Mountain Bike Protective Gear: Pads, Body Armor, & More

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Let’s face it, mountain biking isn’t the most gentle of sports. Regardless of how long you’ve been doing it or what type of mountain biking you enjoy, the risk of getting hurt or injured is there. It’s simply par for the course.

The good news, though, is that there is mountain bike protective gear we can use to minimize harm or even prevent injury from happening should we find ourselves sailing over the handlebars.

Mountain bike safety gear has come a long way over the past few decades and it’s safe to say that wearing protection (especially a helmet!) has saved countless trips to the ER and even saved lives.

But what mtb protective gear do you need? In this post, I outline the different types of protective gear and give some tips on when you should consider wearing some extra padding.

Let’s dive in!

When to wear mountain bike protective Gear

The answer to this question is always. You should always wear a helmet, which is the most vital piece of mtb protective gear. Please do not ride without wearing a helmet. Seriously. Thank you.

Helmet aside, protective gear is a personal preference and personal choice. Below are a few instances that I think warrant some extra pieces of padding:

Protecting your head, Neck, & face

Your head is the most important part of your body to protect, so never ride without a helmet, ok??? This section goes over different types of helmets as well as other ways to protect your neck and face.

A Helmet

I already mentioned the importance of wearing a helmet every time you ride, so I won’t belabor the point. But if it’s time for a new helmet (i.e. you’ve had a bad crash or it’s been several years since you’ve purchased a new one), you have three options:

1. A half-lid helmet: basically a ‘normal’ helmet
2. A full-face helmet: one that has a chin guard for more protection around the face
3. A breakaway helmet: these can be used as a ‘normal’ helmet or as a full-face helmet by attaching a removable chin bar

Whichever option you choose, make sure it has MIPS technology or another technology that helps protect against rotational forces during a crash.

Half-lid Helmet

For most rides, you’ll want a half-lid or ‘normal’ helmet. These are great for everyday rides that don’t involve a lot of technical terrain or big features.

Looking for a more budget-friendly option? Check out the Giro Source.

Full-face helmet

If you plan on doing bike park riding or you simply want maximum protection on the trail, a full-face helmet will be your friend.

These are engineered to protect all angles of your head as well as the front side of your face including your pearly whites.

The downside to full-face helmets is that they can be hot and heavy, so you probably won’t want to be pedaling in one too much.

Breakaway helmet

Breakaway helmets provide the best of both worlds: you can use them as a ‘normal’ half lid helmet for your everyday cross-countryesque rides and then you can strap on the chin bar to make it a full-face for bike park terrain or rowdier trails.

They are essentially two helmets in one.

Glasses or Goggles

To protect your eyes from dirt, dust, or other flying objects, it’s a good idea to wear eye protection when you’re riding.

You have two options: sunglasses or goggles.

Any pair of sunglasses will work fine at first as long as they’re polarized and easy to see in both full sun and shaded trail settings.

If you’re at the bike park and wearing a full-face helmet, many riders opt to wear goggles because there’s less risk of them slipping or falling off when on rowdier terrain.

They also prevent dirt, dust, and mud from flying into your eyes, which could be no bueno on a rowdy trail.

Plus, goggles paired with a full face make you look like a badass.

Neck brace

Mountain bikers who do a lot of jumping and high-speed/high-stakes riding will typically wear a neck brace to protect them from whiplash or – worst-case scenario – a broken neck.

These braces help keep the neck stable in case of a crash, but the downside is that they’re bulky and can be restrictive.

Personally, I don’t think it’s necessary to wear a neck brace unless you are planning on riding at very high speeds (i.e. downhill racing), you are hitting big jumps and spending a lot of time in the air, or you have neck issues to begin with.

Protecting your Body

Moving down below your head and neck, there are quite a few options for mountain bike protective gear from knee pads and elbow pads to full-on body armor.

Knee pads

I pretty much always wear knee pads when I ride my mountain bike. I’ve had too many close calls (and a few stitches from my brother/ER doctor) not to.

If you ride a lot (or plan on riding a lot) I highly recommend wearing knee pads for every outing. There are a lot of options when it comes to mountain bike knee pads, though. Below are the three most common options

“Soft” knee pads

Soft or sleeve knee pads are typically lightweight pads that are meant to be pedaled in. They provide minimal protection but will keep your knees from getting scraped up in the event of a fall.

Knee guards

Knee guards typically have hard plastic shells that offer a lot more protection than sleeves against sharp rocks.

However, they aren’t as easy or convenient to pedal in and they can be pretty hot and uncomfortable. I recommend only using these at bike parks or on shuttled rides.

Knee and shin guards

For full leg protection, you could opt for a knee pad that covers the shins as well.

These are particularly helpful when you’re learning how to ride flat pedals for the first time.

Elbow Pads

Elbow pads are not a necessary piece of mountain bike protective gear, but they can help prevent your elbows from getting all scraped up – or worse, a broken elbow or arm.

I personally don’t wear elbow pads, but I know plenty of people who do!

Mountain Bike Gloves

Even just wearing thin mountain bike gloves provides a bit of protection for your hands, but if you want even more padding, some gloves come with hard or soft pads in strategic places like the knuckles in case you accidentally punch a tree.

Padded shorts

Some bike chamois actually come with crash padding built-in. Racers will wear these, but they’re a good option if you want to feel more confident on the trails or you ride in a particularly rough and rugged place.

Mountain Bike Pants

Mountain bike pants don’t necessarily provide padded protection (although there are definitely a few options for that out there that do), but rather provide an extra layer of durable fabric to protect against scrapes and scratches.

You’ll still need to wear knee pads underneath to protect your legs from harder impacts.

Mountain Bike Body Armor

If you’re really serious about maximizing protection on the trail, you might want to look into mountain bike body armor.

This type of mtb protection covers a varying degree of your torso from soft padded protection to full-on hardshell body armor.

One consideration to think about before opting for torso armor is that it can restrict your body movement on the bike, making it harder to react to what’s coming at you on the trail.

Final Thoughts

Mountain biking can be a rough sport, especially if your idea of a fun day involves catching air, navigating technical rock gardens, or trying your hand at a local race.

A good helmet equips you with basic mountain bike protection and from there, you can build your ensemble with more padding and protection.

Also, remember that different rides will require different equipment. I don’t wear my full-face helmet for everyday riding, but I definitely bring it to the bike park along with burlier knee pads.

Play around with what works for you and stay safe out there!

What mountain bike protective gear do you wear? What are your favorites? Leave a comment below!