Head for south Wales this weekend, with a couple of mates. We’re tempted to book some uplift at Cwmcarn on Sunday. We don’t all have full-face and/or body armour. Is this likely to be a problem on the Cwmcarn red run?

I’ve tried calling the guy who runs CwmDown, but can’t get hold of him.

Thanks all.

always a very personal thing, protection.

however i suggest that as you are asking and you dont have it, you will probably need it

Ive done it in normal XC gear and would be happy to do so again.

Really depends on you. If you fall off you could land on your face, or you could not.

I did the Passportes Du Soleil in XC gear in the Alps a few weeks ago, felt fine doing that which included all the optional DH runs.

Personally a FF does not make me feel better, sure it may provide more protection, but thats only a may. Im yet to fall off and land on my chin. I wear elbow and knee protection as insurance against any injury stopping me from riding, as these are the bits I seem to damage when falling off. When I fall off I tend not to land on my head, I more typically roll.

Its all about how you personally deal with risk. I personally see head injury lower down the risk scale than knee / elbow injury in my experience of falling off. Thats not to be confused of which would be more serious, just which in my 20ys of crashing I tend to do more.

In short, its not the Alps, you will be fine.

soobalias makes a good point, your bound to land on your head now 🙂

most riders wear it there. Either FF or Body armour / knee pads or both. It’s not crucial though.

If you don’t usually ride DH and you’re just planning on mincing down at the back of the group then I reckon you’ll be fine – just take it easy on the (optional) jumps and drops.

Trimix – Member
Ive done it in normal XC gear…….. I wear elbow and knee protection…….

we have a different opinion of XC gear

It’s usually when cornering or going quick over proper rough ground that I crash; more likely than when going over a jump or drop if you ask me. As such, you’d be more likely to be going quicker and SMASH your face into the ground and for that reason, I’d rather wear a full facer when riding down a trail quick than when doing stuntwork ™, employing the Key Core Skills and preparing for a demonstration when fatigue sets in, when you are invariably going a lot slower and have time to react.

Thanks everyone. It’s always entertaining asking any sort of question here. 😉

We’ve booked and we’re going. Ta.

I used to laugh at XC riders who wore knee and elbow pads, then this summer two mates I ride with fell off on XC rides. In simple terms one broke his elbow and the other his collar bone – both are still off their bikes weeks and weeks later 🙁

I now wear them as a precaution – Im still yet to fall off and benefit from wearing them, but I cant help using them now dispite looking like an idiot in the Chilterns.

Oh, and now another mate has gone and bought a GoPro – so I can see myself being egged on to do one more jump/tabletop/berm/double/rooty bit just for the camera. It will end in tears.

Oh, I forgot to say the mate who broke his elbow actually has elbow pads, but wasnt wearing them – poor bugger. So now i own some I cant get on the bike without putting them on !

you don’t even need to wear a helmet if you’re not going to fall and generally without one you’ll ride slightly more carefully.

We took a friend to Cwmdown who had never ridden much DH before, on his first (ginger) run he crashed and broke his collar bone, but we blame the fact he had Conti Vert Pros on his bike.

last consideration should be what you look like.

i base my protection level on how hot/heavy it is to wear and what sort of riding im doing

the most stupid elbow pad i have seen, was the one in the boot of my mates car. At that point i was bandaging his arm so he could go to A&E for stitches….. still he was back for the uplift after lunch

I did my first uplift session there last week. It was excellent, hope you have a great time.

Personally I would take at least a full face lid though if you can get your hands on one

I wouldn’t build up the DH track in your mind too much. It’s all very rideable on all types of mountain bike.

A DH or ‘slack’ bike would be better and you can do more gnarr rad to the extreme tricks on a robust bike but you can just as easily ride down on an XC race bike.

There are alternative lines over everything so just relax and ride it like you normally ride.

I’m going in a couple of weeks but taking my Trail bike rather than my DH bike as I want to get my eye in ahead of my trip to Morzine.

I’ll be back in September with the DH bike.

agreed, I used a spesh pitch, it was fine. It was definitely lack of skill stopping me going faster rather than being under biked

first[s]last[/s] consideration should be what you look like.

FTFY

This is DH were’re talking about

The British Cycling XC squad did skills training there on carbon hardtails and lycra, and everyone knows XC racers can’t actually ride 🙄

we have a different opinion of XC gear

+1, so are you saying you did this and PPdS without armour, or with it!?

@trimix. Are elbow pads going to be any use at all in accidents that result in broken arm or collarbone?

Required? No. You can ride anything in anything. I did fort william in an open face first time, and miraculously did not die 😉 But is it a good idea?

in the words of Chris Rock. “you can drive a car with just your feet if you want to. Don’t mean its a good idea”

its all very rollable
a dh bike, armour and a full face will just give you the confidence to hit things faster and jump higher etc

its not easy to quantify the benefits of armour but ive had some big crashes in the alps 1 in particular landing on nasty rocks and reckon that without armour and definately the full face id have broken bones and done myself real damage ,other than a rotator cuff injury

It was Mr MC that broke his elbow actually more technical than that he severed tendons connecting triceps Yup elbow, in short yes the elbow pads would have prevented his injury!!! Unfortunately we were at Betws-y-cord, pads were at home in Oxfordshire!!!!

If your asking the question, probably yes. 😀