Are chest protectors cool yet in MX yet?

wydopen
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wydopen 6/5/2013 4:47am
6/5/2013 4:47am
Top End wrote:
Cool or not my Dainese Downhill MTB suit saved me a lot of skin. I wore it racing bicycles doesn't bother me one bit on my...
Cool or not my Dainese Downhill MTB suit saved me a lot of skin. I wore it racing bicycles doesn't bother me one bit on my 450.
funny story

i used to race downhill mtb and had a similar jacket

never liked wearing it and only had a few times..always gave me armpump and was so hot..

i was at a national in idaho at schwitzer mnt which is super rough and real loose dirt..i had been doing good that year and was gettiing consistent top 5-10 in expert...i was on a mission to finish good even though i was having allot of trouble with a few sections..

my last practice i decided to wear the armor for some reason...was pushing it really hard on the top of the course...came into a big g out section pinned...bike compressed and i got ejected off at a super high speed...went strait to my back on a pointy boulder on the side of the trail...

it pierced the 1/2" thick backplate right on my spine but leaving me with zero injury...if i wasnt wearing it im 100% sure it would have severed my spine...

that crash ended up in a few mtb videos over the years..it was so brutal...

i never ended up wearing the jacket again..still have it infact..seemed like when i did wear it id crash..even though that thing prob saved my spine i still couldnt bring myself to wear it...

for moto i bough a fox proframe and a fox under the jersey style that has some spine protection...i went down hard the other day and landed on the rear wheel..i had a mx51 imprint on my entire back..chest protector didnt do much..
ga_pike
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ga_pike 6/5/2013 4:57am
6/5/2013 4:57am
Interestingly, I think they were more prominent on armatures back in the 80's and 90's. Used to be you never saw a kid under 16 without one on. Now it seems like many of the kids wear neck braces but no chest protector/roost guard.

Interesting tidbit... I wore a Fox Roost 2 even with an AXO sponsorship until AXO released the Pentagon. The first 3 years of wearing the Pentagon I suffered 3 broken collar bones. Do I think the change in equipment had something to do with it? I'll just say I think the Roost 2 offered much better shoulder protection.
markit
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markit 6/5/2013 4:59am
6/5/2013 4:59am
There are many reasons the moto guys don't wear a ext CP, sponsorship on the jerseys mostly. I wear mine but I do off road but when I do go to the track i don't wear my CP just seams like a little overkill. Most the racers I know and ride with don't give a squat about coolness.
Frodad78
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Frodad78 6/5/2013 5:22am
6/5/2013 5:22am
Got run over in the first turn once. Somebody's rear tire literally ripped a hole through the back of my Roost2. Crash still hurt like hell but I imagine my back would have been hamburger without it. I always wear it when racing or if I'm riding on a crowded track.

The Shop

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kxf king
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kxf king 6/5/2013 5:42am
6/5/2013 5:42am
one time, i took a rock to the neck, cool or not, i never ever rode without my chest protector again. (i know that chest protectors don't protect the neck, but it hurt like a mofo, and it would have hurt just as bad in the chest) but i do want to get one of the under jersey ones.
thrillbillie91 6/5/2013 5:44am
6/5/2013 5:44am
ga_pike wrote:
Interestingly, I think they were more prominent on armatures back in the 80's and 90's. Used to be you never saw a kid under 16 without...
Interestingly, I think they were more prominent on armatures back in the 80's and 90's. Used to be you never saw a kid under 16 without one on. Now it seems like many of the kids wear neck braces but no chest protector/roost guard.

Interesting tidbit... I wore a Fox Roost 2 even with an AXO sponsorship until AXO released the Pentagon. The first 3 years of wearing the Pentagon I suffered 3 broken collar bones. Do I think the change in equipment had something to do with it? I'll just say I think the Roost 2 offered much better shoulder protection.
funny you should say that i had a roost 2 and thats the only broken collarbone i've had while wearing that (touch wood Smile ), break lined up perfectly with the two bolts on the front and the netting in the shoulders broke too

i always wear a C/P now and even with chopping up my sentinal to accept the bns i like the added protection
reagan
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reagan 6/5/2013 5:54am
6/5/2013 5:54am
waste of time
Top End
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Top End 6/5/2013 7:32am
6/5/2013 7:32am Edited Date/Time 6/5/2013 7:33am
wydopen wrote:
funny story i used to race downhill mtb and had a similar jacket never liked wearing it and only had a few times..always gave me armpump...
funny story

i used to race downhill mtb and had a similar jacket

never liked wearing it and only had a few times..always gave me armpump and was so hot..

i was at a national in idaho at schwitzer mnt which is super rough and real loose dirt..i had been doing good that year and was gettiing consistent top 5-10 in expert...i was on a mission to finish good even though i was having allot of trouble with a few sections..

my last practice i decided to wear the armor for some reason...was pushing it really hard on the top of the course...came into a big g out section pinned...bike compressed and i got ejected off at a super high speed...went strait to my back on a pointy boulder on the side of the trail...

it pierced the 1/2" thick backplate right on my spine but leaving me with zero injury...if i wasnt wearing it im 100% sure it would have severed my spine...

that crash ended up in a few mtb videos over the years..it was so brutal...

i never ended up wearing the jacket again..still have it infact..seemed like when i did wear it id crash..even though that thing prob saved my spine i still couldnt bring myself to wear it...

for moto i bough a fox proframe and a fox under the jersey style that has some spine protection...i went down hard the other day and landed on the rear wheel..i had a mx51 imprint on my entire back..chest protector didnt do much..
I used to wear just the Fox slip on elbow pads. The where good for the initial impact then would slid up or down. I got sick of my forearms and back sticking to the bed sheets. Joe Stanish hooked me up with his old DH Dainese suit and I have been thankful ever since. I'm the exact opposite if I don't wear it I'll take a digger and mess something up. That and I'm getting old and don't bounce back like I used to the suit helps.
CamP
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CamP 6/5/2013 7:41am
6/5/2013 7:41am
For a light weight chest protector with excellent impact protection, it's hard to beat the Leatt Chest Protector Pro Lite.
FGR01
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FGR01 6/5/2013 8:23am
6/5/2013 8:23am
I love the guys who say they don't wear one because it's bulky or hot and it will slow them down. Yeah, because it's definitely the difference between them being the next RC or not.

I know of 2 different people dying from slamming their chest onto the crossbar and rupturing their aorta. One was a Vet and one was a kid. The vet didn't even crash. He came up short on a jump, slammed into the bars, rolled over the jump, off the side of the track and collapsed. You can't tell me a chest protector wouldn't help disperse the forces in a situation like that.

I have 2 dislocated ribs sticking out of my chest to remind me every day to wear a chest protector.
MXMattii
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MXMattii 6/5/2013 8:32am
6/5/2013 8:32am
Some people are able to wear it with flair!

Torco1
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Torco1 6/5/2013 8:55am
6/5/2013 8:55am
fader418 wrote:
Well in your hand guard thread you said Geico makes their riders where them. Show me Tomac wearing one
The Rock wrote:
Troy Lee not Geico. You really can not say protection won't save you from a broken collarbone or ribs. Too many variables but one thing I...
Troy Lee not Geico.

You really can not say protection won't save you from a broken collarbone or ribs. Too many variables but one thing I know for sure when I have 400 plus pounds rolling over my upper body I will take all the protection I can wear.

ocscottie-Roczen is no dummy.

For the record roost protectors don't even come close to providing any real chest protection in a crash scenario.
The Rock is right about the Troy Lee team. They have a clause in their contracts where they can be fined if they don't wear one.
Taylor156
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Taylor156 6/5/2013 8:56am
6/5/2013 8:56am
daveoevo
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daveoevo 6/5/2013 9:27am
6/5/2013 9:27am
I have never been cool so I always ware one.
Titan1
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Titan1 6/5/2013 9:57am
6/5/2013 9:57am
Their are only two viable excuses for not wearing a chest protector, in my opinion:

1) You honestly don't believe there is any safety benefit.
2) The heat. Heat stroke/exhaustion is a valid concern-and life threatening, even-so if its hot, it makes sense to go without. (Obviously, if you believe they do have a safety advantage...and you don't wear one because of the heat, you are trading one risk for another).

For me, those things have saved my bacon more times than I can count. Though as I type this I am typing with broken ribs (suffered while wearing the Fox Titan body armor...but they are on the very side of my rib cage were no chest protector covers). I will not ride without one...if its hot, I stop, take it off, cool down, then ride again...but the safety benefits, in my opinion, are huge!
overthebars39 6/5/2013 11:38am
6/5/2013 11:38am Edited Date/Time 6/5/2013 11:40am
I bought a pair of shouldprotectors a few years ago, the same day i bought em i crashed out and landed on my shoulder.

Man was i glad i bought those protectors... If i did not had em on i would have had a sloppy shoulder for the rest of my life.

I could care less of the bulky football player look, i don't ride for the show or looking cool. I ride because i enjoy it.[
Vitarded
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Vitarded 6/5/2013 11:58am
6/5/2013 11:58am
I started riding when I was 6 and wore one all the way up the ranks. I started getting irritated with it when I became a decent B class rider. I kept the neckbrace on as well. Later on, when I turned pro, and motos were longer/rougher, I found that I had a lot more freedom without the brace or the chest protector. I found that I rode less tight and I also REALLY like my range of motion.

In my personal opinion the reasons I don't wear one are simple:

1. It bothers me
2. It restricts me
3. It heats me up faster

I know the loss of protection I get when not wearing anything, but that was something I was willing to sacrifice for a bit more comfort when racing. I assume most pro riders are the same way.
CamP
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CamP 6/5/2013 12:06pm
6/5/2013 12:06pm
Taylor156 wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2013/06/05/24232/s1200_53366_canard.jpg[/img]
That's the Leatt Pro Lite. It offers real impact protection compared to the flimsy roost deflectors.

Pit Row

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markit
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markit 6/5/2013 12:10pm
6/5/2013 12:10pm
Vitarded wrote:
I started riding when I was 6 and wore one all the way up the ranks. I started getting irritated with it when I became a...
I started riding when I was 6 and wore one all the way up the ranks. I started getting irritated with it when I became a decent B class rider. I kept the neckbrace on as well. Later on, when I turned pro, and motos were longer/rougher, I found that I had a lot more freedom without the brace or the chest protector. I found that I rode less tight and I also REALLY like my range of motion.

In my personal opinion the reasons I don't wear one are simple:

1. It bothers me
2. It restricts me
3. It heats me up faster

I know the loss of protection I get when not wearing anything, but that was something I was willing to sacrifice for a bit more comfort when racing. I assume most pro riders are the same way.
A agree, like i said above I dont wear one on the track but in the woods I do. I was at at a enduro once and passed a turn maker on a road (paved) and i naturally got on the breaks hard lost the front end @ about 60mph and slid for a good while on my CP.lol the SO posted @ the trail interance was laughing his A$$ off when I got back up and made it back to the trail.lol
The Rock
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The Rock 6/6/2013 2:25am
6/6/2013 2:25am
Vitarded wrote:
I started riding when I was 6 and wore one all the way up the ranks. I started getting irritated with it when I became a...
I started riding when I was 6 and wore one all the way up the ranks. I started getting irritated with it when I became a decent B class rider. I kept the neckbrace on as well. Later on, when I turned pro, and motos were longer/rougher, I found that I had a lot more freedom without the brace or the chest protector. I found that I rode less tight and I also REALLY like my range of motion.

In my personal opinion the reasons I don't wear one are simple:

1. It bothers me
2. It restricts me
3. It heats me up faster

I know the loss of protection I get when not wearing anything, but that was something I was willing to sacrifice for a bit more comfort when racing. I assume most pro riders are the same way.
What's your position on a spine covering like what Roczen is wearing in the photos in this thread?
WhKnuckle
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WhKnuckle 6/6/2013 4:00am
6/6/2013 4:00am
I'm a big fan of The Rock, but I wish these conversations didn't devolve into a debate that seems to center around the notion that only riders who are (a) stupid, (b) macho, (c) interested in displaying advertisement or (d) emulators of their pro heros, are the ones who don't wear chest protectors. Why not state the obvious? SOME PEOPLE DON'T LIKE THE WAY THEY FEEL ON THEIR UPPER BODIES! I don't wear one because I just don't like them. There is no psycho-cosmic reason for it. I've been riding motocross for some 40 years, having stuff on my upper body bugs the hell out of me, and I ain't gonna wear it. Fair enough?
Madmax31
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Madmax31 6/6/2013 5:02am
6/6/2013 5:02am
Vitarded wrote:
I started riding when I was 6 and wore one all the way up the ranks. I started getting irritated with it when I became a...
I started riding when I was 6 and wore one all the way up the ranks. I started getting irritated with it when I became a decent B class rider. I kept the neckbrace on as well. Later on, when I turned pro, and motos were longer/rougher, I found that I had a lot more freedom without the brace or the chest protector. I found that I rode less tight and I also REALLY like my range of motion.

In my personal opinion the reasons I don't wear one are simple:

1. It bothers me
2. It restricts me
3. It heats me up faster

I know the loss of protection I get when not wearing anything, but that was something I was willing to sacrifice for a bit more comfort when racing. I assume most pro riders are the same way.
These excuses annoy, but each to his own I guess.

I forget my shoulder pads, and neck brace one day. Typically I'd have hauled a$$ out and not rode. But I did anyway, and can say after a few laps of being scared noticed that I did feel less restricted and more comfortable.

But you know what...I don't give a shit. I know I'd feel more comfortable without a helmet, and wearing a pair of shorts. But so what! Just think how much cooler you'd be without that obstructive, hot helmet on your head.
Growboxracers
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Growboxracers 6/6/2013 5:09am
6/6/2013 5:09am
I hear Pro and to me it means you qualified for a national at some point... anything short of that and I roll my eyes when the word Pro is used.
E-man811
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E-man811 6/6/2013 5:20am
6/6/2013 5:20am
I've broken both collar bones, 2 ribs, broken my sternum, had a 1" square of skin avulsed from my abdomen and shattered my shoulder blade all while wearing a plastic chest protector.

I too noticed the freedom and lower temps on the rare occasion that I forget and run a moto without it on.

I will continue to wear one as long as I ride. The scars on my chest protectors over the years are evidence of much worse injuries that I would have sustained.

I'm going to go drill some holes in mine today.
disbanded
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disbanded 6/6/2013 7:09am
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WhKnuckle wrote:
I'm a big fan of The Rock, but I wish these conversations didn't devolve into a debate that seems to center around the notion that only...
I'm a big fan of The Rock, but I wish these conversations didn't devolve into a debate that seems to center around the notion that only riders who are (a) stupid, (b) macho, (c) interested in displaying advertisement or (d) emulators of their pro heros, are the ones who don't wear chest protectors. Why not state the obvious? SOME PEOPLE DON'T LIKE THE WAY THEY FEEL ON THEIR UPPER BODIES! I don't wear one because I just don't like them. There is no psycho-cosmic reason for it. I've been riding motocross for some 40 years, having stuff on my upper body bugs the hell out of me, and I ain't gonna wear it. Fair enough?
Wow, good for you
TeamGreen
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TeamGreen 6/6/2013 8:38am
6/6/2013 8:38am
I have an old JT Chest/Back Protector with a 1985 CR125R Axle imprint right on the spine...

I did something similar to my new TLD Judge Dredd Chesty just last Sunday at RM 430 while Post-Running the Baja 500 (exctept this time it was just the right rear side-panel hitting me on the back/side).

Those of you claiming that these things don't do anything? Sure.

I'm sure my Leatt doesn't do anything, either; but, that's another thread.
davidgrip
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davidgrip 6/6/2013 8:57am
6/6/2013 8:57am
Fox Race Frame. Light ,Flexible, Protection. Overheating has not been an issue. Midwest Heat.
Titan1
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Titan1 6/6/2013 9:09am
6/6/2013 9:09am
WhKnuckle wrote:
I'm a big fan of The Rock, but I wish these conversations didn't devolve into a debate that seems to center around the notion that only...
I'm a big fan of The Rock, but I wish these conversations didn't devolve into a debate that seems to center around the notion that only riders who are (a) stupid, (b) macho, (c) interested in displaying advertisement or (d) emulators of their pro heros, are the ones who don't wear chest protectors. Why not state the obvious? SOME PEOPLE DON'T LIKE THE WAY THEY FEEL ON THEIR UPPER BODIES! I don't wear one because I just don't like them. There is no psycho-cosmic reason for it. I've been riding motocross for some 40 years, having stuff on my upper body bugs the hell out of me, and I ain't gonna wear it. Fair enough?
Let me ask you this, WhKnuckle...do you believe there is any safety benefit to wearing a chest protector?

If you do, and you still don't wear one...then that's your choice...it's a stupid choice...but your choice. And I'm fine with that, you're a grown man and can make your own decisions, and you don't have to justify those decisions to anyone.

If you honestly don't believe there is any safety benefit to them...then don't wear one.

I don't particularly like the way helmets feel on my head, and they are hot...but, because of the safety advantages I-and pretty much everyone else-wears one every time they ride. I don't particularly like the way chest protectors feel, either, (though once you wear one long enough you don't even notice it) but because of the safety advantages...I wear one every time I ride.
Falcon
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Falcon 6/6/2013 10:16am
6/6/2013 10:16am
I have worn one on every ride since the day I fell on my buddy's spinning rear wheel and got stuffed up under the rear fender. He dragged me about 100 feet while trying to figure out what was wrong with his bike, clutching and downshifting the whole way. I lost a ton of skin in that crash! You think a broken collarbone hurts?? Try cleaning the dirt out of an open wound that goes from your elbow to your back! A chest protector would have saved me from 90% of that injury.

I've also saved myself from a handlebar appendectomy once or twice by wearing one!
Kartwheel84c
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Kartwheel84c 6/6/2013 10:30am
6/6/2013 10:30am
I've been riding for 40 years off road and MX and have never worn one. They do offer some protection, the front from roost, and the back from abrasion either from falling or tires etc. I think they make people feel better, but the real protection is more in their minds than real. If a track is particularly rocky I will wear one of the foam under jersey type things, but thats it.

IF I were required to wear something, it would be one like the Thor Sentinel, Fox Proframe LC, Fly Pivotal, or one of the other torso only models with no shoulder or arm attachments.

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