Body Armor For Bicycling - Especially For Hips?
02-22-13, 06:53 AM
#27
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Do a google search for padded MTB shorts
02-22-13, 12:48 PM
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I crashed about 4 months ago and broke my hip/femur. Wasn't going particularly fast but slammed down very hard and didn't slide much. I'm looking in to padding of some sort for the next time I race but am not going to bother for training/commuting. I just don't take corners very fast when I don't have to
02-22-13, 02:40 PM
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+1
And yet, roughly once a year, I make a bad judgement call and ride one of the other bikes. A couple of weeks ago I went down in the parking lot at work. It wasn't supposed to drop below freezing until a couple of hours after I got home. Oh well. Plan B kicked in.
Plan B is learn how to fall without injury.
Way back in high school, (nearly 40 years ago) I took judo as a Phys Ed class elective. The first thing they teach you is how to fall. The most common technique is the shoulder roll. It works well in cycling.
When I returned to cycling, my first fall (a pedal strike when cornering) reminded me of this. Or rather, an epic case of road rash reminded me of this. Once I healed, I began practicing my shoulder rolls again. I've not been injured since.
Even back in 2008 when I was t-boned in an intersection by a left crossing Pontiac, the shoulder roll saved me. Because my head was tucked, my helmet never touched ground. I had zero road rash because I never skidded along. I had a few bruises--pavement is hard, after all, especially at speed.
I had a deep tissue contusion in my right shoulder which caught the initial impact, but had I not already started the roll, it would have meant a snapped collar bone. I was back to work within a week, and completely healed in two. Not bad for having "Pontiac" embossed on your calf.
So my best advice is learn how to fall. Even if it takes some night self-defense classes to do it.
And yet, roughly once a year, I make a bad judgement call and ride one of the other bikes. A couple of weeks ago I went down in the parking lot at work. It wasn't supposed to drop below freezing until a couple of hours after I got home. Oh well. Plan B kicked in.
Plan B is learn how to fall without injury.
Way back in high school, (nearly 40 years ago) I took judo as a Phys Ed class elective. The first thing they teach you is how to fall. The most common technique is the shoulder roll. It works well in cycling.
When I returned to cycling, my first fall (a pedal strike when cornering) reminded me of this. Or rather, an epic case of road rash reminded me of this. Once I healed, I began practicing my shoulder rolls again. I've not been injured since.
Even back in 2008 when I was t-boned in an intersection by a left crossing Pontiac, the shoulder roll saved me. Because my head was tucked, my helmet never touched ground. I had zero road rash because I never skidded along. I had a few bruises--pavement is hard, after all, especially at speed.
I had a deep tissue contusion in my right shoulder which caught the initial impact, but had I not already started the roll, it would have meant a snapped collar bone. I was back to work within a week, and completely healed in two. Not bad for having "Pontiac" embossed on your calf.
So my best advice is learn how to fall. Even if it takes some night self-defense classes to do it.
I wasn't wearing any of my motorcycle gear that day, but the riding pants I bought many years ago came with body armor in the hips. I wouldn't recommend them for bicycling though.
02-23-13, 01:51 AM
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Hips are actually really hard to break compared to most bones, that's why you rarely see body armor specifically for the pelvis. Basically if you hit hard enough to break it, you're getting to the level of impact that damages internal organs too. Assuming healthy bones of course. Padding/armor might help some, but your best bet is to cycle more carefully and maintain good bone health.
02-23-13, 08:00 AM
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Hips are actually really hard to break compared to most bones, that's why you rarely see body armor specifically for the pelvis. Basically if you hit hard enough to break it, you're getting to the level of impact that damages internal organs too. Assuming healthy bones of course. Padding/armor might help some, but your best bet is to cycle more carefully and maintain good bone health.
02-23-13, 10:06 PM
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>>So how does one tuck and roll with a bike between their legs?<< When I got my first "adult" bicycle at 21. I was taught by the local crew to pull the bike up on you to protect it when you go down. That lead to some really bad road rash, but the bike looked ok.
A few thousand years later, I had a really bad spill. I had to start rolling to burn off speed and not skin. (Obviously, a change in philosophy had occurred) I'm afraid the the bike had to slide its own way as I rolled another.
Luckily, I have yet to conk my head in a mishap.
When it is cool enough, I do wear my Level II vest while on the bike. It is not designed to protect against abrasion per se. But, it would do if I had that type of crash.
A few thousand years later, I had a really bad spill. I had to start rolling to burn off speed and not skin. (Obviously, a change in philosophy had occurred) I'm afraid the the bike had to slide its own way as I rolled another.
Luckily, I have yet to conk my head in a mishap.
When it is cool enough, I do wear my Level II vest while on the bike. It is not designed to protect against abrasion per se. But, it would do if I had that type of crash.
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