Originally Posted by Niles H.
I was thinking more along the lines of spot padding. Some of the downhill suits have patches of foam. Spot padding could be similar, but more limited -- protecting key areas.
The pads could be light and perforated, and allow for airflow.
Helmets have evolved quite a bit in this regard. (Pictures of helmets from the 70s (there are probably some of these pictures on the web) show how much hotter those were for warm summer rides....)
Padding could do something similar.
The lightness and airiness could also vary according to need, since riding conditions vary quite a bit.
That's just it though, where are you going to put it? On the rider's hips and shoulders? That's about the only place that is covered by fabric on a rider in any temperature over 65 degrees. I've fallen over maybe twice on a bicycle through years of riding and all of the falls were because I stopped and lost my balance and couldn't unclip in time. I don't want to jinx myself of course.
I've fallen a few more times while mountain biking but I gave that up years ago. Mountain biking is too dangerous and I think you're much more likely to injure yourself doing that than road riding.