body armor advice

[max123]

So I need to get some body armor for N* and whistler and my dh riding this summer. I want to get chest/shoulder/elbow armor like a 661 pressure suit or tld upper body armor. I also need to get knee/shin or just knee pads.
My options so far
upper body
661 pressure suit
tld descender protector
dianese

knee shin/knee
661 kyle strait
raceface rally fr kneeshin
TLD lopes knee shin

[sittingduck]

Dainese is by far the nicest for upper... I don't own one yet, but everyone I know that does, says they are the shiznit. I have a 661, and the elbows move too much and are not very comfortable.

[Frorider1]

I have the 661 pro, it saved my shoulder/arm today. Its the same as the dainese pretty much.

[.Pit Steelers.]

No question that Dainese is the best, but also the most expinsive. I use a RockGardn flak jacket and it has been great in every way. Good protection, everything is easily adjusted it's not very hot and it's not to much money.

[jcook90]

a rockgardn flakjacket is basically the same thing as the TLD descender except its better. More protective and the forearm/elbow pads are detachable. same price too just it doesnt say troy lee. I have one and like it alot.

[corey_rideDC]

i have a large 661 pressure suit (brand new, unopened) for sale, check the siggy.

[Eren]

dainese upper kyle strait knee, perfect combo!!!

[Squasher]

I have the 661 pro, it saved my shoulder/arm today. Its the same as the dainese pretty much.
Trust me, they are not pretty much the same. Dainese is by far the best. I have been sporting Dainese uppers and a bib for over 2 1/2 years. They are still in great shape. I would have gone through 2-3 sets of 661's with the amount of wrecking I do and the crappy quality of the stuff 661 has been putting out lately. Do your self a favor, spend the extra change to get Dainese. You will thank me later.

[max123]

so should I go for the 661 pro pressure suit or should I go for the rack garden flak jacket?

[.Pit Steelers.]

Rock Garden

[max123]

it sort of seems to me that the rock grdn mesh isnt as stretchy and well fitting as the pro pressure suit. Is it a mesh or is it stretchy and well fitting?

[pinkshirtphotos]

for knee and shin get the fox launch omg i <3 them

[Mugger]

I run 661 pressure suit, it's okay but the quality isn't that great as the zips aren't working very well and the velcro is starting to lose its grip, hence why I've started to not wear it as that just frustrates me.

The armour is defs tops, bulky pads can get annoying but they work for sure. Chest protection could be better as its just some sort of foam covvered in mesh/fabric.

Knee pads I wear Fox 911's with Fox radius knee pads as extra support and just to hold the knee cup in place. Also that setup looks dope :)

I plan on saving up for Dainese body armor as the 661 is starting to perish and want something a bit less bulky.

[big-ted]

Trust me, they are not pretty much the same. Dainese is by far the best. I have been sporting Dainese uppers and a bib for over 2 1/2 years. They are still in great shape. I would have gone through 2-3 sets of 661's with the amount of wrecking I do and the crappy quality of the stuff 661 has been putting out lately. Do your self a favor, spend the extra change to get Dainese. You will thank me later.


Really?! That's my one criticism of Dainese is that it basicaly falls apart if you crash. I'm WAY too good at sewing for an average 25 year old male thanks to the high cost and poor durability of Dainese...

[Haplipe]

Really?! That's my one criticism of Dainese is that it basicaly falls apart if you crash. I'm WAY too good at sewing for an average 25 year old male thanks to the high cost and poor durability of Dainese...
:shocked:
my Daninese has been to hell and back in the past 3 years and still is in great condition

[Sandwich]

are you comparing the pro pressure or the regular suits to dainese? because the pro pressure has a plastic chest and looks TOTALLY different than the standard pressure/steve peat version.

[SnowboardinWA]

<----Pimping ALL FOX GEAR.

[Horror Business]

I use the 661 pressure suit and I love it. It gives excellent protection, and it has saved my bacon in a couple of crashes. I find it to be comfortable, and I have been using it for multiple seasons and it has been holding up really well. Under it I wear an underarmor long sleeve shirt. It prevents chaffing and is wicking so it helps to keep me cool.

For leg armor, I swear by the Raceface Rally FR knee/shin. It is great. It does not shift around, and offers excellent protection. I have had other leg armor in the past, and the Raceface stuff is easily twice as good.

[Sandwich]

i'm not impressed with my raceface pads. I don't know if I have them on wrong, but they don't offer the coverage that I'd like. I have the upper strap around the upper part of my calf muscle, but if it's up too high, it chafes. If it's too low, it doesn't cover my upper knee. I haven't wrecked in them yet, but I'm concerned the upper part of my knee will be destroyed.

I'd buy dainese if I could again. They fit like a glove and never moved, ever, all while offering the coverage I wanted.

[Squasher]

Really?! That's my one criticism of Dainese is that it basicaly falls apart if you crash. I'm WAY too good at sewing for an average 25 year old male thanks to the high cost and poor durability of Dainese...
Not sure what to say about that. The only thing I have had to sew was one of the zippers. But that was my fault. I wash mine in the washer regularly and it spun in the spin cycle in a weird position one time. :disgust:

[demo 9]

i love the kyle straits for knee pads. wouldnt use anything else. from what i hear dianeese is the best for upper. i have a pressure suit.

[Prettym1k3]

Kyle Strait knee pads are the best. Hands down. Very little slipping and all sorta of protection.

I have a 661 Assault Suit. I'm headed to NorthStar this weekend, so I'll let you know how it goes.

[max123]

for knee or kneeshin what are the tld's like? They seem like a good buy. I think I will either get the tld lopes knee shin gaurds or the kyle strait ones but I sort of want shin protection for I ride flats.

[max123]

does anybody have any thoughts on the TLD lopes kneeshin guards?

[ridea]

I hate armour and have been looking for descent stuff for ages so ive tryed pretty much everything.
New style dainese is farrrrrrr better than anything ive tryed cos i can atually move in it, old style grey dainese i found is too tight across the shoulders and too short in the arms, new style you have as mutch stretch in the shoulders as you like as you can detatch the back plate and run it on the straps arms are plenty long enough aswell.
I tryed the pro pressure suit i think it was the wrong size and felt much like the dainese did in the wrong too big size so it might have been ok in a smaller size, all i know is that i can barely tell if steve peat is wearing it half the time.

For knee stuff, padlocks and mx shins are ok but uncomfy when walking up, kyle straits are super comfey i could ride xc in mine but quite soft if its real rocky round you and not great if your on flats and slip the pedals allot.
T-bones i cant say i find comfortable atall, tryed a pair of lopes pads and they felt real tight in the smaller size and real loose in the bigger one, maby they wouldve stretched?

[tree hugger]

is the Dainese Race really $200 better than the Fox or RockGardn suit? I'm leaning toward the RockGardn.

[Transcend]

does anybody have any thoughts on the TLD lopes kneeshin guards?

Yup. Been riding them non stop for a month. Super comfy, and absolutely NO slipping. NONE. It's incredible, I finally have knee pads I like.

[KavuRider]

I have the RockGardn.

I like it a lot, wear it all the time.
The only thing I don't like? Its a little bulky, not quite as streamlined as the Dainese. BUT, its a lot cheaper.

[Zark]

I have a Rockgardn Flak Jacket. It fits well, offers a good level of protection and didn't cost a ton. I'm pretty happy with it.

[OGRipper]

Another vote for the Flack Jacket. The removable forearm/elbow pads are a great feature, especially if you don't already own a separate set. I also love my Race Face Rally FR knee/leg pads.

With any of this stuff, however, fit is key, so try to find a way to try them on before you buy. The best gear in the world sucks if it slips around or is uncomfortable.