Sarah Whitmore, Tania Satchwell and Tara Gieger are amongst some of the winning women motorcross riders. Championship races these and other women motorcross riders have competed in are sponsored by some of the biggest names in the sports industry. For example, there’s Lucas Oil, Alli Sports, NBC Sports Group and MX Sports Pro Racing, organizations that sponsor women’s motorcross competitions in places like Florida, California and Tennessee. In addition, many of these women compete on professionals teams, teams that rely on safe motorcross apparel so their female riders can enjoy long, rewarding racing careers.
Choosing the Right Motorcross Apparel
The right motorcross apparel could help instill team spirit amongst women bikers. It could also make award winning motorcross riders easy to spot, especially for members of the media. Although those are good reasons to invest in the right motorcross apparel, neither might be the best reason, especially considering the health risks women take as they enter races, handling tight turns, rugged terrain and extreme temperatures.
It’s these considerations that validate that safety should be a top priority when it comes to motorcross apparel. To achieve product safety, makers of the sportswear test their pants, jackets, gloves and boots in laboratories, long before they put them on the open market. Amongst apparel that’s developed mainly to protect women motorcross riders are chest protectors, kidney belts and boots.
Chest protectors are built with or without sleeves. For example, protectors like the Fox Racing R3 women’s chest protector are designed with adjustable shoulder straps, biofoam padding and as many as 40 vents for increased air flow. Adjustable shoulder pads offer women motorcross bikers a customized fit. Sizes chest protectors come in include small and medium, with some retailers providing a broader range of sizes than others.
To protect their upper torso fully, women riders can wear full body chest protectors. Two plastic chest plates, removable plastic back covering and elbow and shoulder coverings that are designed to withstand high impact are built into full body chest protectors. Women bikers can gain additional protection with the gear’s soft vented mesh body fabric. This extra protection offers women riders ventilation and a comfortable fit. By purchasing apparel designed with a center zipper, riders can put on and take off full body apparel in seconds.
More Motorcross Apparel Designed to Protect Women Riders
Boots for women motorcross riders generally have a lower height than men’s boots; they also have calf circumference built to form fit women’s calves. The combined ankle padding and ankle brace protector built into the boots offer women riders support as they lean into their bikes, placing additional weight on their ankles, calves and knees. The calf length boots also protect heels, calves and toes.
A kidney belt provides support and helps to reduce fatigue experienced by competitive women bikers. Before selecting a kidney belt, women or their coaches are encouraged to ensure that the belts fit women riders comfortably. The good news is that these and other types of safety gear show that the industry takes the safety of women bikers seriously.
This article was written by Rhonda Campbell.
Leave a Reply