DAMN Riders - No rules, Just ride!

Going from road racing and street riding to dual sport/trail riding requires me to buy some new gear. Bruises from last weekend highlight how ineffective my current set up is when i hurl my body into the dirt ("roost" protector, no elbow, hip or knee protection, inflexible boots, helmet). So i am interested in some suggestions for better protective gear. I am considering a "ballistic" jacket (mesh shirt with integrated chest, back, shoulder and elbow protection) that can be worn under a jersey, but i am concerned about how hot this set up would be for summer riding. I understand that any gear is hotter that no gear at all, but id prefer something that vents well where i can wear an old jacket over when the weather gets cooler. Is it better to get separate elbow protection? what about knee guards? which ones fit in boots better?

You'll get different opinions, of course... I cannot wear separate elbow guards as they either make my hands go numb if tight enough to stay in place or they just don't stay in place. I have used both the EVS ballistic jacket and the troy lee mx body armor. The EVS one is more protective, with hard plastic guards, and I rarely used a jersey on top of it. The troy lee wears much cooler but is only comprised of foam armor. I don't wear a jersey over it either. I've never gotten hurt in either setup (knocks on wood) but I'm more of a faller than a crasher.

+1 "ballistic" vest. Many varieties to chose from.
+1 knee/shin protection. Although a proper boot covers your shins, most knee guards come integrated with shin protection.

Padded shorts are a nice bonus if you like to tip over on rocks

If you are looking for suggestions of gear we own and like...

Padded shorts are a nice piece of gear for long rides - I very much like my Troy Lee 5605 shorts

If you go the route with separate arm guards, the Troy Lee 5550 stay in place and fit easily under a jersey

And for knee guards I love my Leatt Dual axis set


Rght now I am using a combo roost guard and hydration system by Fly racing (the stingray). It's a good piece of gear in that combination setup, but has limited shoulder protection and nothing for upper arms. But love having its 2 liters of water plus some tool storage.

BamBam wrote: ↑Wed Jul 18, 2018 1:40 pm

And for knee guards I love my Leatt Dual axis set

I second on Least Dual axis.
Also I've seen Alpinestars SX-1. I think they're very similar.

I have this jacket and quite like it. https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/alp ... ech-jacket
But can't comment much on ventilation. I think it's not bad but don't have anything to compare. On a cooler day ride on a road after trail is freezing

Shorts https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/lea ... act-shorts
Like them too. Have another pair from Bohn, they're not so good, but if I take out one pad they'll be fine. That one pad won't let me sit comfortably.

Post up your sizes, folks might be able to help you out with some used gear

I think I have an Alpinestars Bionic pressure suit in storage still. The zipper is a little janky on it (think it just needs cleaned) but hey, you can have it free. It is a size XL or XXL I think.

Also check out Rocky Mountain ATV/MC as they always have closeout gear for a discount.


I would skip knee guards and look for braces instead. It is extremely easy to tweak a knee in this sport and braces are cheap in comparison to having a knee rebuilt.


I started out with the pressure suit which was great when I was falling down every 2 minutes. As I got better on the bike my gear thinned out and I would pick up better quality stuff.

This is what I run now, head to toe. Nothing here is cheap though. If I'm going to be slow, I might as well look good doing it

Airoh Avaiator 2.1 - Very light weight and breathes nicely. Just snagged a 2.2 last week as my original is getting pretty old now
Oakley Airbrakes - LOVE these. They are a hard lens just like their sunglasses. Super clear. I ran their Crowbars for years before these
Atlas Air neck brace - I had the leatt brace and it was too bulky for me (short neck). The Atlas is thinner and fits me better
Atlas Defender chest protector - I had the Leatt Pro HD before and while it is has great protection, it is bulky and hot. The Atlas is very thin and breathes nicely. No shoulder guards though, gotta watch leaning in to those tight turns
Leatt 3DF elbow guards - I tend to not wear these on most rides except for places like Taskers or the Cove. They are quite hot.
Moose Sahara jersey - Super thin and breathes great. Not the most durable though.
Klim Dakar pants - Very durable compared to most MX type pants. Good venting AND have pockets. In the boot so they don't get snagged on pegs
Leatt C-frame knee braces - I like the C frames as they don't tear up my pants/sides of the bikes like my Asterisks did.
Sidi Crossfire SRS boots - A hinged ankle boot is SO much more comfy and lets you hit the controls easier/more accurately.
Kriega Hydro-3 hydration pack - best quality pack I've used and you can strap their other bags on the back of it if you need the space.

Thank you for all the good info. I was looking at the Thor Sentry XP because it got good reviews. I like the single piece chest "plate" and the integrated elbow guards. Reveiws suggest it is cooler than some others, but i take that with a grain of salt. But then i saw some Alpinestars A10 and bionic chest protectors and like the rib coverage, but then i would need to get separate elbow armor. at this point anything is better than what i have, which is arguably better than nothing, but still...

gots_a_sol wrote: ↑Wed Jul 18, 2018 6:13 pm
I would skip knee guards and look for braces instead. It is extremely easy to tweak a knee in this sport and braces are cheap in comparison to having a knee rebuilt.

Leatt C-frame knee braces - I like the C frames as they don't tear up my pants/sides of the bikes like my Asterisks did.

Was ready to do that this winter. Ordered the same you use. One came with a pin fallen out of its socket (for strap). And I tried everything, but couldn't feel comfortable enough to try them out on a bike. So just sent back. I've heard that with braces you have to try different brands as not all are good fitment for everyone.

Nobody wrote: ↑Wed Jul 18, 2018 7:51 pm I've heard that with braces you have to try different brands as not all are good fitment for everyone.

Yes. Everybody's legs are different and brace that fits me perfect may fit like total crap for you.


Shame about the brace being damaged. That has happened to one of mine but that was after 2 years of constant use and abuse.

I just picked up a brand new pair of the pro version this week. Haven't even had them out of the box yet haha.

For pants I'd recommend the over the boot style. They are cooler, keep the crud off of the boot buckles and water from filling your boots when it rains. Some also have zip-off legs. I use Answer but Thor, Oneal, Klim also are some of the brands. I think overall they are more comfortable. If you don't want to go full knee brace, the knee guards I use are Answer Alpha . They are hinged, cover a larger area than most and are light, don't move around and have adjustable straps. Have fun shopping.