What EXTRA riding protection do you wear and why? Types, brands, pricing, etc? For street or trail? Age related?

[PDoz]

I've been hoping someone would come up with a bike suitable long sleeve top that provides gravel rash, sun, and perhaps elbow protection - somethink like the klim tactical ( https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/klim-tactical-pro-jersey ) but perhaps cooler and with elbow pockets for d30 pads.

Meanwhile, I make do with long sleeve vented shirts and keep searching for the perfect set of elbow guards. ( I still haven't found them, so won't mention my gform, alpinestar, or specialized guards that I keep " forgetting" to wear) . I should know better - having spent the better part of an hour digging bits of trail out of a freinds forearm, so I'm a strong believer in forearm protection.

 

[indianajo]

I hit the gravel at 25 mph 11/23/17 on my forearms and chin with no arm burn or stone penetration of shirt. Red Kap mechanic's work shirt from (Link Removed - No Longer Exists) they don't have a direct link but bing found them about listing 12 under cotton work shirts. short sleeve one comes up from the search but click at the bottom for the long sleeved version.
100 % cotton for melt resistance when welding, thick cloth for same reason. Resists gravel too. Runs cool in the summer, I'm wearing the dark blue ones since I sunburn so easily. $17 each. In my experience you CAN'T buy this heavy cotton cloth in retail stores, only from work if you are a mechanic (which I was once) . Polyester/cotton is a poor substitute at wicking sweat in the hot sun versus 100% cotton, IMHO.

 

[gregorb]

1. A good helmet
2. padded bike shorts
3. full finger gloves - If I hit the pavement, the likely first thing that will touch will be my hands. If anyone wants my fingerless they can have them.
4. Large frame sport eyeglasses
5. Clown clothing, i.e. obscenely bright colors

I ride roads and developed trails so no armor.

Smart with the gloves. I know my fingerless ones are going to bite me at some point. But hate having my hands bound up during the summer. Understand the no armor part on smooth surfaces, but ever thought about no armor, soft (neoprene) elbow or knee pads. Those body parts will eventually hit the pavement too. I usually wear Bodyprox Elbow Protection Pads. About $14 on Amazon. Lightweight, comfortable and not too bulky. But still decent protection. Mueller Shock Knee Pads are another good option too. About $30 on Amazon. Both products are great quality.

 

[ebikemom]

@indianajo , on long-sleeved shirts--I like to stay out of the sun, too, but don't want the long sleeves necessarily when I get to my destination, so I got separate pull-on sleeves. Super handy.

 

[tomjasz]

Specific to riding, just a high end pair of Lee Parks glove, and at night a safety yellow helmet.
Very low traffic here, and I’ve become an expert in avoiding traffic when the main streets get busy.
I wear trifocals with safety lenses. But NEVER without hands and eyes protected.

Winter with a snow helmet at all times, with gloves and glasses.

 

[PDoz]

I only wear helmet for my ebike.

However I do wear full gear for my motorcycle.

Alpinestars is a renown motorcycle gear manufacture, and they do make gear for bicycle as well.
https://www.alpinestars.com/products/cycling

For what it's worth, my alpinestars bicycle elbow guards are, well, clunky. Impact absorbing armour has cone a long way in the last few years and I'm not sure alpinestar are keeping up? Perhaps I'm expecting too much - I've worn their motorbike boots for decades, and my last alpinestar pressure suit was pretty good.

 

[FSRBart]

I wear;

• Fox or Giro helmet - The fox offers more protection for the lower part of the head towards the neck
• full-finger gloves - Oakley SI Assault
• Sport Sunglasses that wrap or cover a larger area to ensure nothing gets in - Oakley Jawbreakers
• Since I ride an eMTB and not a fan of or fit of the super tight roadbike clothes, I wear a variety of different MTB shorts that have detachable padded inner shorts.
• Cycling shoes with SPD but currently ride on flats. The cycling shoes offer a nice solid platform for "pushing" on the peddles.
• Works shirts/jerseys as they tend to wick away moisture

 

[Drew]

Five Ten Freerider MTB Bike Shoes because they have a flat sole designed to work with pedals that have pins:

https://www.amazon.com/Five-Ten-Mens-Freerider-Shoes/dp/B01JLYZG8G

I always wear full-finger gloves. I had a bike accident in 2004 wearing half-finger gloves and got a bad finger laceration. The laceration stopped where the glove began. Spent 4 hours in the ER waiting for a hand specialist, got a nerve block, 7 stitches, and and ruined my hand modeling career (as my doctor joked when he took the stitches out). Hospital charges in excess of $3K. So I don't take any chances with my hands. I like the Specialized Body Geometry Gel gloves, they last forever, they're not too hot, and my newest pair works great with my cell phone screen:

https://www.specialized.com/us/en/body-geometry-gel-long-finger-gloves/p/151216?color=243651-151216

I also wear dorky sun glasses that fit over my regular glasses. Because they fit around regular glasses they provide nice additional wind and dust protection. I have a pair with amber lenses for contrast enhancement on gray, foggy winter days and a pair with gray lenses for sunny days.

 

[Barry S]

Ditto on the Five Ten Freerider shoes. I've got the canvas ones and they do a fantastic job of keeping my feet from slipping off the pedals in wet weather. Sturdy shoe that holds up well, comfortable for riding and breathe well so your feet don't get hot.

 

[PDoz]

Yesterday I went over the bars on a rocky down hill - I landed directly onto a rock with my right kneecap . Thanks to my ixs flow kneepads I kept riding for another 3 hours. My knee doesn't hurt much more than the rest of me today.

 

[mrgold35]

That was the reason why I got my G-Form knee/elbow pads. I was still recovering from a fall and had a pretty bad road rash on my knee. Decided to purchased the knee/elbow pads to protect and cover up the nasty mess. I ended up having another fall later on the trails and landed on the same road rash knee with zero pain and didn't re-injure it. I won't ride without my pads.

 

[JimmyJ]

Helmet (giro) and sunglasses. I have the need for a left rear view mirror. Any suggestions?

 

[Barry S]

I have the need for a left rear view mirror. Any suggestions?

The Mirrcycle MTB Bar End Mountain Bicycle Mirror is popular. I had it installed on my Trek hybrid bike and then moved it to my new RadRover.

 

[mrgold35]

I like the Helmet mount Bike Peddler Mirror, Amazon, $12.33. It gives me a pretty good view behind me with my Fox Flux helmet. I added a strip of velcro where it attaches to my helmet because I lost a previous mirror in thick brush trail riding. I really can't use handlebar mounted mirrors because I like to trail ride with a lot of trees/bushes/weed growing into the trail sometimes.

I also like the helmet mounted mirror because:
- comes in handy adjust my head to view behind me on twisty roads/trails
- I can look up/down hilly terrain behind me
- I can just adjust my head at 5:30am when a car headlight is blinding me from behind in my mirror
- I had a few accidents and that would have broken handlebar mirrors
- I don't think I could fit my Radrover into the back of my large SUV with side mirrors without damaging them

 

[Barry S]

That mirror that mounts on the downtube isn't going to give the kind of view shown in the marketing example. More than likely you're just going to see your legs. As for the wrist mirror, just no. A bar end mirror or clamp-on that extends out to the bar end would be my preferred pick. As for helmet mirrors, I've never used one but I could see the benefit having already broken one bar end mirror.

 

[tomjasz]

That mirror that mounts on the downtube isn't going to give the kind of view shown in the marketing example. More than likely you're just going to see your legs. As for the wrist mirror, just no. A bar end mirror or clamp-on that extends out to the bar end would be my preferred pick. As for helmet mirrors, I've never used one but I could see the benefit having already broken one bar end mirror.

Bar end tucked in. Works perfect, two decades worth.