Under 1pc suit armor

[peoples1234]

I recently had a incident on the street where I was injured fairly significantly. I was wearing a full gear, including a full leather suit, so I did not suffer from any external injuries (road rash, etc.). Nevertheless, I broke a two lumbar vertebrae and a rib, as well as suffering from traumatic herniation of the lower abdominal wall ("handlebar hernia"). I'd like to start riding again, but track only. No racing, just casual track days as few times a year.

I am about to buy a new suit, and I'd like to get some information on what I should put under that suit. All race suits come with body armor built in, but what would be recommended for additional armor? Can you have too much protection? Back, Chest, Lower Body, Neck, head to toe protection, Michelin man suit

I am sure that I will get a back protector (Knox Contour or Aegis possibly).

I realize that safety starts with using that thing inside your helmet, but it never hurts to have a back up plan. Additionally, I don't know whether armor would have helped in my situation or not. Still, I'd like to mitigate as much risk as possible while still being able to move and flex and enjoy what I love to do as safely as possible.

[RocketPunch]

Originally Posted by peoples1234

I recently had a incident on the street where I was injured fairly significantly. I was wearing a full gear, including a full leather suit, so I did not suffer from any external injuries (road rash, etc.). Nevertheless, I broke a two lumbar vertebrae and a rib, as well as suffering from traumatic herniation of the lower abdominal wall ("handlebar hernia"). I'd like to start riding again, but track only. No racing, just casual track days as few times a year.

I am about to buy a new suit, and I'd like to get some information on what I should put under that suit. All race suits come with body armor built in, but what would be recommended for additional armor? Can you have too much protection? Back, Chest, Lower Body, Neck, head to toe protection, Michelin man suit

I am sure that I will get a back protector (Knox Contour or Aegis possibly).

I realize that safety starts with using that thing inside your helmet, but it never hurts to have a back up plan. Additionally, I don't know whether armor would have helped in my situation or not. Still, I'd like to mitigate as much risk as possible while still being able to move and flex and enjoy what I love to do as safely as possible.

You will definitely want a dedicated back protector, and make sure it is geared for racing and CE2 if you are safety conscious. The reason I said you want a "race" BP is usually BP that is made for racing had a longer tail extension to cover as much as your tail bone as possible. A chest/rib guard will also be a great idea. You can always buy the chest guard separate or find a good vest type unit. 98% so called "back protector" that came with suits are junk, even if most of them are CE rated, but the fact is they cover such a small area of your back it is just pointless.

Do make sure you size you suit WITH the gear on, to avoid getting a suit that may be too tight once you have all the armor in. If you want added safety, buy suits that came with CE shoulder/elbow/knee amours, better yet something that have CE2 rating. Suits with hard sliders also helps redirect impact forces when fall off your bike.

On top of that if you want more protection, do consider armored under suits/pants, which will add an additional layer of protection especially most suits don't came with any what I would consider good protection for the hip bone. Furthermore, external protections such as Air-Vest and neck brace is also an option. IMO, there is no such thing as too much protection especially on the track. It is more down to how much comfort you want and how much money you want to invest in it, on top of a good suit, BP chest guard, helmets, glove and boots.

However, no amount of protection can guarantee you won't get injured, but they certainly can help lower or minimize the risk.

Enjoy.

[Transient]

Back protector, chest protector, and hip protectors are missing from most suits. Many companies make riding underwear that include built in armor for the hips, while the back/chest option is separate.

Alpinestars has a vest made to go underneath leathers that combines back, chest, and rib protection. I'm not sure if the back protector is as large as a dedicated product, though. Might be worth checking out!

[S3aturnR]

i use a knox gillet air vest, which is a back protector and chest protector in one. i really like it. i also have a pair of bohn armored shorts that are very comfortable. knox has a pair that seem to contour to your body a bit better, but i forget what they're called.


s3aturnr

[GuiltySparc]

i wear a knox contour under my suit for tack days. It also has little kidney armor plates.

[Claudius]

Forcefield undershirt. Best thing out there and CE2 certified.