Hopefully off to the alps (les arcs) in August.

I’ve decided I’m going to take some knee and elbow pads and possibly a full face helmet, but I’m also looking at some of the evoc freeride back packs as they have a back protector in them. Do I really need one? I’ve already got a camelbak mule which seems to have padding.

Anyone any tips (other than MTFU)? I rode in whistler without a back protector but that was before I was self employed – and I was less old and decrepit 🙂

EVOC ones are on offer in the CRC private sale shortly

that sale is up on crc now.

Yeah cheers. Those are the ones I’m looking at 😉

Another 120 quid tho. Already spent knocking on 600 quid this month on biking gear…

You’d be more than ar5ed if everyone said don’t bother; you agreed and then hurt yourself big-time…

If you think you need/want one, buy one and wear it.

We went a few years ago and bought full-face helmets. One of our group said “but I’ll only need it once” – “yes”, said his wife, “and then you’ll be glad you were wearing it”. Needless to say he went OTB first day on a steep rocky chute. Helmet was well scratched.

Where do you draw the line. You’ll get a back protector, then youll think, Leatt neck protector.. do i..

You’ll only need it if you crash and then the chances of it being a crash that uses it are slim. But 1 in 10000 chance.. Gotta draw a line somewhere. Personally i used to wear Dainese, if I thought I was going somewhere really gnarly id take it. These days I never wear it and I spend the summer in the alps.

The only person who can decide is you..

FWIW, I got an Evoc pack for Xmas, and it’s much more comfy and no heavier than the equivalent Camelbak it replaced – so in that sense, it’s a no brainer.

Camelbak does the job for me. I’ve been over the bars and landed on my back and it did a pretty decent job.

I’d always go with more armour rather than less, if you are worried.

Yeah fair enough – its my own back after all! I think I’ll get one as its my first visit there too. Was it the 20l trail pack you’ve got? Its not too big?

The Evoc’s a clever idea… TBH I’m not convinced by it, the coverage and fit isn’t brilliant and a standard camelbak will offer a reasonable amount of protection anyway as long as you don’t pack it stupidly (ie, don’t put your lead weights and bag of nails against your spine) But even if there’s limited benefit, there’s not much drawback either, they’re good packs.

Big question is what sort of holiday do you have in mind? We rode at Les Arcs for a day and none of it called for more protection than what I’d wear for any other ride. I wouldn’t have worn my dh jousting armour even if I’d had it with me. Full face maybe. But I reckon you could have a very different day at Les Arcs if you went looking for it.

If you’re wearing a pack anyway and taking water I can’t say I can see the point really in the rigid EVOC board, surely a water bladder is as good at impact protection as you’d ever want?

mulv1976 – Member
Yeah fair enough – its my own back after all! I think I’ll get one as its my first visit there too. Was it the 20l trail pack you’ve got? Its not too big?

I have the 16L Enduro one – was surprised by how big it seemed, when I took it out of the box I thought “this is deffo going back” but once on it’s not hot, heavy or uncomfortable at all, doesn’t feel “rigid” as mentioned above either.

I’d broadly agree with what Northwind says above, mind.

I have to say I prefer riding with my camelbak as it does give me padding on my back so without it I feel vulnerable. Just make sure you put the bladder in a camelbak with the fill cap pointing away from your spine.

surely a water bladder is as good at impact protection as you’d ever want?

Don’t think a bladder is CE rated though?

I’ve hit the CRC sale already. One EVOC pack with spine protector on its way to me. Dithered a long time about this, but a spine protector is (in theory) mandatory for the ‘Mountain of Hell’ and I’ve entered.

Although I’m led to believe a couple of sanitary towels in you sack are an acceptable alternative?

End of the day . . .What’s your back worth to you?
Marko

Bought a POC spine vest 2nd hand – and wondered why i didn’t get one years ago…. superb piece of kit.

I found armour waaay over-constricting and made me nervous so I ended up wearing a full face and a back protector even when I wandered off over to Switzerland on my own.

If you feel claustrophobic you’ll be more at risk IMO?

The Vest protectors are a good compromise. You can also wear them on their own if you are buff.

Ive never been to les arcs before so not sure whats there tbh. My mates have said its supposed to be less ‘rad’ and dh than eg morzine but there’s still some good riding to be done. We’ll be riding every day and using a guide for a couple of those but I’m sure we’ll be having a go on some of the more dh courses too tho so I think a back protector and full face are the way to go.

Btw anyone recommend a good full face helmet? 🙂

Budget got FF lid?

661 Evo over here – cost £60 from CRC, and does exactly what it says on the tin..

Depends if you know a good chiropractor or not.

Depends if you know a good chiropractor or not.

Yeah I do as it happens. You know a good physio? 😉

Just by a cheap MX spine protector or some cheap 661 body armour. If you’re only going to use it in the alps then I wouldn’t spend a fortune. Most of my armour besides lid and knee pads sits on the shelf a lot of the year, even when riding DH back here

Tom KP

This is anecdotal and might be wrong but I crashed this time last year wearing a full pressure suit. Wiped out on a corner and hit the ground face first befor egdoing a bit of a scorpion kick type action.

My back had been painfull ever since right at the point where the spine protector ended (so more backside than back).

It probaly does it;s job if you land on your back on soemthing pointy, but I’m not convinced it didn’t make matters worse in a more normal crash.

On ballance I’d wear one again though. But I probably don’t do enough silly riding to justify it.

Anyone want to buy a large pressure suit (6ft/42-44″ chest)? Used for a week then washed.

Yeah I do as it happens. You know a good physio?

Yip, I know a few who are absolute shockers too right enough.

I would. I’ve never been a fan of protection for the level I ride at but anything can happen to a mincer like maself. The camelbak idea kept me happy over the years but falling on a back protector with the extended tail.. getting up and finding that you are o.k. to continue as if nothing had happened does it for me.

Personally I wouldnt wear one.

I find them restrictive and as its not my normal riding kit I find it uncofortable and upsets my flow.

For me, unless i was to land back on a rock I dont see how they would help much / if at all. Especially given Ive got a camel back on. Normally I crash and land arms/legs first and roll.

Ive ridden the Alps (Morzine) in full body armour and FF, felt really odd and uncomfortable. Rode the rest of the week without it and felt better, rode better. Still fell off, but just normal falling off, not down a cliff.

Its a personal choice and its very easy to see more risk than there is and end up wrapped up in a cocoon. Just think, a few years ago we would all have ridden in normal gear. Then came knee and elbow protectors and then came back protectors then neck braces – and on and on.

I rode les arc with bike village this summer for a week. The trails we rode didn’t really lend them selves to full body armour and full facers. There were some groups (with trail addiction i think) in full face and full armour, so you can ride the trails in what ever you like.

Vids of some of the trail addicton folk here, riding much faster than me
Fast folk

Vid put together by one of the lads on our trip
Slower folk

I was in morzine in full face and full body armour the week before and crashed a few times. My camleback was probably more use to the back than the back protector.

If you are off to Les Arcs I’d reccomend getting a guide as the best trails were very left right, down this over grown path…… types.

I got the evoc 16l, it’s nice!!

Who are you going with and what are you doing?

Did 10 days with white room, could have done open face lid, but preferred full face as it was mostly downwards and I’m fairly used to it. Some of the longer days wore open face.

Wore knee shin every day, that just what I do in the UK so no reason to change.

Had the armour jacket with spine board. Wore it for the trip to La Thuile as that was more lift and go DH (not mental though).

I would compare the les arcs area to riding tech stuff in the UK (without so much up) If it’s comfy then get it and wear it you won’t notice much and it’s always in the cupboard then.

Lift assisted riding & repeating leads to pushing yourself. Group riding (especially with people you don’t know) does the same.

If you are off to Les Arcs I’d reccomend getting a guide and getting out of the resort as the best trails were very left right, down this over grown path…… types and only accessible with a van/trailer.

FIFY

Iirc the gondola at alpe d’huez says spine protection is mandatory for riding the trails, not that there was much by way of enforcement.

Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it IMO

I have a 661 vest – spot on.

Sizing was? waaaaay out. Mines a XXL. Im 6ft2/44chest/35 waist and it was snug. So you might find a bargain if like me??

For me its spine, fullface and knees. A pressure suit is just too constricting/hot etc

Why not homemake foam or strip of pespex into your backpack…like a crude evoc copy?

I ride with a dekine backpack which has a perfect waterbladder slot for this

Of course if you don’t buy one you could just factor that into any decision process on where you ride.

Are these things supposed to stop you breaking your back in a fall through bending or twisting or just impact. If it is impact then consider your ribs as well, how often do you find yourself lying on your back when you crash.

You won’t need one unless you have a bad fall then it just might come in handy. Likelyhood of having a fall in the alps is higher than at home simply due to the fact you’ll be descending all day every day. Do it.

I think you’ll find the 20l pack too big, it’s a great design but unless you’re going to be carrying a lot of kit with you the 16l would be better’er and you can use that for day rides here … although that extra space was great at the end of the day for carrying the bagettes and wine back to the chalet.

My first trip to Les Gets saw on the first day someone land wrong on a purpose built tabletop, over the bars and onto their back, they laid there for a long time and were taken away in a helicopter, then saw another person go over the bars on one of the runs, landed front wheel first and flipped, I never heard anyone moan so much as they laid there. If you do come off and find yourself going backwards through the air you’ll be wondering if your back’s going to hit those trees/rocks/berms/other riders that you last glimpsed 0.5 of a second ago and to have some sort of protection can only be a good thing.

If you’re going to buy something for your spine get a Leatt.

JCL – Member
If you’re going to buy something for your spine get a Leatt.

Only with a full face, and only wear it with the full face on and done up or the injuries can be much worse.

I’ve got something like this. I say ‘like’ – because I bought it back in 2002 and its still ‘as new’/stick in the washing machine etc.

Its very versitile and don’t forget with a bladder etc in – you’d still have some protection.

Ridden two years at Les Arcs with TA. We wore FF & pressure suits (with spine protectors). If you’re using the lifts I don’t see why you wouldn’t wear it. When we had to pedal on a day excursion we ditched the suits for knees & elbows only. One of our party did then go over a cliff (luckily ended up in a tree 40ft above the river) mashed his leg up pretty bad.If in doubt stick it on and sweat it out. Here’s one of our videos illustrating why we wear armour:

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmUQK-Fb3UA&feature=share&list=UUF8hBrxOopIQqPaYh1_uw_Q[/video]

I’m going to Les Arc and will be wearing my Poc spine tee . Its super comfortable so no issues on that score. Its easy to make a mistake when you are doing a years worth of UK descending in a week so I’m in the better safe than sorry camp. Wherever I ride abroad i always wear it and for certain it saved me some damage when I binned it and landed on a pointy uppy rock in whistler.

I’ve reduced the armour I wear when riding DH – from full on Stormtrooper (under a jersey…) to now an POC spine vest and G-Form knee/elbow pads.

XC/Trail centres/etc – no armour at all.

‘ve reduced the armour I wear when riding DH – from full on Stormtrooper (under a jersey…) to now an POC spine vest and G-Form knee/elbow pads.

I’m a nervous rider when fully kitted up- feel claustrophobic. Minimal and I feel alive/free/flitty as a bird! Sometimes less is more IMO. don’t forget alot of ‘silly’ falls can be OTB – arm break/collar bone- which no armour in the world will stop this happening.

Plus on a lift/bar stop etc….people mistake me as one of those gungho pro’s….until I ride. Like the kid in a tree with a camera- saw me coming, excitedly got his camera ready then lowered it slowly and looked disapointed as I passed 😆 8)