always nice too have a cool drink of water :)
Hope this helps you out,
Rick

 

Last edited: Oct 12, 2004

Kav

Crash Master

Damn Yankees

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Jan 20, 2001

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• Oct 11, 2004

• #3

if you're going to ride the woods I'd get some good hand guards

 

M

mtk

Member

Jun 9, 2004

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• Oct 12, 2004

• #4

In addition to what you'd planned, knee guards are a wise addition. You'll appreciate them the first time your knees land on some rocks when you fall off. Goggles are also a must, unless you want to risk blindness.

The Camelbak is also an excellent addition. I won't leave the house without mine.

 

Treejumper

2 wheeled idiot

Damn Yankees

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Sep 9, 2000

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• Oct 12, 2004

• #5

Here's my order of preference for riding woods.

Helmet, googles, boots, pants (so the next item will fit in them), knee/shin guard, glove, chest protector, hand guards, elbow guards then jersey.

 

D

DaveRS575

Sponsoring Member

Aug 15, 2002

447

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• Oct 12, 2004

• #6

From my recent experiences (hehe) you may want to learn.

Helmet, Goggles, Gloves, good boots, Forearm and elbow padding, knee pads. roost (chest) protector (covers chest, kidneys, shoulders, and back) Camelback, bark busters (mount to handlebars) decent riding pants, good socks, and I have to say, i LOVE my compression shorts and polyester jersey (dries fast, and keeps me cool and comfortable)

All of my gear has gouges, cracks, chunks, abrasions, rips, tears, splits, and holes in them. Unfortunately, much of my gear was purchased AFTER doing the same thing to my flesh and bones at least once.

To date, my gear has cost out of pocket around $1000 bucks. The injuries they prevented would have EASILY cost 10-20K in doctors bills, many months of injury, and some of the gear has saved my life (Particularly my helmet and roost/chest protector) at least once.

Don't short yourself on protection. Get the good stuff, try it on, make sure it's comfortable, the right size, functional, and apealing to you so you don't hate wearing it, you stay cool, dry and most important un-injured.

:)

 

O

ononewheel

Member

Nov 4, 2003

121

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• Oct 13, 2004

• #7

I have a chest protectior and thought it was for protection when you fall but someone said it is for when you ride behind someone and the roost hits you??? Is this true??

 

R

Rich_Simon

Member

Jul 11, 2004

18

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• Oct 13, 2004

• #8

ononewheel said:

I have a chest protectior and thought it was for protection when you fall but someone said it is for when you ride behind someone and the roost hits you??? Is this true??

Click to expand...

Yea, that's what it is primarily designed for. Have you ever followed someone close on a track or through the woods? Rocks get flipped up and dirt will hit you all the time.. :yikes: Very scary when you aren't wearing any protection and makes it impossible to stay close to them safely.

 

M

mtk

Member

Jun 9, 2004

1,409

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• Oct 13, 2004

• #9

Yes, it's mainly to stop rocks and such from the guy in front of you.

However, if you fall off and stick a handlebar in your gut, you won't end up with a nice quarter-sized bruise in the middle of your chest if you're wearing a chest protector. Trust me on that one. :)

 

Treejumper

2 wheeled idiot

Damn Yankees

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• Oct 13, 2004

• #10

DaveRS575 said:

Camelback

Click to expand...

Forgot about this one. A camelback is a life saver when out in the middle of nowhere. A CP also works great for deflecting low hanging branches.

 

sick 96 250

Damn Yankees

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Jul 16, 2004

1,207

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• Oct 13, 2004

• #11

def. pants, boots, helmet, goggles, gloves, jersey, and def get bark busters if you plan on doing woods. I would also recommend a chest protector. I just ordered one yesterday since this past weekend i took a few unexpected spills at paragon and it was just to close of a call with my chest area hitting some nasty rocks and trees. A camelback is great also, as i just grabbed one of them up also.

 

O

OldMaiconut

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Apr 28, 2001

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• Oct 13, 2004

• #12

I can go along with all of the recommendations listed. I would not buy the gear at a shop though. I bought most all of my gear on ****. Way cheaper than shop prices, and I have had no issues with quality or fit. If you ride woods, you can get a good camelbak at Wal Mart for under 30 bucks. I cut the straps off mine and zip tyed it on my chest protector. I think the Acerbis chest protector gives the best coverage by far. Most of the CPs out there are designed for moto, and I want more protection in the trees. Not as much roost, but more protection from branches and trees. Go top dollar on your boots... your ankles will thank you for it. Hook up with me when you are ready to ride, I'm local to you.

 

O

OldMaiconut

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Apr 28, 2001

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• Oct 13, 2004

• #13

Censorship rears it's ugly head. I can recommend Wal Mart, but not the very popular online auction site!

 

K

KC10Chief

Member

Oct 10, 2004

187

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• Oct 13, 2004

• Thread starter
• #14

It's okay. I know which evil auction site you are speaking of! Thanks for all of the advice everyone! I do a lot of mountain biking right now so I have several camel bak's. They are definately a life saver! I'm still bike shopping. I thought about getting a new one, but I think I'll get a used one instead. Probably a KDX220, KX250 or CR250. I'll ride it for a while until I figure out which bike I REALLY want. I'm going to sell my Trans Am that I never drive and use the money from that to get my bike and gear. I've got dirtbike fever something fierce! Matt

 

YamaB

Member

Apr 2, 2004

401

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• Oct 14, 2004

• #15

I say don't skimp on gear, but you also dont' have to go out and buy all the latest greatest racing stuff... I wear: helmet, goggles, gloves, kidney belt, elbow pads, knee pads, mx boots, chest protector, mx jersey and mx pants... I bought all my stuff brand new and I don't believe I paid over $500-600 for it... I bought most of my stuff online and looked for clearences/sales... You can never have too much padding when you crash in rocks, land on your bike, etc...

If you ride a lot of woods, bark busters will really save your hands...

Something to carry water is also a must for woods riding... You don't want to get lost or stranded out there in the summer time w/out anything to drink...

I also like to wear a fanny pack in the woods for carrying tools, spark plugs, etc...

- BA

 

J

jeffd

Naïve Texan

N. Texas SP

Jun 9, 2000

1,610

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• Oct 14, 2004

• #16

Basic stuff, but also important are the following items:
*Bike shorts - padded seat with absorbant lining. Trust me... monkey butt is no fun.
*Socks - Go get some soccer socks. They are padded, long, and absorbant. They are the same as "MX" socks, but cheaper.

All the other stuff has been pretty well covered. Pants and jerseys can be had for little $$$. Just buy last year's close-outs. Your gonna thrash it anyway ;)

Spend the bucks where it counts on your helmet and boots. I also don't ride without a chest protector. Many do, but I do not.

Buy a couple of pairs of gloves and two sets of goggles. If you sweat you'll understand why. Cheers and have fun!