I've just got a ton of questions.....here's another!

I bought my Ute for hunting but now see it's going to see a fair amount of recreational trail use (these things are fun!). I never really thought much about riding gear as it is not really practical when using the machine to get back and forth from a hunting spot...well, the helmet is but not the rest of it. While out trail riding and breaking in my new Polaris, I came to realize that, one, my front teeth are pretty valuable and with the cost of dental implants hovering around $4000 a pop, I should really have a full face helmet rather than just the open face models that the wife and I got for our little slow trail jaunts. Two, a trip over the bars or a pitch off is gonna hurt a hell of a lot more at 42 years of age than it would have back when I was a younger Buck!

I'm now eyeballing the latest in fashion from Thor, O'Neal, Fox, et al. I'm drawn to some pretty cool looking Thor products, specifically the Thor "Core" set up. I'll need some boots I guess too...maybe the T-30 ATV boots. Chest protectors look pretty usefull as well.....what kind of functional designer fashions are ya'll using when you hit the trail on your 4 by Ute? What "should" I have on the ride?

 

I have a Thor helmet which I think HJC make or made. I recommend the ProGrip 3400 lS goggles.

Light sensitive - tinting lens
anti scratch lens
fog free
silicone on strap
tear off post

 

I wear every piece of protective equipment I can find, with the exception of a neck brace. I would say that the helmet and goggles, gloves, chest protector, and boots are the minimum. Plus, long sleve jersey and pants, knee and elbow guards, kindey belt, and paded shorts (in cool weather). I highly recommend the Alpinestars Tech 4 boot with ATV sole, for trail riding!

The thing about safety equipment is that you can wear it for years and never need it. But, that one time you do need it, it can save your bacon!!

 

Hi TreeDoc! Welcome to the fun world of trail riding!! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

We had a big discussion about this issue last week.. LOT'S of posts. For me, coming from a highly varried racing background (go-carts, motorcross, sportsbikes, drag cars/bikes, SCCA road racing, drag boats, pulling trucks and modified tractors.... (yeah, I like engines! lol), I tend to lean on the overprotective side. But I ride fast, and ride hard, and I love to learn all I can from whatever vehicle I'm operating.. So that ups the possibility of an Ooops. When I trail ride, I wear:
- Motorcross full face helmet
- full leather gloves w/ kevlar in fingers, back of hand and palms.
- Jersey with elbow, shoulder, back pads
- my draggin jeans w/my bicycle pad shorts under them. These jeans look like levis, but are thicker, and have kevlar sewn into the seat, knees.
- ATV racing boots... not the sport motorcross, but the off road ATV. Basic difference is the beefy tread on the bottom.
- I wear an underjersey chest protector. It's like a tank top, but with pads, and nylon hard guards. Much more comfortable then the a-typical plastic chest protectors.

But like I said.. I tend to lean to overprotect... I figure.. it's better safe then sorry... I always want to be able to get back on that horse if it ever tosses me!! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

The EVS Ballistic Jersey has a chest protector, shoulder pads, elbow guards, and kidney belt all built in. I switch off between wearing that and the plastic chest protector/elbow pads/kidney belt, depending on the weather and what I feel like that day. The jersey can get kind of hot and sweaty though! I would rate the jersey as being excellent, except I wish it had better coverage on the chest.

In 40 years of riding, I have had 3 crashes. In #1, the plastic chest protector probably saved me from a broken collar bone. In #2, the jersey DEFINITELY saved me from a broken collar bone! And #3, the plastic chest protector saved me some broken ribs. (I only had crash #3, because I was sore from crash #2, and couldn't maneuver the bike well enough).

 

{reconranger} Sounds like you and I have the same riding style! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

For ATV trail riding, I wear a full face helmet, jeans, work boots, and whatever shirt / jacket combo is appropriate for the weather. I don't spend too much time to go up and above a helmet for the mellow cruising I do on the Foreman. Now if I am racing, it's a different story. I wear everything.

 

Well.....I am officially outfitted. I look like the friggin' Thor Poster Boy! I picked up my Sportsman from the dealer today after they finally got the winch installed that they owed me. It turns out that they had all the stuff I had been studying in the catalogs and online and it was priced identical to what I saw online. The good part is that they gave me 20% off everything I bought because I bought my machine there. So now I'm the proud wearer of the Thor Core S4 pants, jersey, and gloves in their Camo color. I bought a Thor full faced helmet and Dragonoptical goggles, and a Thor chest protector. I finished it off with a set of Thor T30 ATV boots. I look like a million bucks.....now let's hope I don't need any of it!

 

Ahhhh, and my crystal ball shows a sport bike somewhere in your future! Hey, it's only money!

 

{TreeDoc} If you ride hard, you will most deffinately need the protection gear more then once... The learning curve usually hurts! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]