What are some good body armor shirts and pants?

[Lutalo]

6 hours ago, Marty Backe said:

Maybe it's a California attitude thing, but I totally disagree with you. Just today I had 45-mile ride with large stretches among lots of people. All I received were lots of "Cool" type comments, thumbs up, smiles, etc. I would ride by mothers with 5-year old kids in toll and the mother, smiling, would tell the kids, "look at that".

So from my perspective, among people who live in California, I'm not intimidating anyone. Maybe @Rama Douglas, who rode with me today, can attest to what I'm saying.

I guess I should say I don't disagree with you, but that maybe there's a different attitude among non-Californian's 

I think it's personal preference and possibly environment. @Darrell Wesh lives in a small southern college town, and you live in a place where everybody parties and smokes bongs on the beach punctuating sentences with words like: "righteous man", "cool dude", or "gnarly waves today dude," or my favorite: "it's cold and nasty where you dopes live,  but it's so awesome here where I live." 

[Marty Backe]

1 hour ago, Lutalo said:

I think it's personal preference and possibly environment. @Darrell Wesh lives in a small southern college town, and you live in a place where everybody parties and smokes bongs on the beach punctuating sentences with words like: "righteous man", "cool dude", or "gnarly waves today dude," or my favorite: "it's cold and nasty where you dopes live,  but it's so awesome here where I live." 

[houseofjob]

@Marty Backe @Darrell Wesh

I obviously tend to side with Darrell on looking more plain-clothed when I ride (East coast thing? James Bond romanticization?), but can see how the generally more progressive West coast would be more positively-receptive to seeing full-body armored EUC riders like the now gear-reborn Marty .

I think this just goes back to how, regardless of the Internet age, the US still really behaves like 5 or more different countries.

[Darrell Wesh]

1 hour ago, houseofjob said:

@Marty Backe @Darrell Wesh

I obviously tend to side with Darrell on looking more plain-clothed when I ride (East coast thing? James Bond romanticization?), but can see how the generally more progressive West coast would be more positively-receptive to seeing full-body armored EUC riders like the now gear-reborn Marty .

I think this just goes back to how, regardless of the Internet age, the US still really behaves like 5 or more different countries.

😄😄 “gear reborn Marty” 

i keep thinking of Gandalf from Lord of the Rings and how he “fell” and became reborn😄

@Marty Backe please do buy Demon gear in all black so we can call your transformation “Demon Marty”. 

Edited January 21, 2019 by Darrell Wesh

[Girth Brooks]

On 12/25/2018 at 11:25 PM, JSUN said:

Anyone know of a short sleeve version that would be similar to these padded shirts? I would love to find one for summer riding.

 

 

[stephen]

53 minutes ago, Girth Brooks said:

 

How's this , i think the back protection also doubles as a water bladder😊

https://sixsixone-europe.myshopify.com/collections/protection/products/evo-compression-jacket-short-sleeve-black 

Edited January 22, 2019 by stephen

[Girth Brooks]

@stephen that would be perfect, but I sadly see no way to purchase and ship to US.

[stephen]

26 minutes ago, Girth Brooks said:

@stephen that would be perfect, but I sadly see no way to purchase and ship to US.

I suppose you tried all the usual amazon ebay etc .. I'll let you know what it's like when my summer comes

Edited January 22, 2019 by stephen

[winterwheel]

On 1/20/2019 at 11:46 PM, Darrell Wesh said:

Being the only wheeler in my town, I do see myself as a walking/rolling advertisement for electric unicycles.

I used to wear gear over top my clothes like this. But then I thought of the image I was projecting to others who saw me on this one wheeled contraption. It already looks dangerous enough (with the general public consensus being that they’ll break their neck if they even tried), I no longer wanted to add to that stigma by looking like a motorcyclist. 

IMO it made people respect me out of fear. Respect that I was doing something so incredibly dangerous I needed to gear up like that. For me, in a college town of people I could potentially influence to buy these wheels, that’s not the kind of respect I wanted. 

Thats why I conceal all my gear underneath normal looking clothes and no longer wear motorcycle helmets/visor full face helmets for the EUC(but I do for the dualtrons). 

I’ve definetly noticed a different attitude from others vs when I wore visible body armor. Not only can I socialize without looking out of place, but people make comments like “that looks like so much fun”. Which is exactly the comment you want to hear from the young to get them interested in buying these wheels. (It’s so ironic then, that the comments you’ll get while fully visibly geared up is that you’re going to get hurt. And nobody thinks that’s fun)

***Now, with that said, Ive seen most of your videos and you do wear normal clothes and have said you only wear this fully geared setup for long rides.***

At the end of the day, when I sit back and think about it, if I saw @houseofjob  and @Tishawn Fahie blasting around NYC in motorcycle helmets with tinted visors and Halo body armor, I probably wouldn’t have gotten into EUC’s. 

I'm not the only wheeler in town (although I am likely the most visible), but aside from that this is *exactly* where I land as well.

Edited January 22, 2019 by winterwheel

[Girth Brooks]

I just can't see myself putting the perception of strangers to promote EUC riding over my own personal safety. I think advertising minimal to no safety gear for other possible beginners to see is much less responsible than giving off the vibe that it is dangerous. I began this hobby myself in late October and I have come to find out it is indeed dangerous to ride an EUC. I have bit it hard twice now with minor spills all in between. Thankfully I dressed for the occasion.

I bought a wheel because of the same videos mentioned above. I also instantly thought while watching those very same videos "If these guys eat shit without any gear on riding like that then it's going to end really badly." I searched for safety at the same time as researching a wheel. Maybe some of you all haven't hit the pavement like I have many times in my life before this hobby. I learned to gear up because it hurts real bad when you don't have it on. Safety gear is obviously a personal choice for whoever. It's their decision to protect or not protect themselves. I just think it's irresponsible to promote the use of EUCs as fun without the chance for injury. I'd feel much worse if someone started this hobby and got hurt just because they saw me riding with minimal to no safety gear and thought they should do the same. 

[stephen]

15 minutes ago, Girth Brooks said:

I just can't see myself putting the perception of strangers to promote EUC riding over my own personal safety. I think advertising minimal to no safety gear for other possible beginners to see is much less responsible than giving off the vibe that it is dangerous. I began this hobby myself in late October and I have come to find out it is indeed dangerous to ride an EUC. I have bit it hard twice now with minor spills all in between. Thankfully I dressed for the occasion.

I bought a wheel because of the same videos mentioned above. I also instantly thought while watching those very same videos "If these guys eat shit without any gear on riding like that then it's going to end really badly." I searched for safety at the same time as researching a wheel. Maybe some of you all haven't hit the pavement like I have many times in my life before this hobby. I learned to gear up because it hurts real bad when you don't have it on. Safety gear is obviously a personal choice for whoever. It's their decision to protect or not protect themselves. I just think it's irresponsible to promote the use of EUCs as fun without the chance for injury. I'd feel much worse if someone started this hobby and got hurt just because they saw me riding with minimal to no safety gear and thought they should do the same. 

Valid point

[Darrell Wesh]

16 minutes ago, Girth Brooks said:

I just can't see myself putting the perception of strangers to promote EUC riding over my own personal safety. I think advertising minimal to no safety gear for other possible beginners to see is much less responsible than giving off the vibe that it is dangerous. I began this hobby myself in late October and I have come to find out it is indeed dangerous to ride an EUC. I have bit it hard twice now with minor spills all in between. Thankfully I dressed for the occasion.

I bought a wheel because of the same videos mentioned above. I also instantly thought while watching those very same videos "If these guys eat shit without any gear on riding like that then it's going to end really badly." I searched for safety at the same time as researching a wheel. Maybe some of you all haven't hit the pavement like I have many times in my life before this hobby. I learned to gear up because it hurts real bad when you don't have it on. Safety gear is obviously a personal choice for whoever. It's their decision to protect or not protect themselves. I just think it's irresponsible to promote the use of EUCs as fun without the chance for injury. I'd feel much worse if someone started this hobby and got hurt just because they saw me riding with minimal to no safety gear and thought they should do the same. 

I knew this argument would come up. For one, I said I *conceal* my gear. So I’m not putting public perception over my personal safety.

The way I see it, like I said prior about seeing others dressing head to toe in gear, I likely would have deemed the sport too dangerous to partake in.

IMO your order of priorities is confused. First, you have to get them to BUY a unicycle THEN you can worry about them wearing gear. You’re worried about their safety before they even get interested or own an EUC. 

Basically you’re saying you’d rather give off the vibe that it’s dangerous and likely alienate potential customers then to be slightly irresponsible and conceal the POTENTIAL dangers of EUC riding. Key word potential: just because people have wiped out doesn’t mean they will wipe out. There is no guarantee you’ll ever fall bad enough to change your outlook of needing gear. People bomb hills on manual skateboards and ripstiks all the time without wearing gear. Leave that responsibility to THEM. 90% of riders are adults who can decide if they can live with road rash and swollen joints in the event of a crash. Personally I hate messing up my skin and choose to wear clothing that protects me from it, while others wear abrasion rashes like battle scars. 

[Darrell Wesh]

 

 

Tricks are much more likely to end up causing the rider to fall and fall in undesirable angles or on the head. Yet I don’t know anyone who would want to ride a unicycle if they saw these guys padded up in full face helmets and Kevlar shin guards with expansive plastic plated back protectors. We can enjoy these tricks and want so badly to do them ourselves because of the perceived lack of risk we see from lack of visible gear. I wouldn’t be interested in the slightest on trick riding if i thought I could get injured badly (my perception based on if they wore full gear setups) 

Its the same perceived risk concept onlookers face in deciding if they want to try EUC’s. It may be “irresponsible” but it’s not a responsibility you should care about UNTIL they learn to ride and buy their own. Get their foot in the door, don’t just keep it closed. 

Edited January 22, 2019 by Darrell Wesh

[winterwheel]

1 hour ago, Girth Brooks said:

I just can't see myself putting the perception of strangers to promote EUC riding over my own personal safety. I think advertising minimal to no safety gear for other possible beginners to see is much less responsible than giving off the vibe that it is dangerous. I began this hobby myself in late October and I have come to find out it is indeed dangerous to ride an EUC. I have bit it hard twice now with minor spills all in between. Thankfully I dressed for the occasion.

I bought a wheel because of the same videos mentioned above. I also instantly thought while watching those very same videos "If these guys eat shit without any gear on riding like that then it's going to end really badly." I searched for safety at the same time as researching a wheel. Maybe some of you all haven't hit the pavement like I have many times in my life before this hobby. I learned to gear up because it hurts real bad when you don't have it on. Safety gear is obviously a personal choice for whoever. It's their decision to protect or not protect themselves. I just think it's irresponsible to promote the use of EUCs as fun without the chance for injury. I'd feel much worse if someone started this hobby and got hurt just because they saw me riding with minimal to no safety gear and thought they should do the same. 

Everyone gets to ride how they want. Those who want to ride at low speed around an arena or other controlled area do not need to dress like iron-men (no offence intended to the iron-men out there). Those who want to ride at high speed through narrow forest trails or rocky mountain trails would be reasonably expected to wear max gear. There is a whole range of riding levels in between.

Beginners don't need to dress for hard riding when they learn (they should be protecting their ankles more than anything), and by the time they are comfortable riding they'll be knowledgeable enough to pick the conditions they want to ride in and the gear that they feel comfortable wearing for those conditions.

Edited January 22, 2019 by winterwheel

[Marty Backe]

17 minutes ago, Darrell Wesh said:

I knew this argument would come up. For one, I said I *conceal* my gear. So I’m not putting public perception over my personal safety.

The way I see it, like I said prior about seeing others dressing head to toe in gear, I likely would have deemed the sport too dangerous to partake in.

IMO your order of priorities is confused. First, you have to get them to BUY a unicycle THEN you can worry about them wearing gear. You’re worried about their safety before they even get interested or own an EUC. 

Basically you’re saying you’d rather give off the vibe that it’s dangerous and likely alienate potential customers then to be slightly irresponsible and conceal the POTENTIAL dangers of EUC riding. Key word potential: just because people have wiped out doesn’t mean they will wipe out. There is no guarantee you’ll ever fall bad enough to change your outlook of needing gear. People bomb hills on manual skateboards and ripstiks all the time without wearing gear. Leave that responsibility to THEM. 90% of riders are adults who can decide if they can live with road rash and swollen joints in the event of a crash. Personally I hate messing up my skin and choose to wear clothing that protects me from it, while others wear abrasion rashes like battle scars. 

I like your reasoning Darrell and I'm glad someone is actively thinking about this. I can't honestly say how I would have interpreted EUCs if I had seen heavily armored riders. I've seen lots of  geared up off-road bike riders which just seemed reasonable to me. Not off-putting. As I continue to suffer with my injury, I kind of wish that I had been surrounded by geared-up riders because then I would have moved to what I'm wearing a lot sooner.

But what it really comes down to with me is; I'm not selling EUCs. I don't care about enticing new people into EUCs. If I really thought about this I might conclude that I want to discourage growth because I don't want to see what's happening with e-scooters happen to EUCs. We're pretty much under the radar now and nobody is going to be making laws targeting us.

Now in reality I do like to see new riders joining us. I'm actually encouraged by seeing more new people who appear geared up. Relative to a few years ago, people seem much more aware of the dangers and are dressing accordingly.

I just think it's a rare breed (like us) who decides to jump on the EUC bandwagon. I don't think helmets and shoulder pads will be turning most of them away. I could be wrong though. But again, I'm not selling EUCs. I actually want to appeal more towards the hardcore EUC rider than the sedentary rider. That's why I have Gotway printed on my helmet, not Inmotion   I joke, Inmotion owners 

[Marty Backe]

37 minutes ago, winterwheel said:

Everyone gets to ride how they want. Those who want to ride at low speed around an arena or other controlled area do not need to dress like iron-men (no offence intended to the iron-men out there). Those who want to ride at high speed through narrow forest trails or rocky mountain trails would be reasonably expected to wear max gear. There is a whole range of riding levels in between.

Beginners don't need to dress for hard riding when they learn (they should be protecting their ankles more than anything), and by the time they are comfortable riding they'll be knowledgeable enough to pick the conditions they want to ride in and the gear that they feel comfortable wearing for those conditions.

Well said 

[Darrell Wesh]

8 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

I like your reasoning Darrell and I'm glad someone is actively thinking about this. I can't honestly say how I would have interpreted EUCs if I had seen heavily armored riders. I've seen lots of  geared up off-road bike riders which just seemed reasonable to me. Not off-putting. As I continue to suffer with my injury, I kind of wish that I had been surrounded by geared-up riders because then I would have moved to what I'm wearing a lot sooner.

But what it really comes down to with me is; I'm not selling EUCs. I don't care about enticing new people into EUCs. If I really thought about this I might conclude that I want to discourage growth because I don't want to see what's happening with e-scooters happen to EUCs. We're pretty much under the radar now and nobody is going to be making laws targeting us.

Now in reality I do like to see new riders joining us. I'm actually encouraged by seeing more new people who appear geared up. Relative to a few years ago, people seem much more aware of the dangers and are dressing accordingly.

I just think it's a rare breed (like us) who decides to jump on the EUC bandwagon. I don't think helmets and shoulder pads will be turning most of them away. I could be wrong though. But again, I'm not selling EUCs. I actually want to appeal more towards the hardcore EUC rider than the sedentary rider. That's why I have Gotway printed on my helmet, not Inmotion   I joke, Inmotion owners 

It is a conundrum. I completely agree that I like remaining under the radar and that on the other hand it would be fun to have this become common place. 

Hmm from my observations and discussions with the younger demographic it is off putting to have full face helmets vs regular bike helmets. And that’s something that I would have to explain as to them it now looks like something I’m joy riding (similar to a mountain biker going through dirt trails and up hills for fun) and not as something I’m  commuting with. 

Edited January 23, 2019 by Darrell Wesh

[Marty Backe]

5 minutes ago, Darrell Wesh said:

It is a conundrum. I completely agree that I like remaining under the radar and that on the other hand it would be fun to have this become common place. 

Hmm from my observations and discussions with the younger demographic it is off putting to have full face helmets vs regular bike helmets. And that’s something that I would have to explain as to them it now looks like something I’m joy riding (similar to a mountain biker going through dirt trails and up hills for fun) and not as something I’m  commuting with. 

Now you bring up a good point (maybe you already did and it went over my head). Body armor/full-face helmet, etc., is not conducive to commuting. I'm with you there. I'm a purely recreational rider yet I know there are people who primarily use EUCs for practical purposes.

I will be purchasing (probably soon) commuting type gear. Mainly, a motorcycle type jacket with built-in protection. I want something that I can throw on when I go to the store - all the practical uses.

Maybe when I ride around town I'm creating interest from one type of person and when I'm cruising on the trails I'm attracting interest from a different crowd. See, I'm covering all the bases 

[litewave]

On 1/21/2019 at 10:11 AM, houseofjob said:

@Marty Backe @Darrell Wesh

I obviously tend to side with Darrell on looking more plain-clothed when I ride (East coast thing? James Bond romanticization?), but can see how the generally more progressive West coast would be more positively-receptive to seeing full-body armored EUC riders like the now gear-reborn Marty .

I think this just goes back to how, regardless of the Internet age, the US still really behaves like 5 or more different countries.

 

The problem with choropleth maps like this one is that they falsely portray political attitudes and culture as being homogenous and monolithic by region, when they are not. 

The map came from an article published in 2013 by Colin Woodard in Tufts Magazine online. It's neogeography and junk-journalism at their worst, and the map is certainly not accurate today. Travis county (Austin, Texas), Williamson county (Round Rock, Texas), the DFW metroplex, Jefferson county (Louisville, KY), and Franklin county (Columbus, OH), to name a few, are generally liberal and democratic. The top four most populated cities in Texas voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016. Regardless, the stereotyping that Woodard displays exacerbates division and distrust, and paints a misleading picture of the country.

 

Edited January 23, 2019 by litewave

[houseofjob]

4 minutes ago, litewave said:

The problem with choropleth maps like this one is that they falsely portray political attitudes and culture as being homogenous and monolithic by region, when they are not.

LOL, my point was that the US is far from thinking like one homogenous country.

Just threw that map up there via quick Google search for the visual. The last thing I want to do is go down the paths of politics and/or religion on this forum 

[Marty Backe]

3 minutes ago, houseofjob said:

LOL, my point was that the US is far from thinking like one homogenous country.

Just threw that map up there via quick Google search for the visual. The last thing I want to do is go down the paths of politics and/or religion on this forum 

Oh c'mon @houseofjob! Who did you vote for?  

[houseofjob]

20 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

Oh c'mon @houseofjob! Who did you vote for?  

I voted for Pedro!

[litewave]

31 minutes ago, houseofjob said:

LOL, my point was that the US is far from thinking like one homogenous country.

Just threw that map up there via quick Google search for the visual. The last thing I want to do is go down the paths of politics and/or religion on this forum 

Lol, I thought I was being funny. 

5 minutes ago, houseofjob said:

I voted for Pedro!

Pedro: Vote for me, and all your wildest dreams will come true.

Hilarious movie 

[houseofjob]

20 minutes ago, litewave said:

Lol, I thought I was being funny. 

Ah, sorry, went over my head then 

[Lutalo]

Last time I checked in on this conversation it was about style choices in wearing gear; concealed beneath clothing (casual style) vs openly displayed on top of clothing (hardcore style). 

I tend toward pretty liberal in my attitudes about how/what protective gear is worn and/or is necessary in a given riding scenario.

Apart from our on-road riding behavior, I have never consciously considered how others might perceive the practice of EUC-riding based on the gear that I wear, or don't wear. For me, to begin thinking of it would be a brand new consideration. 

While rolling around DC no one has ever yelled out to me: "hey dude, your gear looks frightening." they have yelled on many occasions regardless of how I was dressed: "hey dude, that is very cool." I often hear as I pass: "ooh! I need whatever that is."

My personal style preference is to conceal whatever protective gear I can under regular clothes because it looks more natural, and to me more natural looks more better. Maybe it's just me. or maybe it's a east coast thing like my man @houseofjob said; I don't know.

I do know that if there is conflict between personal taste and protection; protection will always win. So, as a result, I often end up wearing gear on the outside of my clothing when it is not practical or comfortable wearing it underneath my outer garments. 

I think the most important thing is our courteous, safe, and law-abiding (whatever this may mean in your state as it applies to EUCs) riding behavior when we are immersed in our daily activities and commuting or riding recreationally. 

Geez! I sound like my grandmother.