What To Wear Downhill Mountain Biking

Downhill Mountain Biking is about as exciting as it gets on two wheels, the clue in what this type of riding involves is in the name - it involves riding down bike trails and tracks, which have been specifically designed to test the rider. At first, this type of mountain bike can be almost terrifying, but with plenty of practice and the right equipment - everybody can enjoy downhill mountain biking in some capacity.

In this post, we look at some of the things that you need to, or should wear to protect yourself when downhill mountain biking:

Full Face Helmet

Full Face Helmets offer the same styling cues and protection as motocross helmets, although they do provide less protection than motocross helmets, because of legislation and the obvious difference in speed. 

Although they may seem overkill to some, full face helmets are vitally important when heading down fast descents and technical trails. Full Face helmets not only provide all of the protection that a normal helmet does, but also protects the front of your face, jaw and teeth in case of an impact. As well as protecting against impacts, they also protect your face from branches which can whip your face on a poorly maintained downhill trail. 

At Westbrook we recommend full face helmets 100% when downhill mountain biking.  

Downhill MTB Goggles

Single lens goggles are an important part of any downhill mountain bike setup, as well as providing protection against the sun in many cases and glare - thanks to interchangeable lenses which provide UV protection - Goggles serve an even more important purpose once on the trails. They allow you to see clearly what's ahead, and protect your eyes from dirt and stones which can be thrown up on the trails - especially if you ride with friends. 

Downhill MTB Gloves

There’s a few riders on the professional circuit who ride without gloves, but we absolutely recommend riding with downhill mountain bike gloves. There’s a few reasons to wear MTB gloves - as well as protecting your hands from bushes and branches on downhill trails, they also protect your hands in case of impact, as we all throw our hands out when we are about to crash - they usually come into contact with the ground first. 

Downhill MTB Shorts

Specific mountain bike shorts offer everything a rider needs - plenty of comfort and movement in the right places, with hard wearing materials which can shrug off areas which can scratch and be damaged in a crash. These shorts usually come with some sort of padding for comfort on the saddle. 

Downhill MTB Body Armour

MTB Body armour is a personal choice, but it’s one that can protect your body in the most important places. As a minimum, riders should protect impact points such as knees and elbows, with specific, comfortable to wear knee pads and elbow pads. Those wanting more protection can wear full upper body MTB armour - which is sold in the style of motocross armour. 

Downhill MTB Jerseys

Downhill Mountain Bike Jerseys provide a comfortable item of clothing for your upper half, they are again available in a range of motocross styles - so they look really cool as well. 

Downhill Mountain Bike Gear

At Westbrook Cycles, we stock an excellent range of downhill mountain bikes - as well as a massive selection of downhill mountain biking apparel, protection and clothing. You can view the full range across the site, and if you have any questions - get in touch and we will be more than happy to help.