OK, so I have the big bouncy bike and the full face helmet, but in the helmet thread a number of people recommended knee pads/elbow pads etc. Seems to make sense as I really don't want to cause myself serious damage.
I don't want to look like robocop, but:
1) What are the essentials? Knees? Elbows? Shins? Torso?
2) Any specific recommendations? I want to be able to pedal smoothly whilst wearing ideally.
i wear hard shell knee pads and full face. t
I used:
661 Pressure suit (core and shoulders)- lighter and more flexible than full on Dainese jacket but plenty sturdy enough
661 Chicken Wings (Elbows) - light but sturdy
661 Kyle Straits (Knees) - light and best for pedaling
Tried loads of others (brand x armour, Dainese Assault Suit (the wifes fave ;-)), Troy Lee Knee and shins etc) but found the 661 combo above gave the best weight / flexibility / protection combo and you can stick the Kyle Straits and Chicken wings on if your in the bike park or trail centre.
Just my 2 pence, but as you say, no point haiving a full face with no armour, particularly the spine.
If you want to go the whole hog get a Leatt or similar neck protector as well but i never really got my head round the benefits TBH.
Given all that up now due to being too old and financially committed. 
61 do some nice d30 padded shorts and top
perfect compromise if you dont want the full armour
also the do just vests etc...
good array of protection
Worse crash I ever had I was wearing a full suit, didn't save me dislocating my shoulder!
I tend to just wear leg armour, either full knee and shin or the lighter knee only.
I find the more I wear, the less relaxed I am and that increases my risk of crashing!!
If I race more DH I think I would invest in one of the new neck braces things as they seem pretty sensible!
i am one of "those guys" you see at trail centers with pads on, elbow, knee and shin - no full face though.
Sorry but cant afford to get injured.
I am a wedding photographer and cant afford to be out of action, so i take all the precautions i can
Hey jackass - maybe if you han been wering a full suit you would have had stitches / bone sticking out or worse in your shoulder / arm?
I was the opposite to you, i felt more relaxed wearing a full dainese suit and bomber shorts but i looked like a t@~t and could barely pedal!
As I said in the other thread, if I don't want to resort to a full safety jacket I wear knee pads (kyle straits) and a moto-x kidney belt with a back plate or a full back plate. Arm pads only stop you getting cuts so I don't bother. IME in a serious crash arm pads not part of a safety jacket just slide off your arm.
If I race more DH I think I would invest in one of the new neck braces things as they seem pretty sensible!
I'm not convinced about these. When pushing up or not riding they pose a serious risk of breaking your neck if you trip while not wearing a crash helmet. Most people won't bother to remove a neck brace as they take off their lid. If you're going to do that I think the added risk counteracts the benefits in my opinion.
mmm - dont agree about arm pads - my elbows always seem to be the contact point (tuck and roll) when i crash DH. I fell off on the Coffin at Inners last year and holed a Chicken wing through the plastic. The pad was still in place but wrecked. My elbow was bloodless and not broken. I wouldnt DH without them for that reason alone if i was riding without a jacket but you sound like you have it sussed pads wise anyway?
Hi Solarider. I have worn a set of Force Field body armour for the last year and a half. I was previously self employed and having had a few really bad falls and being hospitalised and unpaid it was time for some action. The Force field gear is an expensive outlay initially but it is worth the money and the padding/armour can be changed to suit the conditions and you don't know your wearing it. It's great in the winter for the extra warmth it provides and in the summer i just wear the shirt and a set of 661 Evo knee pads. i paid about £90.00 for the pants and £125.00 for the shirt which sounds expensive but i have worn it for ski-ing, snowboarding and kite surfing so it's been worth the money. check it out.
Yeti guy
i am one of "those guys" you see at trail centers with pads on, elbow, knee and shin - no full face though.Sorry but cant afford to get injured.
I am a wedding photographer and cant afford to be out of action, so i take all the precautions i can
So - forgive me for asking/stating - personally I've always found body armour only protects against direct knocks/scuffs/grazes etc.. & if you can't afford to get injured how to you protect against wrist/ankle/collar bone injuries etc..?
Surely it's a better idea to ride within your ability & not push things too much?!
Solarider, the Force field body armour has either gone up in price or i paid more than i can remember! £149.99 for the shirt and £129.99 for the pants now according to their website.
i am one of "those guys" you see at trail centers with pads on, elbow, knee and shin - no full face though.
None of that will stop a bust collar bone/rib/ankle/wrist etc. though.
None of that will stop a bust collar bone/rib/ankle/wrist etc. though.
True but it will help with a whole load of other injuries.
That coupled with riding within my limits is what i feel is a responsible outlook to doing what i love and running my business.
From motorcycling the areas of your body that get injured most frequently in order are (IIRC)
Feet
Hands
Legs
arms
head
torso
(I can't remember where neck comes) I assume its similar for cycling.
So if you are going to wear armour I guess knees and hips are the most important assuming you are wearing gloves and that you can't really armour your feet. Then elbows then back and neck
Body armour will provide good protection against cuts and bruises and indeed some protection from fractures depending on the type.
However do consider the risk compensation argument - the better protected you feel the more risks you take. People say this is rubbish but it has been observed in many different areas and is a real phenomenon. Imagine going down your local DH naked and helmetless - you would feel very vulnerable and would take less risks.
Its also partly the passive or active safety argument - avoid the crash or mitigate its effects.
Surely it's a better idea to ride within your ability & not push things too much?!
What makes you think I have taken them off. They play havoc through rock gardens though
Slow down to speed up?
I can't help thinking that pad manufacturers make pads that are easy to manufacture rather than proper protection for the bits of you that "actually" get injured in a substantial fall. I've had plenty of knee and elbow scrapes, but nothing that's stopped me from carrying on riding, or laid me off my job. by all means wear it, I wouldn't rely on them to actually stop a serious injury though
Watch as next time I'm out riding I fall off and break my elbow... 
Thanks all. Seems like the torso is the weakest link yet the least often protected. I was thinking of shins/knees/arms, but torso makes sense.
I guess there is no single answer to the question of whether wearing armour makes you take more risks as you feel more protected or 'invincible'. On balance though, I still think some sort of protection might be worthwhile. As you say, it's a bit late once you have crashed already.
I have ridden bikes for over 25 years, but always XC, XCross and Road. I am super excited by trying something more extreme, but want to be mindful of the greater risks involved. I know you can crash in any cycling discipline, but the more extreme terrain coupled with my bike handling make my new adventure a bit more at risk of disaster!
Trouble is trying some in a shop to try. CRC seem to have a good selection but you can't try before you buy. Any suggestions around London for stockists with a wide range?
I did some DH in Morzine, rented some kit. In the queue for the lift, me and my mate spent our time hitting the bits of us that were padded up and and giggling like school kids. The other DHers gave us stern looks.... 
I know. That's why I love this sport. Whatever the discipline it ultimately just gives you an excuse to act like a big kid and play on your bike with your mates. Who cares what anybody else thinks? (he says having asked advice on everything over the past couple of days!!)
My little one wears a long sleeve armoured everywhere under jacket, knee/shin hard pads, full-face and MX style shirt and long protective trousers (plus gloves). The only reason he doesn't wear a Leatt, is he needs to grow a bit to make one fit.
I've had plenty of knee and elbow scrapes, but nothing that's stopped me from carrying on riding, or laid me off my job.
I've had nearly a week in hospital being pumped full of antibiotics following a mundane fall that resulted in an infected wound. Mountain biking injuries tend to be quite dirty, funnily enough.
do consider the risk compensation argument - the better protected you feel the more risks you take.
Conversely, just watch any BMX video and you'll see people taking insane risks with virtually no protective equipment. It's a very subjective response - confidence and the amount of risk you take on a bike depends on loads of things, not just helmets and armour.
Ok, I've been imagining mr woppit going down the local DH naked and helmetless.
Now what do I do with *glances down* this?
Surely it's a better idea to ride within your ability & not push things too much?!
To be fair he is talking about DH not bimbling along a tow path on some overpriced niche machine...
Personally I always wear torso protection with shoulder Cups and a spine board when Racing or Riding DH, I also always wear Knee pads and on occasion shin pads (but they are of limited benefit I find) I don't wear forearm/Elbow protection (I did actually cut it off of my Body armour) I've had a few accidents where I would say wearing armour reduced the severity of injury or completely eliminated it and wouldn't be without knee protection ever, obviously there are limits to all protection...
Although you can't legislate for all the possible types of crash I think it's reasonable to suit up in anticipation of an unexpected event, Racing tends to get riders to the edge of (if not beyond) their normal limits often on courses they don't know ully or haven't been to very often, and once you throw in some bad weather, I'd rather have a spine board just in case...
No accident is ever planned, I don't see any shame in padding up if you're going to be riding DH, nobody "Feels Invincible" but the knowledge that you have some additional protection from impacts and abrasion does help reduce the jitters when you start riding...
For my birthday back in december i got the 661 pressure suit pro off JE James for 80 quid. Bargain! I havent had chance to test it yet due to all the snow but trying it on it seems like a brilliant investment. Mainly for the back protector; lest be honest nobody wants to take a tumble on a rocky DH track for their spine to take the hit at 35mph straight onto a pointy rock. The shoulder, chest and elbow/forearm protectors are just an added bonus! Plus what are the reasons for not wearing it? it may be a bit warm/uncomfortable/ make you look like a tit but so what! For what it might prevent its a no brainer...
If you are going into a whole new style of riding, why not just buy some knee pads and spend the rest on some tuition? Knowing how to handle the bike and how to react in a crash is far more important than any body armour IMHO.
Too true walleater - active safety - prevent the crash.
Thanks all. Knee pads seem like a must. Elbow pads seem to split opinion, and those who use torso protection swear by it although not everybody uses it.
Like the idea of tuition, but even then you can't guarantee avoiding crashing, so I think I'll take the plunge and go for some form of protection. I am fortunate enough to have bike for most occasions, so when the 'big bouncy one' comes out of the wardrobe it will only be for gnarly DH/Freeride type stuff. Sounds like protection is therefore very sensible.
However do consider the risk compensation argument - the better protected you feel the more risks you take...
Surely if you're better protected you are taking less risks ?
If you're talking 'headgame' factors I think the overcompensation factor is outweighed by the 'focus' factor.
If I know (or think I know) I'm protected I will ride smoother and more confidently - the few injurious crashes I've had have been a result of not commiting properly to a feature, bottling out too late and coming off awkwardly....
...surely it's a matter of riding and wearing what you feel comfortable and confident in, the fact you're asking means you're (at some level) concerned, pad up and ride 
I wrote the article in the last STW about wearing pads especially at trail centres I'm not going to rehash the argument, but when I riding at Chicksands or a couple of DH courses, I'm wearing everything I own (FF, Body Suit, Pads, etc). Rest of the time I tend not to bother, and I've had me knee opened up on a benign trail that ended up with me hospitalised.
I think crashes will happen. Armour may save you, may not. I found I can still get lots of thrills without riding beyond my (meagre) ability. It is probably different for everyone.
Skills courses though. Absolutely. Done one, booked on another one.
Full facer
Hard cup knee/shin
Forcefield spine protector
Anymore than that and you can hardly move! I used to wear Dainese suit but feel safer now I ditched it and can move more freely.
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