[ajlpenguin]

Hello! I am a high school student in the United States. As part of a team marketing project, I must design and market a new product for a sport that is not popular in the U.S. Our team must introduce the new product to a foreign company.

We've chosen cycling as the sport and the UK as our market. Since our knowledge of bike design is limited, we've decided to focus our attention on safety gear and apparel.

The concept I had in mind was a type of hooded shirt with padded shoulders. It would be fitted but loose enough for comfort and for a layer of padding around the shoudlers in elbows. What do you think about this idea?

I read an article about a mall in Great Britain that banned hoodies because of the negative connotations with gangs, but I think what I have in mind is more functional. I think that the right type of padding could reduce the stress on the shoulders during falls or collisions. Do you think there is a market for this anywhere in the UK?

I'd appreciate any feedback or suggestions. We're still researching the market, so please let me know if there are any trends worth knowing about.

Thanks!

[The BikeForums Team]

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[markhr]

Good luck with your task.

Try the forums below as well BUT while they are more frequently visited than this section of the Bikeforums they are much less friendly and much, much less populous.

http://forum.ctc.org.uk/
http://www.anothercyclingforum.com/index.php
www.cyclechat.co.uk/ (http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/)
http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/ (http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/)

[MichaelW]

Hoodies are popular in the UK because of the widespread use of CCTV in all towns.
You shouldnt ride a bike with a hood up, it restricts peripheral vision.
Shoulder injuries are caused my transfer of impact from an outstretched hand. When used properly, a shoulder can take a lot of direct impact (see rugby and US football). Padding may reduce direct impact a little but it wont prevent any injuries at all.
The most common injuries are abrasion (called road rash). I think there would be a market for anti road-rash cycing gear.