Commuting - Anyone wear body armor during their commute?...

I took a spill this morning on a wet wooden bridge during the 5 miles of park riding on my 25 mile one way commute. All is fine, a few scratches. But it caused me to consider that I ride through 12-15 miles of city- block to block type traffic( at least during the rush hour parts of my commute...I do the ("Tour De Bronx")I just ordered some lightweight upper and lower body armor...anyone else do it this way?..I figured it's better to be prepared for a fall, or a hit....than not. :)

I suppose it's not a bad idea. Doesn't it get a little warm?

I've thought about body armor before too. What's stopped me was the thought of all that gear making me overheat specially in the summer.

After a hard spill 2 years back in the Winter, I have it some serious thought. My steel studded tire let go... I solved that problem with all carbite studded tires immediately following. However there have been a few days when I would have felt more comfortable I I'd had some padding on my elbows. Thankfully I never went down last winter so I have not persued it any further.

Happy riding,
André

Hell no. I overheat in the middle of winter in breathable clothing.

I've considered a full-face helmet--anyone commute with one of those?

Ummm...NO.

But then, I live in North Texas, where the temps regualrly reach thriple digits during the summer.
You would die if you had to wear body armor here.

I've considered a full-face helmet--anyone commute with one of those?

I do. Makes me feel much better with all the cars in London. I feel that if I fall then I'd like some protection for my lower face! I have a Giro Remedy helmet but will probably change to a MET Parachute in the future.

You mean like this?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/whappen/2512258145/

I've considered a full-face helmet--anyone commute with one of those?

I've seen a few. On road bikes too no less. As far as helmets are concerned I say wear what is comfortable to you.

I've worn a full face motorcycle helmet and padded jacket in the winter a few times, but mainly because it was a few degrees below zero and windy, not for any real injury prevention.

I've taken some pretty hard hits since I've been commuting, and whatever hurts I got from them, armor wouldn't have helped much.

Nope.

My experience with body armour when mountain biking is that it does help when you take a spill it offers good protection for your knee caps, shins and elbows but at the same time it's very hot and uncomfortable. I never wear it during my commute, I don't think that body armour would help when getting hit by a car, it's not designed for that.

I wear it once the weather gets a bit cooler around 50 degrees F and below. It works depending on the fall. It saved my back, elbows, and shoulders about 6 times now over 2 years along with the helmet.

Lets see -- 3 were on ice. 2 were on gravel, and I cant remember one of the them.

The worst was a downhill trail, gravel, that I ride roughly 4 times a week for the last 4 years. I came down the hill a bit too fast. The gravel was a bit too loose, and I just went off the edge of the trail. Hit a tree trunk went head over bars with bike following me, landed on my shoulders, then back hitting the next tree, with bike spearing me in my chest.

It was nice standing up and checking out the bike damage, rather than the body damage.

Tough part is odor control. But mine is flexible enough to wash and in between washes, I use a homemade tea tree spray.

No because i'm not a ****ing clown. Body armor and full face helmet on a commuting bike? Serious?

It's the first time I've ever even thought about actual body armor. But I suppose overheating would be a problem.

I have worn knee and elbow pads at times. It's a good feeling knowing that I could hit the ground with these parts and protect more vulnerable parts of me. But I got a bit tired of the extra time and effort spent getting this extra stuff on. It does add up, after all.

I saw a guy with some body armor riding yesterday. He had elbow pads, knee pads, a full face cyclocross helmet, and some kind of armor vest.

looked freaking uncomfortable and slowwwwww

I cant speak for lower body armour or a full helmet, but Im sure it would depend on the type. Mine has detachable arms and I have never felt uncomfortable (with the temp below 50). In fact, exactly the opposite. The armour provides enough warmth that I rarely wear more than a shell jacket over the armour until the temp goes below 32. Then Ill put on some long underwear under the armour.

AMULL...a Toronto sissy talking baddass to a born and bred New Yorker???...You sound like an internet clown. Isn't it a felony up there to like spit your gum on the ground?...real tough crowd....I've been to Toronto...isn't the state animal a butterfly?

Issues much?

Also, the quote button is your friend.

Somebody just needs to slow down a little on their commute....

I had a friend who wore chain mail. Not biking, though, just most of the time.

AMULL...a Toronto sissy talking baddass to a born and bred New Yorker???...You sound like an internet clown. Isn't it a felony up there to like spit your gum on the ground?...real tough crowd....I've been to Toronto...isn't the state animal a butterfly?



Toronto happens to be host to the Granite Anvil 1200k. 750 miles, 90 hr limit, 29,000' of climbing.
Who's the sissy?

BTW, Toronto isn't a state. It's a city; inside a province.

Only if you ride like this guy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-w_ou1tFjEc#t=8m20s (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-w_ou1tFjEc#t=7m00s)

I've seen a few. On road bikes too no less. As far as helmets are concerned I say wear what is comfortable to you.

Ye I wear mine on a road bike :D Wouldn't wear armour though, but perhaps knee / elbow pads if the weather was particularly icy - I may just choose not to ride instead though!

Body armor? Does a bra count? :o

No because i'm not a ****ing clown. Body armor and full face helmet on a commuting bike? Serious?

This.

Too cool for school to wear armour? lmao -- You are commuting, Fred.

Cool, for commuting by bicycle is a 4 letter word describing the hourly temperature on the way to and from your workplace.

Body armor? Does a bra count? :o

One of those pointy things Madonna used to wear might count. I suppose it all depends on what sort of injury you're trying to protect yourself from.

Body armor? Does a bra count? :o

Is it one with the hard plastic inserts like boxers wear? Or chain mail? I think both of those would count.:thumb:

Body armor? Does a bra count? :o


One of those pointy things Madonna used to wear might count. I suppose it all depends on what sort of injury you're trying to protect yourself from.


Is it one with the hard plastic inserts like boxers wear? Or chain mail? I think both of those would count.:thumb:

Of course, I'm pretty sure we can all agree that we'd love to have pictures. ;)

I had no idea that this thread would prove so entertaining. I'm adding a 9ft long cape to the armor for a final touch.....:)....maybe it will keep all the toronto thugs from coming after me....:)...I'm also adding a siren so I can run all the red lights.....:)

I had no idea that this thread would prove so entertaining. I'm adding a 9ft long cape to the armor for a final touch.....:)....maybe it will keep all the toronto thugs from coming after me....:)...I'm also adding a siren so I can run all the red lights.....:)

Based on personal experience I can tell you that bikes and long capes do not mix.

I had no idea that this thread would prove so entertaining. I'm adding a 9ft long cape to the armor for a final touch.....:)....maybe it will keep all the toronto thugs from coming after me....:)...I'm also adding a siren so I can run all the red lights.....:)

It's only amusing since you went loopy on our friend from Canada. Fail to the nth degree.

Based on personal experience I can tell you that bikes and long capes do not mix.

Pics (or at least more of the story) or it didn't happen...

As far as the original topic is concerned, I don't wear body armor on my commute and never will unless part of it is a gnarly downhill MTB course.

I took a spill this morning on a wet wooden bridge during the 5 miles of park riding on my 25 mile one way commute. All is fine, a few scratches. But it caused me to consider that I ride through 12-15 miles of city- block to block type traffic( at least during the rush hour parts of my commute...I do the ("Tour De Bronx")I just ordered some lightweight upper and lower body armor...anyone else do it this way?..I figured it's better to be prepared for a fall, or a hit....than not. :)

How did you land?

Too cool for school to wear armour? lmao -- You are commuting, Fred.

Question: do you wear a grass skirt, a coconut bra and an antler hat while commuting? If not, why not?

Question: do you wear a grass skirt, a coconut bra and an antler hat while commuting? If not, why not?

In the past I would have never considered a coconut bra but the new merino coconut isn't supposed to be as itchy and tastes much better than bras made from synthetic materials.

Do coconut bras really offer any protectional at all?
Hell..when we were kids, we never saw anyone wearing a coconut bra.
I think it's all hype from the manufacturer.
OTOH. no one ever died from wearing a coconut bra.
What do you think?

I think you guys are missing the point. You don't wear the coconut bra for protection, you wear it for cooling. The antler hat is for protection.

To return to the original point...I'm no body armor expert, but don't MTBers who wear body armor, do so because they have fairly frequent, low-speed crashes? It's for scrapes and slides, no? Not so much for a full-on impact with something massive like a tree. It seems to me that the rationale behind wearing body armor is that on a typical ride, it's fairly likely to prevent or minimize a certain type of injury. I don't think that reasoning holds with the average commute.

Pics (or at least more of the story) or it didn't happen...


Halloween 2006. Dracula on a bike, - cape flowing smoothly behind as had been envisioned.

Slowed down, crosswind blows cape into rear spokes.

Dracula spends rest of commute with a little real blood to go with the fake stuff and a cape tied around his waist.

edit: Body Armor may have helped. Is it effective against wooden stakes?

If you need body armor on a commute you are doing something wrong. Either that or commuting in Baghdad.

I think you guys are missing the point. You don't wear the coconut bra for protection, you wear it for cooling. The antler hat is for protection.


Kind of obvious when you think about it.

There you go again.... bringing logic into the discussion. pffft..
You've interrupted my perfectly good coconut bra fantasy.

But trying (it's difficult) to keep on track, motorcyclists typically use body armor for the asphalt slide.
It helps keeps most of your skin on. It offer little protection against broken bones and bruises. The type of injury on a bicycle would not (for me) warrant such an outrageous overkill of protection.

Kind of obvious when you think about it.

It IS obvious when I think it through.
Now I have to decide between the Bullwinkle cap or the Captain Zero cape.....

I have been thinking about getting a helmet. Is that considered body armor?

... You don't wear the coconut bra for protection, you wear it for cooling. The antler hat is for protection.

Would make a great sig.

Would make a great sig.

My thoughts exactly... but I decided to opt for this instead.


Based on personal experience I can tell you that bikes and long capes do not mix.

I have been thinking about getting a helmet. Is that considered body armor?

Depends on how you use it.

My thoughts exactly... but I decided to opt for this instead.

That would go well with mine...

sounds like overkill to me. But what do I know? I'm just a Canadian.

;)