Armor Addl. 'Stich Armor?

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I bought a used Aerostich Roadcrafter, winter & summer pads were both included. Knees, elbows, & shoulder pads make me feel safer (along with full face helmet & armored gloves), but after looking at the Aerostich website, I realize that hip pads & a back pad are also available. Are these worth doing, thinking of comfort & heat issues (SoCal area)?

For those of you that have them, do you have any comments on the standard sized back protector verses their larger competition model?

(I understand that if I don't have them then my self-imposed ATGATT would have to be STGATT).

Thanks for your advice!
 
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Blrfl

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I have the hip armor, and the only thing I dislike about it is that it partially blocks access to your pants pockets through the zippers on the sides.

--Mark
 

Byron

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I don't have Aerostich I have Olympia. I recently had a low-side and went down on the left side. My left hip area is still a little tender as it did hit the pavement. I hate to think how tender it would be if the hip armor was not in the pants.

If you think about which areas have armor or the option for armor it really does make sense. It is the bony parts of the body; elbow & forearm, knee, hip, back, chest & shin (mostly off-road). Other parts of the body are covered in muscle that protects the bones.
 
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10 days ago, Mrs Gerbil flew what we now estimate to be 45 feet from the point of impact to the point that she landed on the road. She has a bruise that is larger than the area of my hand right over the area that her hip bone goes, and she has walked funny for a week and a half. The only reason she can walk at all is the fact that the armour in her (non aerostitch) trousers took the impact.

Go get the hip pads.
 
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None of the armor is an aesthetic choice/purpose, it is all functional, I say get the back protector as well.

Size of the back protector will depend on your comfort level, generally the bigger the protector the better it is as it covers more vital areas.

In my track riding days I used to have a plastic thick back protector that protected from hyper extension, back injuries etc, it had these articulating plates that conformed to your back, and a hinge on the lower back to allow for sideways movement, that may be overkill on the street, but a descent back protector is still a good idea to have.

Tazmool
 

OldPete

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None of the armor is an aesthetic choice/purpose, it is all functional, I say get the back protector as well.

Size of the back protector will depend on your comfort level, generally the bigger the protector the better it is as it covers more vital areas.

In my track riding days I used to have a plastic thick back protector that protected from hyper extension, back injuries etc, it had these articulating plates that conformed to your back, and a hinge on the lower back to allow for sideways movement, that may be overkill on the street, but a descent back protector is still a good idea to have.

Tazmool
Thread hijack.

A new stitch is not in the cards for this summer, so:

Taz, what do you think of the Icon field armor vest? I was thinking of getting one for under my armored jacket. The mesh in the summer leaves me feeling a bit under armored. I want to use this or something similar as an anchor point for my Leatt Brace that I am going to get.

Thoughts or ideas anyone? Thanks.

OP
 

EASt

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I've been wearing the Roadcrafter for 5 years and never even thought about adding more armor.

Now, this thread is guilting me into it.

Thanks alot, guys.

Waitaminute: would adding armor to a Roadcrafter be a farkle? If so, I'm ordering knee-pucks too.
 
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Mark

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Your back is way more important than your hips... get the back pad too.

Mark
 
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OldPete,

Taz, what do you think of the Icon field armor vest? I was thinking of getting one for under my armored jacket. The mesh in the summer leaves me feeling a bit under armored. I want to use this or something similar as an anchor point for my Leatt Brace that I am going to get.
Its funny you mention that vest, I have been thinking of exactly that kind of armor to use under my mesh!

I think I would probably take out the jacket's own back and shoulder protectors as they would be redundant, but keep the elbow armor.
My mesh jacket has no armor on the chest, and honestly that seen been the one short coming of the jacket, but that icon road armor vest would totally protect the body, and stay cool under the mesh jacket.
The vest also has superior back protection as well.

Now that I'm not alone in my insane thinking :D I may have to try one of those armor vests........

You know, there are really nice knee armor, and elbow armor kits...
I wonder if it would be crazy to wear the armor kits, and the mesh over top.... Now, the gears are turning...

Tazmool
 
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For those of you that have them, do you have any comments on the standard sized back protector verses their larger competition model?

Thanks for your advice!
I got the hip pads, and they are worth it.

I also got the large Bohn back armor. Your spine is a delicate thing, and a little bit more goes a long way. I was quite glad of mine when I went over the handlebars (rear-ended a car, stupid, stupid me...).

It took a bit to get the piece in place comfortable and correctly, but I don't notice it now.

One thing I really like about the Bohn piece is the addition of the velcro waistband. It seems to keep everything a bit tighter.

One poster mentioned a bit more difficulty in getting to pants pockets, which I agree with, but not enough to make me ever take them out.

Hope this helps!
 
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Thanks - this is plenty clear - I'll order & wear the hip pads. Now what about the back pad?
I've worn the Bohn back armor for years. They make a model that velcroes right into an Aerostich. Here's Bohn's website showing the Aerostich version:

http://www.bohnarmor.com/catalog/proddetail.php?prod=KC-Aerostich

I bought this to use in my Darien after someone I knew was wearing one when he crashed in Colorado. He went flying through terraine littered with rocks. The Dr. told him that from what he saw on the XRay, that if he hadn't been wearing the back protector his spine would have been broken in about 3 places. It made a believer out of me. I decided at just a tad over $100 (at the time) that it was darn cheap insurance. I've been wearing it ever since.
 
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I have the standard back pad and don't even know its there when the jacket is on. I only have one and switch it between the roadcrafter and darien. Will be looking into the hip pads for the roadcrafter this summer.
 
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The only downside to the Aerostich back protector is that it blocks quite a bit of the back vent. That's quite noticeable in hot weather, although less so on the loose-fitting Darien than the snugger Roadcrafter.

I also found that the standard 'Stich back pad catches on the lip on my Sargent seat and pushes the pad and the Darien's collar up. That's just me and the way I sit on the Sargent, but I cut 2" off the tail of the pad and fixed the problem.

pete MGATT (More Gear All The Time)
 

OldPete

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OldPete are you wearing that Leatt brace while riding or for the track?
Well I was going to get it for track days, but the more I think about it, the more it may make sense to wear it road too if it is not too much in the way.

That is why I was thinking of making the Field armor vest as the anchor point, and modifying the jacket to ensure it stays in place and does not interfere with anything.

If you have ever had a friend suffer a neck injury, and watch him be paralyzed from a relatively minor incident, it gives you pause for thought.

The brace does not seem too intrusive, and looks pretty sharp in Carbon fiber. Have not done it yet, at $700 it is a pretty big commitment but then again, for what it does.

OP
 

Gamecock

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I ordered the standard back pad for my roadcrafter. I found it to be a different shape but significantly larger than most of the backpads in my other riding jackets. Its longer so it extends farther down my back, almost to my tailbone. I also like the fact that it is wider at the bottom than most back pads - perhaps offering a little bit of protection for the kidneys?

And with its velcro attachments, it goes in and out of the jacket in a jiffy which makes it a little easier to fold the garment into a tight space.
 

OldPete

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OldPete,



Its funny you mention that vest, I have been thinking of exactly that kind of armor to use under my mesh!

I think I would probably take out the jacket's own back and shoulder protectors as they would be redundant, but keep the elbow armor.
My mesh jacket has no armor on the chest, and honestly that seen been the one short coming of the jacket, but that icon road armor vest would totally protect the body, and stay cool under the mesh jacket.
The vest also has superior back protection as well.

Now that I'm not alone in my insane thinking :D I may have to try one of those armor vests........

You know, there are really nice knee armor, and elbow armor kits...
I wonder if it would be crazy to wear the armor kits, and the mesh over top.... Now, the gears are turning...

Tazmool
Doing some reading tonight and I came across this

which certainly has a lot more protection than the Icon field armor vest, so then I watched their videos, and it defines the difference pretty well.

I think I am going to go with the knox gilet air instead. I think it is just what I am looking for under my mesh.

What do you think Taz? Others? Anyone else here ride with this level of protection other than on the track?

Thanks.

OP
 
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Hmm..
That's an interesting piece (the Air Gillet/Vest)
It seems a bit bulky, but its one of those things you'd have to see in person and try on to see if it will work for you.

The chest protector looks a lot better than the Icon vest one, but on the flip side, it also looks thick and could interfere with my jacket.

I'm trying to hit a balance of extra protection (above and beyond my mesh jacket & pants) but also comfortable enough for warm weather that I actually wear the stuff for every ride.
Last summer I was guilty 95% of the time of skipping on my gear because the temps were 90-100F, thus for this season I invested in mesh gear (but my mesh jacket has 0 chest protection, other than the mesh)

However, that knox gillet, if you will wear it all the time, it would provide very good protection.

Tazmool
 
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