Hi everyone. I'm thinking about buying some shoulder/front/back protection for my next trip to Cwmcarn to go with the elbow and knee pads I already own. Has anyone used anything by Brand X and if so, is it any good? I know 661 seems to be the protection of choice but I'm just wondering if anything a bit cheaper will still do the same job? Cheers in advance.
got some brandx elbow pads for kayaking, they get nailed regularly and have held up for 3 years. Great for the price, pretty well made
A mate had one he sent back as it didn't fit him, but I tried it on and would say it is as well made and felt like it offered more protection than the 661 pressure suit I'll be wearing in the alps next week.
Great value for money and seemed to be very well made - I'd certainly buy one (although fancy a POC short sleeve one with separate elbow pads despite the price!)
I [b]had legs and arms for about 6 years of going to Morzine, still got arms but upgraded legs to more comfortable Dianese
Anyone know what the sizing is like for the forearm/elbow pads? I dunno what size would be best - tried large 661 which kept slipping down, wondering how these compare.
Not sure if it helps but I need a medium 661 pressure suit but the large Brand X fitted me really well. The large 661 was too big on my shoulders.
Bought mine back in 2006.
It got good reviews at the time, it is cheap and lived up to the reviews.
Unless it has changed much, heres my thoughts on my 5 year old set of upper body armour jacket.
Cheap but well made has lasted well and seen me through lots of crashes.
If you intend to run a neck brace, it may not play well with them without modification. A neck roll should be less hassle (and cheaper).
In time i decided to get something cooler.. the brand x use's a lot of foam padding, this keeps you safe but retains heat. I swapped to an AXO jacket which weighs about the same, it has more coverage of hardshell armour and the foam/rubber padding is smaller in coverage but thicker. In other words the armour is where you want it. It is still warm to wear (all body armour is) but not as hot as Brand X.
For a starter on a budget the Brand X is good gear, the extra coverage of padding may be a good thing as there is a black art to crashing. The more you crash the better you get at it, and you can get away with less padding.
I did look at at the 661 assault jacket for my first choice, lots of neoprene rubber padding to cook you, the X is well worth looking into.
Measure yourself up for it, then get someone else to re-measure you. I bought mine from CRC without trying it first, i went on mag reviews, mine was spot on, cheap quality bit of kit, now my spare/loaner jacket.
P.S.
all body armour gets whiffy real quick, lob in the shower or washing machine, and some febreze...hmmm the funky smell of stale armour in the summer on the cwm carn uplift...minging 😆
coolmax (eg cycling jersey!) under the armour will help stave off that musty smell. Have seen 661 suits for £65, not sure how cheap the brand x is....
[url= http://www.discountcyclesdirect.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=9884 ]65 quid 661 suit here[/url]
and if you want bling, probikeshop.fr are doing the dainese for £100 if you use the SOLDES15 voucher code at checkout (need to order thru the .fr not .com site for voucher to work)
[url= http://www.probikeshop.fr/dainese-gilet-racing-noir-blanc/64422.html ]via la france and le cheap dainese![/url]
http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/race-face-rally-dh-armour-jacket-id42648.html
I have this raceface armour kicking around, I bought it for the 2008 Mega and barely used it since. Light, comfortable, size L, £35 posted.
i think candan has been hacked or is a hooky account, he seems to be posting spam in numerous threads 😀 (reported to mods before we are swamped with it)
Thanks Bagstard but I think a large will be too big for me. Would have been a bargain though. Following up on the 661 link. £65 seems pretty cheap. Will weigh it up against the Brand X stuff. Cheers for the advice about wearing something under it. Hadn't really considered the minging smell factor.
Hey Bagstard,
I've just signed up to the forum as your offer (2 months ago) of the following caught my eye:
'I have this raceface armour kicking around, I bought it for the 2008 Mega and barely used it since. Light, comfortable, size L, £35 posted.'
I'm recovering from a brutal crash which blew my shoulder joint apart. As I'm unable to ride at present I've been browsing for some body armour and your Race Face suit might just be the ticket.
If you don't mind me asking, how tall are you (metres), what's your chest measurement (cms) and how well does the Race Face armour fit you? This will give me an idea of sizing as it appears this item has been discontinued.
Cheers. I'm off to pop some more pain killers and crack on with my physio.