Pros And Cons Of Tech Trail Gear!

What MTB protection gear do you ride with!? Let us know down below! 👇

This is the better instructional video on MTB protective wear!!! Chris and Steve on EMBN said at least wear a helmet, but most everything else is uncomfortable and usually unnecessary and might not even help (???)

hell i ride in the woods in the midwest of the us and i don't use pads. i wear a tshirt, jeans or cargo pants, padded gloves, full face helmet, and goggles.

How do you keep your kneepads in place while wearing trousers? Mine keeps sliding down, even with the velcro strapped.

Fox programe, far more vented

glasses distort my depth perception..

My problem is always the pedal screws getting incarnated in my legs, I could fall no matter how and that's always what cuts me up. What do you people recommend to protect me from those?

I dont like armpump with elbowpads 😒

Be a part of the soultion! Stop using products using PFC like Gore-tex.

Detachable chin pieces on trail helmets were available many years ago. Back in the early 2000s Lazer allready had helmets like this. So thats nothing new.

What about Wrist guards? anyone?

Lol I think for many people, including Neil especially when he mentioned the hip pads and his bad crash in south America, people start wearing the gear after they have a bad experience. I'm bad about wearing knee pads. But every so often I'll go sliding, tear up my knees, then wear pads for a month or two again.

As an intermediate bike park rider I always wear a Bluegrass carbon full face helmet, Sam Hill knee Pads, 100% Fortis elbow pads and a Leatt 6.5 chest protector.
The down side to all of this is getting hot and the added weight.
This has saved me on numerous occassions from certain injury. The most recent fall I cased a table top causing me to buck ove the bars and bruise my hip bone. I've carried the injury since and been unable to sleep on my left side.

Cons of protection gear apart helmets: I ride cross-country I ain't tryna ride 150km with a Minecraft chestplate.

I see most riders with knee pads but much fewer with elbow pads. Which is puzzling because, from painful experience, I reckon elbow pads are equally important. At least for me, my elbow/arms often take the worst hits and I have had some really bad injuries (especially lacerations and bad skin-off injuries) back when I didn’t wear elbow protection. Always use them now for all trail/enduro downhills. Only leave them at home for lighter cross country rides.

Would love some thoughts on goggles for people who wear glasses. I’m not able to wear contact lenses so just wear my prescription sunglasses. Given there prescription their not cheap would love a more trail specific goggle etc.

For techy riding, have daenese knee pads+hip protectors + ixs trigger mips full face. Ixs helmet really good, very light and airy. Really like the daenese pads, they are airy and don't fall down!! Bike park, have 661 upper body armor. Smith wildcat glasses... For me, most tricky pads to get a good fit are elbows... They always slide down... While riding or when falling off... Currently using the daenese trail air...good video 👍

Love the Giga!

Can I ask why no one wears neck braces? If you’ve watched any of the Friday fails you know that going OTB is a very common thing so is breaking a collar bone or worse your neck! I feel like this would be next to the most important piece of gear next to a helmet!

That wasn't a "pros and cons". It was just "look at the range and features of my sponsors' gear". 👎

bold claim but thanks for giving me an idea. I'll test the durability of mountain bike shoes by skating and see how long it will last. Ive already used my worn out skate shoes mountain biking and they still hold up.

I find elbow pads more important that knee pads since we have super chunky rocks on the trails, and what happens when you dump? Not sure about you but I put my arms out to break the fall instinctively and it just took one good forearm to a boulder to make me realize elbow pads are a must.

I like riding in full kit during any mtb. Esp Norwegian trails are ruff.

On most trails....just knee protectors are enough, i like to wear protective inner shorts too, but on bike parks i do not see any reason why would you not come with everything....after some experiences, I go to the bike park always with full armor jaket, chest, back, shoulders and elvows, knee protectors, protection inner short, full size helmet, and long sleve t-shirt and long trousers and gloves...I think makes no sense to take the risk on a bike park, as you're not pedaling for the most part.

I think you covered this subject extremely well. For most riding, I wear a helmet and knee pads. When I do get a chance to ride downhill or to a bike park, I will wear a full-face helmet. I have rarely ever worn elbow pads or chest armor, but I do own them for the extremely rare case I need them.

I’ve been injured for about a week now. I wish I had back padding

$5 pair of 3M safety glasses with the thin frames from your local hardware store. I've been running them for years. They're light, comfortable, dirt cheap, and are built to product your eyes. And you break them, well they're only $5.

I always ride with helmet, gloves, knee pads and lace up ankle braces at a minimum. If there’s any level of gnar involved, I’ll add padded shorts and shin guards.

Like you I always wear my Helmet and Knee pads. I have just recently started wearing a padded shirt as well. I have had both Rotator Cuffs repaired, and the shoulder padding has been a game changer. From time to time I have been known to clip trees on the trail and seemed to hit my shoulders often. I am also considering shin guards, as I run flats, and now have lots of scars. 😂

I wear protective leatt shorts, gloves, and elbow pads all the time since I don't know that I'm wearing them. Knee pads are a necessary evil, so I bought ones that have a zip so i can take them off easily. Usually I wear leatt stealth armoured t-shirt but not today as it was too muggy. It's more than most people wear but I had a bad crash on a road bike!

I just wear helmet and gloves! 😅

I love my Dainese Trail Skins AIR elbow and knee pads - like having air conditioning when compared with other pads. Perfect for casual trail riding in the hot. I'd rather have pads with less protection that run much cooler, as I'm more inclined to ACTUALLY WEAR THEM, and as a 54 year old who has wiped out so many times I can't even begin to tack a number to that stat, even a little bit of pad is better than nothing..... Pads that are too hot are usually the reason why people conveniently 'forget' to wear their pads for a ride.
Typically wear pearl izumi's Select bike short liners under Giro shorts and a regular cotton tshirt. I actually prefer cotton as it keeps me much cooler than fancy tech shirts. Five ten freerider pro's w/ platforms....leatt 2.5 gloves a size smaller than normal, and a troy lee A2 - that's it

Full finger gloves , knee pads , drop frame helmet , safety glasses ,510 shoes and of course GMBN jersey and shorts 😀

"I think it looks a bit weird." Some of us are only interested in riding and not at all interested in what we look like to other riders. I'm happy to be completely immune to the fashion judgement of others. 😎

Nice info there thanks…
new investment on some new gear before I go back out on the trails

Nice, thanks Neil.

Just started mountainbiking a few weeks ago. Already starting to notice how expensive this hobby can be haha. I am from the netherlands currently riding and doing very easy trails without knee and shoulderpads. Open helmet and just a nice breathable jersey and shorts over my bib shorts. I would love to get “trail examples” for the right amount of protection. If you’ve got any?

Ive just had total rebuild of left side of face after riding in an open face helmet, freak accident, but full face anywhere offroad now.
My face is now made up of more metal components than bone. 🤣

hello Neil i would like to know how important back protection is for MTB? because i have a permanent back injury but i still ride but worry about falling and reinjuring the back. what are the choices for back braces and such?

well,I think that now we talk about all of the possible things that the MTB rider needed to know..any not covered subject regarding MTB?...I dont think so...well..lets ride... :)

Thanks Neil a great wee informative vid

I think Neil meant he prefers the Shimano AM5 for clipless shoes. The GR5, just like the GR7s he's wearing in the video, are flat pedal shoes without cleats.

Btw Neil best presenter. Still have my original jersey. Some Chinese riders called me Neil Donahue. You’re famous worldwide

I bought xc style pads and have stopped wearing them. I really need hard knee pads but they’re not exciting to buy

If this came out last week I'd of been laughing in pain at the mistake of being out without armour on a trail

I've been wearing my trail skins for the last few years, as I'm now in my 40's, peace of mind for the old knees...... They are a great fit. I even wear them on flat chilled rides too, 👌🏻

Am I the only one that hates the feeling of the new jerseys? That polyester/whatever mix...
Much rather use a cotton long sleeved shirt, but can't find them anymore :(

Does anybody has any issues on riding with metal plates on elbow?

Don’t do big trials but for casual off road I just wear padded cycling tights, find them really comfortable. Tried the baggy shorts and didn’t like them. All down to what suits the rider

To solve the helmet problem I would say get a removqble chin bar helmet so if it gets to hot u remove it and strap it to ur bag or leave it in your car