Originally Posted by
Racing Dan
So all of this falling over. Did it pay off in the end making you go faster or is it just added expense and unnecessary risk, for no real benefit?
OP, all I can think of is wearing gloves, helmet and pants. No one seem interested in wearing any sort of crash protection outside the helmet, even if padded clothing is readily available. That is shirts with shoulder and/or elbow protection and pants with hip and/or knee protection.
Weight, comfort, style, and efficacy.
One could wear knee- and elbow-pads ... but how often does one crash hard on a knee or elbow? Skid pads on the hips and sides of the knees might help---but how effective would they be? Zero for padding--enough to make a difference would inhibit movement---so the real need is to prevent road rash, but would the heat of friction and the sliding fabric still cause abrasions?
Also, mobility is really important in the hips and knees, and no one wants to wear pads which slow one down.
Only way to prevent fractured collarbones would be NFL-style shoulder pads. The impact of a 20-30-mph fall isn't going to be mitigated by a little padding. But imagine trying to ride in NFL shoulder pads.
Plus ... people simply don't crash that much and keep riding. Either they learn or quit or are forced to quit.
Plus, people would feel stupid riding a bike in a suit of armor.