Advise needed.

[UtahJack]

OK, I am the first to admit it, I have very little experience in the dirt, and what little I have was over thirty years ago. Everything is different from tarmac ridding, from technique to gear.

 

Here is my dilemma, I recently bought some ridding gear, mostly in anticipation of upcoming cold weather, but also as a result of my banged up knees from a go down. Well trying not to spend a lot of money I bought an A.R.C. Battleborn Jacket and pants. I thought I would try out the pants with the thermal liner removed and the vents open to see how they worked in warm weather. I wasn't that happy with the fit. the waist was fine but the inseam was a little long and even after moving the knee armor to the upper pocket when I walked around the top of the knee armor was bellow the top of my knee. Setting on the bike they were fine even standing on the bike they weren't bad.

 

The problem is after about three hours of dirt ridding mostly sitting I developed blisters an my knees. Now I don't know if it is just because I am not use to it, or if I need to glue some foam on the back of the knee armor, or if I should look at putting different armor in the pants, or should I just look at different pants?

 

Many years ago for many years I wore full leathers, granted they weren't great for walking around in either, but the fit was completely different and I never got blisters even though back then the armor was much more rigid nobody had ever heard of D30.

 

So as the title says I could use some advise from all you out there that have more dirt and adventure bike experience, which would include just about everybody.      

[scridercoach]

Try a layer underneath, a long john type pair of wicking garment.  If you get a good pair, they don't add any real heat retention, but give you that layer to resist chafing/blistering.  That and make sure the armor isn't sliding or moving around dramatically as you ride.

 

Something as simple as these, perhaps?  Not advocating this particular pair, just giving you an example of a low cost pair to try out.  There's all kinds of varying types at differing price points.

HEAT-OUT Cool'R Long Johns | 23% ($5.00) Off!

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The Heat-Out Cool'R Long Johns are designed to keep you cool and comfortable when temperatures spike. The Cool'R collection from Heat-Out has raised the bar on performance base layers by creating pieces with multiple advances in heat management.

 

Edited August 8, 2020 by scridercoach

[Idarex]

Ditto to a base layer.  They make cool types and are very comfortable.  They make your riding gear a lot more comfortable.

 

I ordered the short trousers from Klim so the inseam wouldn't out strip the waistline.  Fit a lot better than the regulars.

[UtahJack]

@scridercoach @Idarex

To be honest I think I am going to need to get a base layer and knee protection that I actually wear the ones that are in the pants move around way to much.

 

The odds are pretty good that I will put this bike down again sooner or later and having these knee guards in a position that would actually protect my knee are not that good.  I am thinking something minimal probably in the soft category, that I could even wear under a pair of jeans.

 

I have come to the realization that at my age and the fact that all my experience is tarmac carving, I am not going to go through bumps and bruises it would take to become a rider that took their T7 and basically rode hard enduro with it. Shoot I am still nursing a soar wrist from my first go down. I think at sixty-six I heal so slowly, I would cripple myself before I achieved that kind of proficiency.

 

So with that in mind I think minimal will be fine, but then again, what was that old saying? Oh yea, "If you got a ten dollar head buy a ten dollars helmet."

That probably goes for knees too.   

[Idarex]

40% of dirt injuries are knees.  Get a good knee brace not a knee guard if you are serious.  I also have a mobius wrist brace.

 

I don’t wear them on the T7 as I don’t plan on single tracking or doing anything like enduro riding with it.  I bought it for BDR type rides.

I just started riding dirt a couple years ago.  I quickly learned my street riding skill (or lack of) is all wrong in the dirt.  I crash a lot in the dirt.  Watching vids from Cross Training Enduro and others has helped me out.

 

For single tracking around here I have learned, the lighter the better.  I have a KLX351S but it’s still too heavy for me on the local single tracks.  I just sold a KLX140G and a KLX250S that I had been learning on. I ordered a Beta XTrainer in May as I ‘out grew’ the 140 (heh).  Never too late to learn and have fun.

 

[Hammerhead]

Consider swapping out to some mountain biking knee protection that's worn on your legs as opposed to being integrated in the pants.  Plenty of light weight, stay in place options available that provide solid protection. 

  Off road gear, like off road riding, is a different kettle of fish requiring different tackle in the box. These adventure suits are not always as versatile as their vendors would have us believe.

 

[Uncle M]

1 hour ago, Hammerhead said:

Consider swapping out to some mountain biking knee protection that's worn on your legs as opposed to being integrated in the pants.  Plenty of light weight, stay in place options available that provide solid protection. 

  Off road gear, like off road riding, is a different kettle of fish requiring different tackle in the box. These adventure suits are not always as versatile as their vendors would have us believe.

 

Agree with Hammerhead. I didn't think the D30 knee pads in my pants would necessarily stay in place in a crash, so I took them out and use IXS Flow Evo+ knee pads instead.

Did the same thing with my jacket. Seems to me there's too much likelihood the pads will move out of place in a crash because the garment isn't tight against my body as with leathers. So I removed the elbow, shoulder and back protection and replaced with separate A-stars CE-certified protection I wear underneath (or without) the jacket. The jacket and pants provide abrasion resistance but the separate protection underneath provides impact protection; separate gear for two different requirements.

Just my opinion of course!