A broad-coverage MTB protection system for trail, enduro, e-bike and bike-park riders who want chest, back, rib and lower-back protection without going full stormtrooper on every climb.
Rockintor AirVora Pedalling Armour: a two-piece protection concept built around ventilation, torso coverage with plenty of unseen features…
Rockintor has officially launched the production version of its AirVora™ OrganProt3ct™ Pedalling Armour system, a new approach to upper-body mountain bike protection designed around a simple but awkward truth: armour only works if riders actually keep it on.
Most riders understand the value of body protection. The sticking point is usually heat, bulk and faff. Traditional gravity armour can be reassuring when the trail gets nasty, but less appealing during long climbs, sweaty trail rides or days when the protection ends up strapped to a pack rather than worn on the body.
The concept is built around being able to wear full torso protection for every ride just like your helmet.
Features the unique 0rganProt3ct innovation, an ultraresistant 3D mesh into the belly area meant perform against handlebar twists, sharp rocks and branches.. you name it…
The rear layout combines upper back protection, lower-back coverage and cargo storage.
The rear pockets also includes an additional Level 2 CE Pad better covering all the spine
The Rockintor AirVora has been developed as Rockintor’s answer to that compromise: a modular, highly ventilated protection system that aims to offer much more torso coverage than a basic back protector, while still being realistic to pedal in for proper rides. It is now available in the final Black-Mora production colourway, with the full two-piece set-up and a new Back-Pad-Less option for riders who already use protector backpacks.
The short version
- Broad upper-body protection for trail, enduro, all-mountain, e-MTB, bike park, freeride and DH use.
- Full CE Level 2 certified protection in the main chest and back zones, with additional lower-back, rib/side and optional shoulder protection.
- Unique 0rganProct3ct™ belly mesh against sharp objects.
- Highly ventilated two-piece system: outer Pedalling Armour vest plus optional base layer with shoulder pads.
- Side-opening Climbing Mode to increase airflow on long climbs and hot days.
- Around 2 litres of rear storage, designed to replace a small or mid-sized hip pack on many rides.
- Light weight: 940 g for the vest and 235 g for the base layer in size M/L.
- Launch colour: Black-Mora.
- New Back-Pad-Less version for riders using a hydration pack or backpack with integrated back protection.
- 6 Sizes: S,M,M Wide, L, XL, XL Wide
- Price: £230.00 GBP Sale limited price offer £185.00 GBP with FREE Baselayer and FREE Shipping.
- Available now from rockintor.com
Rockintor’s protection layout uses multiple CE Level 2 pad zones across the chest, back, lower back and sides, plus the optional shoulder base layer.
Why this exists
The idea behind AirVora is not simply to make another heavy-duty protection vest. It is to make torso protection more likely to be worn in the first place. Rockintor describes the concept as “Pedalling Armour”: protection that is designed to stay on during climbs, transitions, trail loops and enduro days, as well as bike-park laps and downhill runs.
That matters because the protection trade-off in mountain biking is often brutally simple. The more coverage a product adds, the more heat and restriction it tends to bring. Go too light, and you may end up with little more than a slim back protector. Go too protective, and many riders only reach for it on uplift days. AirVora is aimed at the messy middle: riders who want chest, back, ribs and lower-torso coverage, but still need to pedal.
It is a product with a bit more structure than a minimalist vest, but it is deliberately more open and modular than conventional full upper-body armour. In UK terms, it is pitched at the sort of rider who might be riding a long pedal from the car park one weekend, an e-bike loop the next, and a bike-park day the weekend after, wearing outside if really hot, under your T-shirt also on an off if you carry it into the rear pocket.
AirVora is designed to sit between lightweight back protectors and full gravity armour: more coverage, but still pedal-friendly.
The vest can be worn over a base layer or jersey, and under an outer layer when conditions demand it.
Two pieces instead of one sweaty jacket
The modular system pairs the outer vest with a ventilated base layer that integrates CE Level 2 shoulder protection.
AirVora is built around a two-piece set-up. The outer vest carries the main torso protection, rear storage, ventilation structure and Climbing Mode system. The optional base layer is a ventilated compression-style T-shirt with integrated shoulder pads.
This is not just a styling decision. Separating the base layer from the vest makes the system easier to use day to day. The layer closest to the skin can be washed more often, while the outer vest carries the more structured protective elements and storage. Riders can also choose how much of the system to wear depending on the day: vest over a base layer, vest over a regular T-shirt, vest with the Rockintor shoulder layer, or vest under another outer garment.
For British weather, that flexibility is probably more useful than it sounds. Hot, dusty bike-park laps and wet shoulder-season trail rides do not ask for the same clothing system. AirVora’s modular construction gives riders more room to adapt without abandoning the protection concept entirely.
Ventilation and Climbing Mode
Opening the side straps creates the “Climbing Mode” position, increasing airflow around the chest on climbs and slow sections.
The central comfort feature is the side-opening Climbing Mode. By opening the two side Velcro straps, the chest section can flare outward to let more air move through the front of the vest during long climbs or slower technical sections. When the trail points down, the rider closes the sides again and the vest returns to its normal protective fit.
It is a very simple idea, but it targets the main reason riders remove armour: heat. The vest also uses large ventilation channels around the pads rather than closing the torso inside a continuous shell. Rockintor says the goal was to reduce the number of layers and the amount of structure wherever it was not needed, while preserving broad protective coverage.
The result is a protection system that is still visibly armour, but one that is trying hard not to feel like a boil-in-the-bag jacket. That is especially relevant for enduro racing, e-MTB rides, big days out and bike-park sessions where climbing, queuing, pedalling and descending all happen in the same outfit.
Abundant Ultra ventilated Level 2 CE Protection
Tested and ridden by one of the toughest… Bienvenido Aguado, putting the Level 2 CE pads at work in some tough crashes he had already during the season.
AirVora is intended for riders who want more coverage than a simple back protector. The main protection areas include the chest, central back, lower back, rib/side area and optional shoulders through the matching base layer.
The key certified zones use CE Level 2 protection, including the chest and central back pads. The chest protector is split to improve movement and ventilation, while the rear layout combines upper and lower protection so the spine coverage extends further down than many traditional vests. Rockintor places particular emphasis on this lower-back zone, because it is an area that can remain exposed in real-world crashes and awkward landings.
The pads are designed to sit within a lightweight textile structure rather than a bulky hard-shell frame. The purpose is not to turn trail riders into motocross riders. It is to give MTB riders a more complete torso protection layout that can still make sense for pedalling.
Rockintor developed proprietary compounds for its pads to achieve strong impact absorption with minimal material. Compared with CE Level 1, CE Level 2 pads absorb about 40% more impact energy and transmit substantially less residual force on impact, making them the higher protection standard.
OrganProt3ct™: addressing the exposed belly zone
One of the most unusual parts of the system is the OrganProt3ct™ abdominal mesh. This area is designed to add structure and abrasion resistance across the lower front torso, an area that is often left uncovered by conventional MTB armour.
Rockintor is careful not to present this mesh as a CE-certified impact pad. Instead, it is described as part of a wider protective concept: adding some resistance and coverage where many protection vests leave the body exposed, while keeping the product breathable enough for actual riding.
The company says the idea came from considering the sort of awkward crashes that happen in woods, rock gardens and natural terrain, where handlebars, branches, stumps or sharp edges can concentrate force into a small area. Rockintor is continuing to evaluate further external testing for the material.
“This is a product intended to help reduce the risk of very serious injuries out on the trail, deep in the woods, when one awkward impact can change a season in an instant. In our view, wearing armour should become much more normal – especially when torso perforation risks are often underestimated.” — Pau Reixachs, Rockintor Founder & Designer
Storage: around two litres, built in
The vest includes integrated rear storage intended to replace a small or mid-sized hip pack on many rides.
AirVora also carries gear. The vest includes two rear pockets with approximately 2 litres of total storage capacity. The larger pocket can take bulkier items such as a light jacket, jersey, snacks or even knee pads, while the smaller zipped pocket is intended for a phone, tools, keys or other essentials.
The aim is to avoid stacking a protector, jersey pockets and a hip pack together. For riders who dislike hip-pack bounce, belly pressure or extra straps, carrying essentials directly in the vest can make the whole set-up feel cleaner and more stable.
This is one of the more practical parts of the concept. AirVora is not only trying to protect the body; it is also trying to replace some of the ride-carrying systems that often compete for the same space on the torso and waist.
Back-Pad-Less: for riders already using protector backpacks
The Back-Pad-Less version removes the upper back pad for riders already using a protector backpack, while keeping lower-back protection and the rest of the vest concept.
Alongside the standard version, Rockintor now offers a Back-Pad-Less version of the AirVora Pedalling Armour. This removes the upper back pad while keeping the lower-back protection in the pocket area.
The point is not simply to make a lighter model. It is aimed at riders who already use hydration packs or backpacks with integrated back protection and do not want to double up in the same place. For many enduro, e-MTB and alpine riders, that is a familiar problem: the pack already covers the spine, but the chest and side torso remain under-protected.
The Back-Pad-Less version keeps the chest, side, lower-back, storage, ventilation and Climbing Mode features, while reducing heat and bulk for riders whose pack is already handling the upper back.
Key details
| Brand | Rockintor® |
| Product | AirVora™ OrganProt3ct™ Pedalling Armour |
| Category | Upper-body MTB protection system |
| Use | Trail, enduro, all-mountain, e-MTB, bike park, freeride and DH |
| Construction | Two-piece system: outer vest plus optional ventilated shoulder-protection base layer |
| Protection | CE Level 2 certified protection in the main chest and back zones, side-ribs and lower back |
| Storage | Approximately 2 litres |
| Claimed weight | Approx. 940 g vest / 235 g base layer in size M/L |
| Options | Standard back-protection version and Back-Pad-Less version |
| Colour | Black-Mora |
| Sizes | 6 Sizes: S,M,M Wide, L, XL, XL Wide |
| Price | £185.00 GBP now with FREE Baselayer and FREE Shipping |
| Website | shop.rockintor.com |
