Sat at home wishing you had your freedom back? Yep us too….
Maybe you’re thinking about open road, getting away from it all and some road trips with your buddies (and standing less than 2 meters away from them again :( ) Well when all this craziness subsides maybe off road riding is just the thing you need. But where do you start??? (Maybe start with the VC dirt guide! Or even sign up for the next VC Dirt Day?) Where can you go, where can you learn, what bike is best and what kit do you need?! Arghhhh SO MANY QUESTIONS!!!! Well worry not, as we’re aiming to shed some light on all that jazz, starting with our beginners’ guide to what gear you’ll need in your kit bag to start out off road riding.
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No matter who you are or your level of experience, the kit you wear on your bike can often be the make or break (yeah, we mean literally breaking bones) of a fun and successful day’s riding. Dirt biking, like all motorsport is a dangerous activity so you’ve got to have a serious think about the kit you’re gonna invest in while you rip. The kit you need when you go off-roading isn’t quite the same as your regular motorcycling clothing – there’s all kinds of padding and protection to consider due to the nature of the type of terrain and riding you’ll be attacking. Sooooo, we’ve put together a lil’ run down of what you need to get you started.
The list is pretty long here but is by no means the be all and end all. There are a ton of great brands and kit out there for off road riding but we’re going to focus on the general overall of what you’ll need and also show you what we’re currently wearing while we roll round in the muddy British countryside. That being said its important to do your research as the amount of kit and the type of kit you’ll need will depend on the kind of riding you’d like to do. MX kit and the kit you’ll need out on the trails for some green lining or trail riding does differ quite a lot so it’s a good idea to do your research to make sure you don’t end up making expensive mistakes buying kit that’s not right for the riding you want to do.
Just starting out? A great tip is for your first go at off road riding book in with an off road training school. These are a great way for you to get some expert advice and tuition, get you started on the right foot and also a bonus is that most schools have kit for you to use included in the price of your lesson so its a great place to try out and get used to some of the kit you’re gonna need. We’ll be writing more about our recommendations for schools, bikes and the rest very soon but for now here’s our VC gear guide to get you started out off roading!
LIDS
We can’t stress enough how important it is to wear the right helmet for off road riding. A lot of people assume a helmet is a helmet so they take their road helmet off road riding. While it’s everyone’s own choice and we understand it’s a bit of a financial commitment to shell out for another helmet, an off road specific helmet is worth its weight in gold due to their specific design for hitting the dirt (sometimes pretty hard). We’ve seen knocked out teeth and bust lips aplenty after coming off riding off road and wearing a road helmet (the chin guard area of an off road lid is much more pronounced for exactly this reason). So don’t make that mistake and make sure you go for a trusted brand, good quality, ECE approved helmet as, same as goes for the road, all you have to ask yourself is “what is my head worth?”
Extra features of an off road helmet vs a road helmet are a wider aperture (to fit in your googles), a long pronounced peak (too keep out that sun glare and mud) extra vents and the longer chin guard (as above). For light trail use and adventure motorcycling, there are dual purpose helmets with smaller peaks and a visor but be aware as soon as the going gets tough, that visor will mist up stupidly quickly. Always go for a full-face rather than open face! And, don’t forget, once you’ve had a big knock in a helmet it’s time for a new one as it will compromise the performance and safety. Finally: some kit you can get away with buying second hand but NEVER buy a second hand helmet! You have no idea if it’s been knocked, dropped or someone has already had an off whilst wearing it so be on the safe side and always buy new.
TIP : Finally, if your plan is to start competing in enduros etc then make sure your helmet has an ACU (Auto Cycle Union) approved sticker on it (see pic). Many motorcycle race events in the UK, including most enduros, are run by the ACU so if your lid doesn’t have an ACU sticker they won’t let you use it to race.
GOGGLES
One of the cheaper items to buy, goggles are a must! Usually we’ve found that if you’ve bought the lid from one brand then generally their goggles will be a good fit for their own helmets, for obvious reasons. But once you’ve chosen your helmet go try a few on in a store if you can (or order online and return after you’ve given a few a go with your helmet).
TIP: Think about where you’ll be riding and the usual weather conditions. Even though those snazzy mirrored lenses you’re lusting after might be lookin’ flyyyy, tinted goggles might not be the best choice for riding some root ridden, rutty trails in in the middle of the crappy soggy British winter. Look out for goggles that come with a second set of different lenses so you can swap them out depending on the weather.
BODY ARMOUR
Investing in body armour is a no brainer. There are a multitude of options out there from full all over integral under armour jackets to separate body guards that protect your chest, ribs and back leaving you to wear separate elbow guards.
We usually ride in either the FOX R3 guard (great as it come with built in shoulder guards and can be worn over or under a jersey, or ATWYLD BARRICADE JACKET (which comes with D30 back, elbow, shoulder and chest guards, so well worth the ££). There are other great slim line zip up under armour options out there from brands like KNOX but we’ve found the ATWLYD one the best option so far due to its removable chest protector, which is key for off road when you always have the threat of a potential handle bar to the ribs or a flying rock coming at you from whoever you’re riding behind. We also love the fact that you can take all the armour out of the jacket and give it a wash (kit gets stinky believe us!) .
Here are some of our fave protectors that we currently ride with :
FOX TITAN SPORT JACKET - £130
FOX RACE FRAME IMPACT - £125
ATWLYD BARRICADE ARMOURED SHIRT - $205
FOX R3 GUARD - £80
NECK BRACES
So this is a tricky one. Do you need to wear a neck brace? It kind of depends on your style of riding and inevitably your attitude to risk. If you’re a beginner starting off with some gentle rides with small elements of fire roads and dirt tracks, then reaching for a neck brace is maybe a little extreme. To be honest there’s a vast grey area where most of the time a neck brace would seem unnecessary, that is until you have a nasty off. They might be mandatory if you are going to ride the Dakar, but ultimately you need to make the call as to whether you need a brace for your chosen riding. If you do decide that you want to invest in a neck brace try a few different versions, making sure they work with the other kit you’ll be wearing as not all branches are compatible with all body guards, so take it along when you are looking to buy. Leatt, Alpinestars and others make neck braces and the designs vary a fair amount. You can also get body armour with integral brace, so if you’re leaning towards the safer route of investing in a neck brace this can mean you kill two birds with one stone.
LEATT GPX 3.5 NECK BRACE - £216 (from DIRT BIKE BITZ)
KNEE AND ELBOW GUARDS
So, the question with riding dirt bikes isn’t if you fall off, it’s when. You spend most of your time on the floor as a newbie (we can 100% attest to that) so believe us when we say you want to protect as much of yourself as you can. Bikes falling on your legs and falling off straight onto your arms are pretty much par for the course so elbow and knee pads are an important part of your kit. On top of that, most of the nerves to your hands pass through the ulnar nerve which is exposed at your elbow, so get a big hit here and it’s entirely possible that you will lose sensation and control in your hand. Convinced?
There are a ton of different variations that you can get for both of these. From knee pads with built in shin extensions and elbow pads that come both separate or built in to your upper body armour suit to the new and higher priced articulated knee braces, the prices range pretty drastically so you’ll need to ask yourself again what type of riding you’ll be doing as to what type of pads you’ll need. In the beginning we paid around £100 for a set of elbow and knee pads and then upgraded once we started riding more, gradually got faster and started attacking more varied terrain (rocks, logs etc) on the bike.
We’ve put a little run down of the pads we currently ride with below but we cant stress how important it is to get out there (or order online) and try some on to get a feel for what works best for you. You can always send them back if they’re not right.
TIP: When you go to try on knee and elbow pads at an MX store make sure you take your MX / off road pants and your boots with you and check that the pads comfortably fit underneath. Nothing is worse than shelling out for some fancy knee pads, getting home and realising that your pants / boots are too small in the knee / shin area and restrict your movement when you ride!
FOX TITAN PRO KNEE/SHIN GUARD - £85
LEATT Z-FRAME KNEE BRACE - £234 - DIRT BIKE BITZ
FOX TITAN SPORT ELBOW GUARD - £25
FOX TITAN PRO ELBOX GUARD - £50
OUTER LAYERS
TROUSERS
OK, so when it comes to off road trousers there’s a lot out there but the best pants for off road and trail riding tend to be something with more structure in a heavier fabric. Most MX trousers are made with a lightweight flexible fabric mix so tend to be slightly less durable when you come off into a heap of brambles or catch a branch while ripping on the trails. A specially designed off road trouser like the FOX LEGION PANT is more likely to come in an extra durable fabric like cordura, have design features like leather knee panels, and have some all important zip pockets (which are one of the most useful things in the world when you’re on the trails).
FOX 180 CZAR MX PANT - £100
FOX LEGION LT OFF ROAD PANTS - £115
JERSEYS
This is where you can get JAZZY! Basically your jersey can be whatever you want! There are plenty of cool jerseys on the market and a few brands are even making some women specific jerseys with a slimmer fit nowadays. We prefer a roomier jersey with some space for our under armour protection but each to their own.
Here are a few of our current fave jerseys out there:
DESU EX MACHINA -£80
FOX WOMENS 180 FYCE JERSEY - £35
ATWYLD - $75
FOX 180 LOVL JERSEY - £35
WATERPROOF OFF ROAD GEAR
If you’re like us and ride mostly in the UK it only takes one soggy miserable day of getting soaked from head to toe on the trails with no waterproof gear on to make you want to get your rain game sorted. There are loads of options of different price ranges from reasonably priced jackets like the FOX FLUID MX JACKET and trousers like the REVIT H20 TROUSERS that can go over the top of your usual MX pants; to higher priced pieces that do everything in one garment like the FOX LEGION DOWNPOUR PANT or the FOX LEGION DOWNPOUR JACKET which is not only waterproof but breathable and has plenty of pocket space unlike cheaper pvc type jackets.
Below we’ve pulled together a little run down of the stuff we’ve tried, tested and that has kept us from full body trench foot on the trails over the last couple of years. And one last little very important tip…waterproof socks are one of the best things you’ll ever invest in, believe us.
Check out some of our fave gear to make sure you don’t end up looking like a drowned rat:
FOX FLUID MX RAIN JACKET - £35
REVIT H20 WATERPROOF OVER TROUSER - £34.99
FOX LEGION DOWNPOUR PANT - £270
FOX LEGION DOWNPOUR JACKET - £195
SEAL SKINZ WATERPROOF SOCK WITH HYDROSTOP - £32.50
GLOVES
FOX BOMBER LT GLOVES - £40
This is probably the cheapest bit of kit that you’ll need. MX gloves can range anywhere from £25 upwards but most gloves have little or no protection from abrasion. While this might be fine in the mud, it’s not so great when the going gets gravelly and stony. While you can ride in a pair of the lower priced MX gloves on the trails, recently we invested in a pair of FOX Bomber LT gloves that are made from tough cordura fabric and come with the added D30 knuckle protectors and we love them.
TIP: When you’re riding in winter always take an extra pair of gloves in your back pack or pockets to change into mid ride if your hands have gotten wet through. Your hands get V cold in the winter when riding so even some hard warmer packs in your backpack can be a godsend when you stop for a break on the trails.
BOOTS
WOMENS COMP 5 BOOT - £155
When it comes to boots we’ve found it a bit of a mine field for female riders. Often small sizes are hard to get your hands on. There is quite a big youth size offering with most brands but these tend to come up slightly shorter in the leg usually so don’t always suit someone with a smaller foot that may be tall in height. That being said small sizes do exist, you’ve just got to hunt them down. We love the FOX women’s COMP 5 boots that are specifically made for women so come in good sizing with a good shin height. They’re also a great price in the grand scheme of dirt bike boots so deffo worth a look.
If you’ve got feet from UK 7 upwards you’ve got nothing to worry about! You can take your pick of lots of boots on the market from different brands . But same goes here as with all other kit you get what you pay for.
TIP: Go try boots on if you can. Just like with any shoes different people are gonna like different boots’ fit, weight and width so give as many a go as you can. Failing that, ask around people that you know and see if you can give their a go ahead of buying some yourself. Most off road schools provide kit as part of their classes and this is a great way to give boots a go whilst riding.
For more info here’s a great article that goes into more depth about the different prices and qualities of boots on the market.
Also, make sure you swing by the FOX tent onsite this year at CAMP VC where the awesome team will be loaning out kit all weekend long for everyone to try out whilst riding enduro, off road and trials. A perfect chance to give their kit a go while you rip!
HYDRATION PACKS
Just like going out for a long bicycle ride, never underestimate that off road riding is a super physically demanding activity so water is one of the most important things you need to take with you (well, that and a can of Red Bull/ energy bar… ok we admit we usually take a bar of choccy with us too). Staying hydrated is easier said than done as when you finally stop for a drink you’re usually already pretty dehydrated from all that sweating inside your lid (disclaimer: no one ever looks sexy after a day’s off road riding). Riding with a hydration back pack allows you to easily drink more regularly as you don’t need to take off your lid to do it. Plus it doubles up as a backpack for your van keys, phone (make sure you put it inside a plastic zip lock bag though if your back pack isn’t waterproof though… We’ve deffo learnt the hard way with that one) and those all important snacks. We prefer a slightly bigger backpack to the smaller options out there so we can take our waterproof jackets inside should the good ol’ British weather turn on us but smaller packs are great for shorter rides and competing if that’s the way you’re thinking about going.
TIP: If you take care of your inner water bladder (the plastic bag inside the backpack for your water) it’ll last you aaaaages so don’t get lazy and leave it a couple of days before emptying out and drying any excess water from inside when you get home. Damp stinky bags are gross especially if you wanna drink from them…we can attest to that.
Here’s what we’re currently using on the trails:
FOX UTILITY 2L HYDRATION PACK - MEDIUM - £120
So there you have it! We’ll be launching more tips and advice on getting into off road riding in the UK this week so stay safe, stay home, and stay tuned!