Body Guru!

Whatever type of riding you do whether its mini moto racing or trials you’ll need the right gear to keep you as safe as possible. We might all think we’re invincible but unfortunately our bodies are as delicate as every other human on the planet, flesh and bone can and will get broken, so let’s try to keep all injuries as minor as possible. Its imperative that we protect ourselves as well as possible, there’s nothing worse than seeing the results of a relatively slow speed crash which results in painful injuries and often life long scars, especially when the injuries could have been minimised, or eliminated all together by wearing the proper gear.

Here are a few items to consider, some more important than others. The best advice is to buy the best that you can afford and wear it religiously and properly, for instance always make sure your crash helmet is fastened and tight enough to stop it coming off and that jackets are zipped up and any armour is in the right place to protect your delicate joints.

Goggles

If you’re using a dirt bike helmet or open faced helmet a decent pair of goggles are an absolute necessity, especially if you’re off roading. They’re also advisable if you’re mini moto riding in an open faced helmet as well. You only get one pair of eyes (although people in some areas of the country have been known to sport an extra one on their foreheads) so keep them covered! Goggles are relatively cheap, if you shop around you can pick them up for about £15, so there’s no excuse not to use them. It’s a mucky business if you’re riding a crosser, doing enduro or speedway so it’s also a good idea to use tear offs. Tear offs are a thin protective film which attaches over the goggles (or visor) and can, as the name suggests be torn off when you get splattered with mud, gravel and general crap from the road, or track. Tear offs save you having to stop to wipe your goggles/visor clean – quite handy if you’re in the middle of a race, but they also make you look cool on your local practice track.

Gloves

If you trip over whilst walking what’s the first thing to hit the ground? Yes it’s your delicate little hands; it’s a reflex action to save us from damaging our pretty faces. If you happen to fall off whilst riding and believe me you will do on numerous occasions if you’re off roading, then you’ll need something substantial to protect your hands. Many common bike riding injuries can be prevented or minimised by wearing a pair of good quality gloves. You can spend from £2.99 for a pair of heavy duty gardening gloves, (which may not be good for your street cred but they’ll just about do the job for mini moto riding) up to over £100 for the best quality race gloves, so decide what type of riding you’ll be doing and also what sort of weather you’ll be riding in and choose the type of glove which will suit you best. If you’ll mostly be riding in summer a pair of lightweight gloves with moulded knuckles might suffice, but if you’ll be riding all year round a pair of winter or heavy duty gloves are essential because your fingers will be the first part of the body to feel the cold, cold hands means you’ll lose concentration and sensation, which can be dangerous.

Jackets

For many kinds of off road sport a modern textile jacket is ideal, not only are the jackets hard wearing but they also offer good protection in a crash, certainly much better than a tracksuit top at any rate! Textile jackets are also pretty waterproof and have built in body armour and pockets to keep a mobile phone, always worth having on you just in case you or a mate needs emergency help. Leather jackets still offer the best crash and abrasion resistance though but they’re quite restrictive and heavy so aren’t always the best choice for off roaders. Its worth shopping around at bike shops such as J&S accessories, you can usually pick a cheap textile jacket up for around £40 and a leather for about £60.

Trousers

There are plenty of different types of riding trousers available, from lightweight motocross pants emblazoned with manufacturer’s names to leather and textile armoured trousers. There are also armoured jeans and combat trousers which look like ordinary jeans but they are made from special materials, they offer much better abrasion resistance than denim and have carefully concealed armour, these types of trousers are quite good for mini moto riders.

Body armour

Body armour works by dissipating the force of an impact, the reduced force is spread around the area of impact and can prevent an injury and stop bones from breaking.

Most textile and leather biking jackets and trousers come with at least some basic body armour as standard. You’ll usually get a foam back protector and armour around the knees, elbows and shoulders because these parts of the body are often the first to hit the deck. You can also buy body armour separately and it’s a good idea to fork out a few quid to protect yourself from serious, possibly fatal injuries. A back protector for instance is an essential piece of riding kit; it’ll protect your spine from the kind of vertebrae destroying impact that could leave you paralysed for life. Motocross stores and most decent bike shops sell armour designed especially for your chosen discipline, for instance an off road rider who rides in a moto cross top will probably choose an armoured vest which protects the major organs and joints and can be worn under the top. Knee and calf armour is as important. If you’re riding mini moto you should have knee and elbow pads at the very least, these can be bought for less than £20, Argos even sell them so there’s no excuse to at least have some body armour, anything is better than nothing.

Boots

Many kids will ride mini moto, dirt bikes, quads etc wearing nothing more than a pair of trainers, they might look nice and cost £80 quid but they’re not much good in a crash. A better bet, if you don’t want to fork out for bike gear, is to wear a pair of walking boots which will offer a bit of ankle protection and will have harder wearing toes. Obviously though the best kind of protection is a pair of proper bike riding boots, they are designed for the job and will have as much protection as possible, especially on the ankle, calf and toes. Top makes of boots, like Alpinestars for instance don’t come cheap but they are fantastic, stylish and do the job properly. Cheaper makes are ok though and you can pick a pair of new bike boots up for as little as £45, it’s always worth checking on places like www.bidmx.co.uk or ebay for cheap riding gear.

Winter wear

If you’re riding in winter prepare to get cold and wet, the great outdoors can be pretty nippy in the UK. There are a few cheap ways to at least keep a bit warmer, for instance wearing thin layers of clothing under a jacket is better than just wearing a thick jumper. The layers help to trap body heat, which in turn insulates you. Thermal underclothes can be picked up pretty cheaply, Aldi often have thermals in during winter and at about £7 for a top and a similar amount for the trousers they’re well worth getting. If you fancy spending a bit of dosh though most bike shops will sell some thermal wear designed especially for bikers, it might not do anything the Aldi garments won’t do but you’ll get a well known brand printed down your thermally insulated leg! A scarf or neck tube is also one of the most important items you can own during cold or wet weather, Knox Coldkillers are excellent and they also make balaclavas, inner gloves etc. Obviously a decent pair of socks are a must, walking socks are ideal, the toes will always feel the cold, so keep ‘em warm and toasty!

Waterproofs

One piece suits, separate tops and bottoms, which should you choose? As with most bike riding gear it’s purely a matter of choice and you can pay as little or as much as you like for waterproofs and there’s no guarantee that they’ll keep you dry all day. For ease of use a two piece suit is the best bet off road, and they’re usually perfectly good for all but the heaviest rain. One piece suits usually come in their own storage pouch and have an elasticated belt so you can put them around your waist when the rain stops (if it ever stops). Not only will waterproofs keep you relatively dry but they’ll keep the mud off your riding gear as well. Prices can vary from £15-20 for cheap waterproofs to £70-80 for top branded suits.

Remember it’s easy to think ‘I’ll not bother putting my jacket on today, it’s too hot and I’m not going far’ but it doesn’t matter where or when you ride, accidents can jump out and bite you at any time. If you’ve done all you can to protect yourself then hopefully you’ll walk away with a decent story to tell and nothing worse than a few bruises…

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