Protective Clothing

[Gabe]

I did a quick forum search on this but couldn't find anything useful, and rather than trawl the threads for ages in the hope of finding something, somewhere, I thought I'd start a new thread and get some up-to-date info.
Basically I'm sick of cuts and grazes on my knees and elbows, and I want to get some comfortable protective gear that won't irritate/itch the skin or move around and need constant adjusting, and hopefully won't cause much sweat or break the bank either. I'll hunt around the bike shops a bit too, but I think info from as many experienced riders as possible who have actually used a product regularly will be invaluable. So any kind of knowledge with be greatly aapreciated

I have too many scars....

[silentbutdeadly]

I'm assuming that you are not a downhiller. Otherwise you'd already have the protective gear...

If you just want protection from low speed offs and the odd clip stack whilst sizing up terrain then try the basic knee and elbow support products that are available from chemists or similar. Otherwise....anything from POC and 661 is worth a look (but not cheap).

Although...T7 has the 661 Veggie guards for elbows and knees for around $30 pr at the moment - these aren't fitted with hard plastic so should be light & flexible enough for normal XC and AM duties.

[trailgumby]

661 Evo LItes are the gold standard. Very comfortable, not too hot, which is usually the problem fo XC / Trail use ... the danged things make you overheat as soon as the trail turns uphill on a warm day. These will still do that when it gets *really* hot, but they are much more bearable than just about everything else that won't scratch you to death or end up around your ankles.

If you want a set, get to the bike shop quick, they are not on next year's 661 product catalog.

The other problem is they are not so cheap. And you no doubt find what I did: for some weird reason, as soon as you bought them, you stopped needing them.

[Gabe]

Thanks for the help, that gives me an excellent starting point! I really had no idea what was out there, now I can go looking with a bit of knowledge.
I'm willing to pay for quality if the cheaper stuff distracts from the riding, there's no point in losing enjoyment after the expense of getting a proper bike. I'm gonna have a browse of the shops this week and hopefully have something to wear for a bash this weekend! I'll let you all know how it goes