I've got a decent helmet and boots, now it's time for pant, jersey, armor, and ...?

What do you guys recommend for casual trail riding?  I'm likely to be solo most of the time, looking to ride on forestry roads and easily accessible trails.  

I don't anticipate doing anything too hardcore, but I'd still like to grab a decent pair of riding pants, jersey, upper body protection, and whatever else the hive thinks is mandatory.  How much protection / padding / armor do y'all recommend?

Fall and winter weather in Georgia if it matters.  I'm also looking at electronics / sat phones and emergency equipment, but that's a whole other can of worms for a later date.

Anything KLIM…. Fantastic gear. Buy once cry once

Klim is the gold standard.

Olympia is also very good.

Go to New Enough if you want last year's models for less.

I ride forest roads and some single track trails.

In the summer I take my chances with some run of the mill somewhat vented pants along with a KLIM tactical shirt under a long sleeved summer weight jersey I got at Cycle Gear. For warm weather gloves I have a pair of Tillman TIL1490L gloves that I like.

In the winter I wear enough clothes that I figure they will protect me enough. I do have a pair of off brand riding pants that I wear in the winter over jeans if it is cool but not too cold. Sometimes have long underwear also. I have a Carhartt hooded jacket that is fairly thick and tough. If it is really cold I wear some insulated bib overalls and a heavy coat. Need some good insulated gloves also for the cold weather.

Most expensive thing I bought was a pair of Forma Adventure Boots. Really like them.

I wear forcefield knee and elbow tubes under Klim pants and Jacket.  I also carry an InReach satellite communication device as I ride out of cell coverage often.  

Attached File

Short sleeve shirt, jeans, boots, safety glasses

No helmet

I ride with a fair number of folks that wear boots, jeans and short sleeved shirts.

Mostly they are younger folks, I'm getting pretty old and shit hurts worse when you are old and things take longer to heal so I'm a bit more careful.

No way I would ride up in the mountains with no helmet. I've taken a few tumbles and smacked my head on a rock pretty good once. Would have hurt pretty bad without a helmet, at best.

I really need to splurge on an INReach. I ride solo quite a bit in areas with no cell service. Pretty remote and see very few other people when I am up there during the week.

Yup, just bought a pair of those myself  I've been wearing them around the office this week to try to break them in a bit

I know this is an older post, but I'll throw in my 2 cents.  Upper body protection of choice for me is the Forcefield harness, chest, back, shoulder and elbow protection with a Klim Tactical shirt over it.  I ride a big bike on some pretty knarly stuff so I wear Forma motocross boots as well.  For lower body pro, I wear Klim or Forcefield shorts and Aerostich goretex overpants.  They come with so so knee pro so sometimes I take them out and wear knee pro under them.  I have some other Klim gear and love it, but I default to the above if I'm trail riding something harder than forest service roads.  Look at Mosko Moto gear as well.  It is absolutely top shelf kit and built by hardcore dual sport people.

My ole Moto 4, jeans and a long sleeve shirt, gloves. Shirt and gloves are for bee protection.

After 54 years riding I don't fall down much, lesson learned. Slow down.

I was the jeans, t shirt and tennis shoes guy 40 years ago.

Now, at 56 I am in a good fullface helmet, leatt 6.5 chest protector, leatt neck brace, riding pants with knee and hip pads and gaerne boots.  And because I ride alone some, a Garmin mini in reach.

The most comfortable boots are the ones made for trials riding, love them.