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volsla

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Hello sledders!!!

 

Do you guys wear any protective gear during the trail riding?

 

I am thinking of the tekvest ; however, haven't tried it as of yet.

 

What is ur experience and or recommendation?

 

 

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After being first on schene to a sled accident two years ago where a guy had to be air lifted out I fitted our whole family last winter with tek vests.  They are a touch bulky and take some getting used to, but nothing u won't overcome after a few rides.  We won't ride without them now (you just don't know who the idiot coming at you around the next corner is going to be).  Good quality product and the history they have in the industry speaks for itself.  They are designed for trail riding and are cut properly so you have good movement in them.  Unless you want to spend really big money on motorcycle vests that deploy when needed I think tek vest is the way to go.  As an added bonus they do add an insulation layer which is nice.  My kids wear them over their jackets.  My wife and I wear ours under our jackets.  The kids vests have the arm and shoulder protection.  The adult vests we have are the super sport which is just your core body protection.

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Tekvest safed me from serious injuries in Quebec end of season. 

 

I never ride without mine................

Edited by Yukon
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tekvest, knee/shin guards from leatt (dual axis). if you ever take a running board edge to the shin, or get sore knees rubbing on the body work from all day or several days of riding, you will understand why. no different than wearing a helmet, while riding sleds or bikes, or wearing a seat belt in an auto. just another piece of equipment to keep you safe, help prevent injury, and get you home to your loved ones. Ski

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27 minutes ago, skidooboy said:

tekvest, knee/shin guards from leatt (dual axis). if you ever take a running board edge to the shin, or get sore knees rubbing on the body work from all day or several days of riding, you will understand why. no different than wearing a helmet, while riding sleds or bikes, or wearing a seat belt in an auto. just another piece of equipment to keep you safe, help prevent injury, and get you home to your loved ones. Ski

If everyone would ride within thier own limits on thier side of trail we wouldn’t need anything. One day when I was coming home from Cochrane I thought I keep right on my side of trail as far as I could, since that side of trail was drifted in. Sure enough there was one nut in back of pack riding snow drifts on left side of trail approaching me on the right. See him at last second and squeezed thru the centre of trail between him and his buddies, which were on the right side of trail. Never assume right side is safe either 😂
 

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Just the helmet for me.

The Tekvest is too un-comfortable - I'll take my chances

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9 hours ago, volsla said:

Hello sledders!!!

 

Do you guys wear any protective gear during the trail riding?

 

I am thinking of the tekvest ; however, haven't tried it as of yet.

 

What is ur experience and or recommendation?

 

 

Nope

 

 

But I am interested in this "deploying" vest mentioned above?

Not in getting one, just the mechanics and expectations of it.

I understand those for avalanches - but how does that work in an "over (or much worse - "Into") the bars situation?

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We bought the Tekvests a couple of years ago and just could not find that comfortable spot to where it did not restrict my movement, found everytime I looked down it would rub against the helmet and on a couple of instances it hit the kill switch on the sled, Ended up selling both of them. Hopefully a day doesn't come that I end up regretting it.

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For those with a Tekvest, did you have to upsize your suit jacket?    I'm considering one, but thinking it will take up too much space and restricting movement.    Don't want to spend the money on another jacket as this one is 2 yrs old

 

brian

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1 hour ago, Spiderman said:

Just the helmet for me.

The Tekvest is too un-comfortable - I'll take my chances

 

18 minutes ago, Nunz said:

We bought the Tekvests a couple of years ago and just could not find that comfortable spot to where it did not restrict my movement, found everytime I looked down it would rub against the helmet and on a couple of instances it hit the kill switch on the sled, Ended up selling both of them. Hopefully a day doesn't come that I end up regretting it.

 

I think about them, especially when people bring up the topic, but I just cannot see myself liking the fit of one at all.....I absolutely hate being restricted.

 

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10 minutes ago, Candubrain said:

For those with a Tekvest, did you have to upsize your suit jacket?    I'm considering one, but thinking it will take up too much space and restricting movement.    Don't want to spend the money on another jacket as this one is 2 yrs old

 

brian

I found to upsize the vest for comfort and because it helps with a layer for warmth, I didnt require a heavy sweater anymore. It shields you from the cold.

 

Its all in the sizing. If you are intersted in wearing one. My advice to you is try them on at dealer who sells them, pick your size, then purchase direct from Tekrider..

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11 hours ago, Candubrain said:

For those with a Tekvest, did you have to upsize your suit jacket?    I'm considering one, but thinking it will take up too much space and restricting movement.    Don't want to spend the money on another jacket as this one is 2 yrs old

 

brian

I didn't upsize, but my coat probably fit a touch loose to start with. I wear it over my bibs and under the jacket.  They fit big.  I wear a 2xl tekvest and a 2xl fxr adrenaline jacket.  I'm 6' tall, so haven't had any issues with it riding up into my Helmet.  I could see that issue if you're shorter.  My wife is in a large women's adrenaline coat and a large tekvest.  She complains some about the bulkiness and probably should have had a medium vest.  The 2 xl vest is tightened right up on me, so I might have gotten away with an xl vest.  I think it's a mind thing.  You need to give them a proper chance for several rides to get used to them.  After you do you really miss the added warmth and support when not riding with it.  I think the thing to remember is no one plans on a wreck.  It's the stupid things you don't see coming that will get you.  Another rider on the wrong side, a lapse in judgment on your end, a groomer over a blind hill, or just bad conditions.  Cpl years ago I was coming up our hill off the lake at the cottage.  Same thing I'd done 100 times before.  We'd had some rain and the hill iced up.  I was 90 percent of the way up when I spun out and bailed.  Couldn't believe it as I rolled down an ice covered hill on my back towards a tree worried about the 600 lbs machine that was sliding down the hill behind me fearing I was gonna get wedged between the tree and it.  Never ever saw that occurring until it was too late.  I view them like helmets now.  No one plans to use them, but you sure will be glad you're wearing it if the time ever comes.  We ride 600 lbs missiles through tree lined trails and pass other sleds coming at us with less than 12" of clearance between skis in some areas.  Even at 50 kmh that's a 100 kmh crash in a head on.  An oak tree doesn't give either.  I have kids to go home to and support, so this became a no brainer for me.

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12 hours ago, Ox said:

Nope

 

 

But I am interested in this "deploying" vest mentioned above?

Not in getting one, just the mechanics and expectations of it.

I understand those for avalanches - but how does that work in an "over (or much worse - "Into") the bars situation?

 

Not avalanche vests.  A little bit different.  What the motorcycle industry has is inflatable vests with co2 cartridges that inflate in an accident.  

 

https://fortnine.ca/en/helite-turtle-2-airbag-vest?pk_cid=14215329279&pk_campaign=pla-1435015696473&pk_source=google&pk_medium=paid&pk_content=126198455992&gclid=Cj0KCQiAqbyNBhC2ARIsALDwAsCS0O9sZznd5If4Nx58TWNbqP0Z9M78ZBq5ouAoTsPpw9OKQhphL-waArW4EALw_wcB#76=2940&493=7412

 

Some systems use a tether to the bike to set them off.  Other use fancy electronics and a built in gyroscope to detect what is a crash (airborne rider event) vs normal riding.  I found the costs were pretty high.  Also it seemed complicated.  A tether was definitely going to have me inadvertently setting it off by accident when I forgot it.  I talked to a few bikers that swore by the fancy electronic unit.  Just didn't seem like the right fit for snowmobiling.

 

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Incident I was at saw the guy air lifted out.  Relatively speaking he was in a good spot for a snowmobile accident.  He was only 1 mile from a major highway crossing and a small town and the area had good cell service.  911 was called within 5 mins of the crash occurring and they were given good information on where to come too.  Even with all that going for him he was an hour before trained medical help got to him (our group and his did what we could, but no one was a medic of any sort).  2.5 hrs before he was out of the elements and into the heat of the ambulance and 3.5 hrs before he was in a hospital for surgery.  Now move that incident to a remote trail 50 or 60 kms from the nearest road with no cell service in really cold weather and what does it look like?  You're screwed.  He hit a tree at less than 50 kmh after blowing a corner and I'm certain his helmet saved his life.  I suspect with a vest he may have walked away in a bruised up and painful state with maybe a broken bone vs going out on a backboard.  What scared me is if I was 5 mins quicker in my ride we would have met on that corner with him on top on me and my youngest as he blew the corner on our side if the trail.  Can't live life in a bubble, but you do get to decide what precautions to take.  Anyways that's my 3 cents on tek vests.

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12 hours ago, Ox said:

Nope

 

 

But I am interested in this "deploying" vest mentioned above?

Not in getting one, just the mechanics and expectations of it.

I understand those for avalanches - but how does that work in an "over (or much worse - "Into") the bars situation?

 

The inflatable vests that was being mentioned i was testing them here in Ontario years ago for motorcycle racing.  


They fit over top of your leathers and attach via a cord. When seperated from bike the cord fires into the C02 canister, and inflates pretty much all of your torso, neck area.

They deinflate themselves after a few minutes, and as long as the "deployed airbag" is not damaged you push it all back together and re install a new CO2 cartridge and good to go. 

 

I dont know if they would be beneficial to the sport of snowmobiling though, but anything helps .. 

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5 minutes ago, infernobuster said:

 

The inflatable vests that was being mentioned i was testing them here in Ontario years ago for motorcycle racing.  


They fit over top of your leathers and attach via a cord. When seperated from bike the cord fires into the C02 canister, and inflates pretty much all of your torso, neck area.

They deinflate themselves after a few minutes, and as long as the "deployed airbag" is not damaged you push it all back together and re install a new CO2 cartridge and good to go. 

 

I dont know if they would be beneficial to the sport of snowmobiling though, but anything helps .. 

the latest gens fit inside the leathers for motorcycle racing, riding, and deploy when you leave the proximity of the pull cord, or the inertia meter senses you have left the bike. but, yes they still make the airbag vests which deploy around your chest, head, neck, shoulders, ribs. helps a lot. Ski

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Just now, skidooboy said:

the latest gens fit inside the leathers for motorcycle racing, riding, and deploy when you leave the proximity of the pull cord, or the inertia meter senses you have left the bike. but, yes they still make the airbag vests which deploy around your chest, head, neck, shoulders, ribs. helps a lot. Ski

Yep, the vests were the first for market. And than they started building them into the suits, but at a cost of 5 grand. 

 

Ive been away from racing for almost 7 years now .. and im sure the technology has grown leaps and bounds.

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12 hours ago, Candubrain said:

For those with a Tekvest, did you have to upsize your suit jacket?    I'm considering one, but thinking it will take up too much space and restricting movement.    Don't want to spend the money on another jacket as this one is 2 yrs old

 

brian

 

I have a first generation tekvest. Big shoulder pads. I'm and XL in jackets. I have a 2 XL Klim snowmobile jacket and a 3 XL Mustang floatation jacket ( I switch based upon terrain...occasionally do long rides on Georgian Bay).

 

So yes, if they still have big shoulder pads, upsize for sure. Even if they don't, I'd go up one size. 

 

The only time I rolled my sled was in the first 50 kms during breaking in the sled. Figured I won't be going fast, don't need the Tekvest. Tapped brakes on a glare ice road, survived the first 360 degrees. Not the second ( edge caught). Russian judge gave me a 9.0 for form. Tekvest was on a hanger. I just bruised, in any event.

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9 hours ago, infernobuster said:

Yep, the vests were the first for market. And than they started building them into the suits, but at a cost of 5 grand. 

 

Ive been away from racing for almost 7 years now .. and im sure the technology has grown leaps and bounds.

Where did you race? Just curious, because I believe they were testing them at SOAR around the time I quit racing. Forget if it was Bickle who brought them or Fawaz.

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On 12/8/2021 at 8:13 AM, Zertrider said:

Where did you race? Just curious, because I believe they were testing them at SOAR around the time I quit racing. Forget if it was Bickle who brought them or Fawaz.

 

Yeah Fawaz saw them when we were testing them out at Mosport and Calabogie. The guy who really took off with them is Eric Moffiete (spelled wrong im sure) as he continously to this day still sells em .. yep did my stint in SOAR too.

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I typically wear a 2Xl jacket and have a large tekvest. I use a shell jacket and wear it between my bibs/midlayers and my jacket. I have the crossover one, just because it fit me better. It's 2" taller than most of the other tek vests but I'll torso. It has never bothered me wearing it, and I forget to put it on, I soon notice. I don't know how effective they are - hope to not find out - but in my mind it's a no-brainer to wear since I have young kids. 

 

The crossover vest doesn't have a zipper on it, and I'll admit I feel like an idiot when I'm pulling it off over my head in a restaurant. People ask about it a lot - you know the typical beer drinking crowd - what are you out there sno-crossing? Etc. If the sizing worked better I think I'd prefer one with a zipper that comes off like a jacket. 

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I haven't worn a vest  yet. I find I'm bulked up enough to try and stay warm. However, this product looks really interesting, and not as bulky.

Anyone try one of these?

 

509 R-Mor Protection Vest (Black)

 

About $139 US and $189 CDN.

 

Product Details

It doesn’t matter how good a rider you are. At some point, things will go wrong. Safely push the limits with the 509 R-Mor Protection Vest. Lightweight and low-profile, this stealth vest is designed to disappear under your jacket while providing CE certified impact protection to your chest and back. The secret to 509’s R-Mor padding technology is non-Newtonian fluid that reacts upon impact while remaining more flexible, comfortable, and lighter weight than protection of the past.

KEY FEATURES

  • CE Level 1 certified front chest protection
  • CE Level 1 certified Back protection
  • Stretch woven material for supportive fit, and keeps pads in place
  • Full center front zipper for easy on and off
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I have wore a tekvest for about 7 yrs. Don’t mind it at all. I wear a light/mid thermal layer, then the vest. It’s tight to the body - not baggy.

 

The coat fits over no problem, but i purchased a coat big enough to layer so i had the space. Never had an issue.

 

Watched a friend get pitched off his sled a few years ago (at speed) and tumble across a road. Other than a bruise or two, and damaged ego he was good. The vest really helped.  It really protects the torso. Slamming the upper body into an object, even the handle bars would easily cause some serious damage.

 

I don’t necessarily wear it for concerns with any of my own shortcomings as a rider. As i get older i have had too many close calls with on coming traffic - through no fault of my own. Just concerned one day my number will be up.

 

And btw - on cold days it absolutely keeps your centre of mass warm, as going 100kmh through -20 C air does not penetrate.

MS

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