Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

IAbove) Weather and personal preference affect your choice of eye protection. (Below) Kidney belts give good internal support, reduce fatigue . , Hi-Point boots are won by many top national riders. need airl And remember. you're on your bike a lot longer than an MX rider is. If you 're sweating or your nose is running . you may b e mighty uncomfortable with some mouthguards . With some of them you even ha ve to remove you r helmet just to have a drink or wash the dust out of your mouth . Bett er think of these things when you're out looking or trying them on . The small plastic Jofa has been popular for some time now because it's feather light and does a good job of protecting your mouth and ch in. Be sure to tape the srrap-adjusring buckles so they won 't loosen . Unless your face gets wet from perspiration and it starts to chafe , you won't even know you 've got it on . . , until you have to breathe hard . Some enduro riders complain they can't get enough air when wearing aJofa. Much greater protection . extending fro m your goggles down to your chin . is provided by the Pacifico Face Fender and similar guards , and the shields that fasten. to your goggles , like the Scott Face G uard . The face fender type rea lly makes any helmet' into a fu ll-coverage one , with much better protection for your nose , as well . Visibility is slightly better than with a fu ll-coverage helmet , howe ver . Both . do a good job of deflecting branches, too, important when you compete on the tight woods trails of eastern enduros. You pay for this superb protection by having coo ling fresh. ai r blocked from you r face . To some riders it's too restrictive whe n they're worki ng hard and need big gulps of air so they go back to the football type that bolts securely onto the helmet. It' s not as stylish , and it la cks some of the protection from branches and sma ll stones the newer types have , but your chin and mouth are well protected , especially in a fa ll, and visibility and air flow are completely unrestricted because of the open construction , They are popular enough so that most dirt bike dealers and accessory shops carry them . And they 're eas y to install . Jackets and pants The simplest ' and least expensive enduro clothing is denim jeans and jacket, with some kind of rain gear worn on top during wet weather. Jeans are comfortable, lightweight and tough . And they breathe! If they get . wet they'll keep you cool as you ride , which on some days is a real blessing. If you buy the straight cut you can wear them over your boots and have more freedom of movement. The jacket has enough pockets for small stuff you may want to carry along, a nd worn partly open the wind really keeps you cool. Plastic rain gear will keep you dry, but it ca n be hot because no air gets through it. Better are the medium priced rain suits. They're nylon , resist tearing, and have big pockets and adequate venting . The real enduro u n iform , though, is the Ba rbou r or Belstaff type jacket and pants worn by serio us riders wh? know how much keep ing dry ca n mean in a lon g ru n. T he a u the ntic ou tfi ts are mad e of d rab -colored hea vy wa xed cotto n that's tea r -resist ant a nd wa terproof. To keep them waterproof you d on 't wash them , just let the di rt and grime add to their charm . These suits a re ex pensive a nd seem to last forever More modern versions of these traditional enduro outfits are on the market. They're made of nylon aitd other synthetic fabrics , and they come in brighter colors. All the good designs have the important features found on the originals - tight -fitting collar and cuffs, lots of large pockets that are easy to open and close , plenty of openings and vents in the jacket so you can easily adjust the flow of air to the temperature and moisture of the day. The pants are less bulky than the . original waxed-cotton kind , but they still can be hot under some conditions. Increasing number of riders, incl uding a lmos t all the en duro experts , now wea r leather or combination lea th er .nylon pants with their Ba rbour type jacket. Not only a re they well-padded where you need it , b ut those of highest qua lity a lso ha ve padded knee cups with protectio n ex te nd ing down into your boots. R id er s who wear them admist they're heavier a nd hott er th a n jeans, but the extra protection gives them t he security th ey need to ride . harder and faster in competition. Whatever you wear, don't dress too warm. Even on cold days you 'll find you get hot enough with all the effort you put ou t. Other protection H ow m u ch other protective gear you ' we a r b esid es the basics is often determined by inj uries you or you r friends have suffered wh ile ridi ng, or close calls you've ha d . Do an endo a nd la n d hard on your .u n p ro te c te d sho ulder, and you' ll probably go out soon a nd buy sho ulder pads. Hit you r knee on a rock during a fall and you'll be thinking of knee pads or cu ps. Know a friend with kidneys ruined from riding hundreds of miles of rough ground and you might think differently about a gut belt. What you want , really, is security, not a cumbersome suit of armor. T his means different things to each rider. Som e would never think of riding a n enduro without wearing an athletic supporter with a cup - they kn ow ' how much it hurts when you co me down from a Flying W right onto the gas ta nk. And how many riders a re really in good enough condition to go withou t a kid ney belt ? Not only does it ho ld your ins ides where they belong , it supports your lower back , givi ng you good posture and making it possib le fo r yo u to ri de lo nger d istances wit hou t tiring. Lightweigh t shou lder pads , especi a lly the ones with t he a ttached chest p rotector a nd upperarm shields, a re hardly no tice ab y once you've got them on, yet like all other good protective gear they take your mind off being hurt ana let you concentrate I 00 percent on your riding. • (To be continued) .,

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