At the downhill park, I've been riding more black tech trails and working my way up to blue jump trails and it's time to up the protection. I'm not sure how far to go. I plan on getting upgrading my elbow and knee pads, but I'm a bit overwhelmed with body armor choices.
Originally I was looking at stuff like the RaceFace Ruxton Core, but at 5'2" 150 lbs I need a large for torso and medium or small for sleeves. So I'm thinking back/chest/maybe-shoulder protector and separate elbow pads.
I'm not sure if I should go with hard or soft armor, and I'm not sure if I should get something with integrated shoulder protection. Is that overkill? Is hard armor overkill? Is non-Newtonian soft armor (like D3O or G-Form) actually more comfortable/breathable than hard armor? I don't think I want a neck brace yet.
Can anyone share some thoughts or experience that might help me decide?
Specific product recommendations for my weird body size also welcome. I was looking at the Leatt Chest Protector 3.5 Pro, for example, but according to their size chart even the small doesn't fit under 5'3".
Thank you!
by mynameistag