Do you guys think body armor for cycling will be a future trend?
12-19-18, 09:50 AM
#76
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12-19-18, 10:00 AM
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12-19-18, 10:17 AM
#78
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Kamikaze like down hill stunt riders have long used body armor , and Life Flight helicopter ambulances ..
12-19-18, 10:44 AM
#79
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Since OP is cycling in the winter maybe some Skidoo body armor?
12-19-18, 11:49 AM
#80
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12-21-18, 06:49 AM
#81
Cycleway town
Worse than ice here atm, just turned winter today and the leaves all over the MUP's have turned to a black slime. It's rained all month and the dark doesn't help, the care required to remain upright is becoming quite an intrusive aspect of my commute.
Steering the tandem is another science i'm still getting used to, and with 5ins of suspension travel F+R this is a very tall bike - i wear a long Parka coat, and i'm thinking of lining it with pilates mat so i don't graze my hip when i inevitably lay it down...
Steering the tandem is another science i'm still getting used to, and with 5ins of suspension travel F+R this is a very tall bike - i wear a long Parka coat, and i'm thinking of lining it with pilates mat so i don't graze my hip when i inevitably lay it down...
12-26-18, 03:06 PM
#82
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Most of the motorcycle road, race, or MX armor is going to be too stiff and too hot to wear on a bicycle.
Some of the Moto X stuff has evolved in to the lighter stuff you see on DH mountain bikers, but it’s still overkill for a commuter.
Elbow and knee pads, sure, especially if you’re messing around in the snow, since you’re going to end up on the deck sooner or later.
Even still, adding pads or armor to a garment, and the kind of chassis that will keep them in place will make a much stiffer garment that you will have to expend energy working against just to move the pedals.
Some of the Moto X stuff has evolved in to the lighter stuff you see on DH mountain bikers, but it’s still overkill for a commuter.
Elbow and knee pads, sure, especially if you’re messing around in the snow, since you’re going to end up on the deck sooner or later.
Even still, adding pads or armor to a garment, and the kind of chassis that will keep them in place will make a much stiffer garment that you will have to expend energy working against just to move the pedals.
12-26-18, 04:51 PM
#84
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The thread kept going towards motorcycle armor, which I do have a fair amount of experience with, both wearing and crashing in it, and it’s not something I’d want to wear on a bicycle.
On a velo, for road riding or commuting, even MTB armor would be overkill for day-to-day use, especially given the relatively low occurrence of crashes per mile/ hour in the saddle.
Now, if you’re in the woods, or, like the OP, riding a commuter in the snow, then hitting the deck is part of the territory, so gear up accordingly
Also see the “Even If You Fall” thread we had going a few weeks back. How you land can help as much as what you’re wearing.
Last edited by Ironfish653; 12-26-18 at 04:58 PM.
12-26-18, 05:29 PM
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"adding pads or armor to a garment, and the kind of chassis that will keep them in place will make a much stiffer garment that you will have to expend energy working against just to move the pedals" is simply not true.
12-26-18, 06:20 PM
#86
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If you seriously want body armor, look in a motorcycle shops. They have all kinds of cool gear.
One thing motorcyclists sometimes wear is a torso protector that has hard shells down the spine and the shoulders and elbows. Basically all the easy to break areas. Doesn't do anything for a stress fracture of your arms, but it'll protect you from the BANG of hitting the pavement on your elbows or sliding across the road on your back.
It's impact protections, not "my arm bent backwards when I fell" protection.
Basically they are designs to keep you from having all your skin scraped off and your joints destroyed if you fall off a motorcycle at 60 mph and go sliding across the pavement.
Example...
https://www.walmart.com/ip/WOW-MOTORCYCLE-MOTOCROSS-BIKE-GUARD-PROTECTOR-ADULT-BODY-ARMOR-BLACK/114947718?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=3655&adid=22222222227058503831&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=& wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=162970340824&wl4=pla-462285145592&wl5=9007826&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=113490318&wl11=online&wl12=114947718&wl13=&veh= sem
Also might come in handy once the zombie apocalypse comes. So there's that, too.
Probably be hot and miserable bicycling with it though. Doesn't look like it's breaths easily. So you might die of dehydration and heat stroke.....but no broken elbows! Like Gozer the Gozarian says...choose the method of your destruction.
One thing motorcyclists sometimes wear is a torso protector that has hard shells down the spine and the shoulders and elbows. Basically all the easy to break areas. Doesn't do anything for a stress fracture of your arms, but it'll protect you from the BANG of hitting the pavement on your elbows or sliding across the road on your back.
It's impact protections, not "my arm bent backwards when I fell" protection.
Basically they are designs to keep you from having all your skin scraped off and your joints destroyed if you fall off a motorcycle at 60 mph and go sliding across the pavement.
Example...
https://www.walmart.com/ip/WOW-MOTORCYCLE-MOTOCROSS-BIKE-GUARD-PROTECTOR-ADULT-BODY-ARMOR-BLACK/114947718?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=3655&adid=22222222227058503831&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=& wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=162970340824&wl4=pla-462285145592&wl5=9007826&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=113490318&wl11=online&wl12=114947718&wl13=&veh= sem
Also might come in handy once the zombie apocalypse comes. So there's that, too.
Probably be hot and miserable bicycling with it though. Doesn't look like it's breaths easily. So you might die of dehydration and heat stroke.....but no broken elbows! Like Gozer the Gozarian says...choose the method of your destruction.
In fact, now that I have your attention...everyone's attention, let us make a pack to never use an avoidance as a solution to an unknown future event again.
Last edited by KraneXL; 12-27-18 at 09:35 AM. Reason: sp
12-26-18, 06:45 PM
#87
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If they're good enough for a wide receiver or running back they should be able to work on a bike.
https://www.sportsunlimitedinc.com/i...all-pants.html
https://www.sportsunlimitedinc.com/i...all-pants.html
12-27-18, 08:42 AM
#88
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No, that is actually a very bad idea. If crash avoidance through better tires, riding practices, other forms of equipment is a better safety strategy than armoring up for the effects of a crash, that should definitely be discussed.
To me, it would seem the biggest danger of slipping on ice in a road situation is the possibility of going under a car or truck. All the body armor in the world ain't saving you from that. OP has had a number of slides
If all you mean by your comment is "don't ride on icy roads" isn't a solution, fine, but crash avoidance is absolutely a solution to a safety problem. How about we just agree that "ride avoidance" isn't a solution?
12-27-18, 03:53 PM
#89
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You don't agree with using proper equipment to prevent an incident if one is regularly riding on ice? A road bike with 23mm slicks isn't going anywhere but down at every opportunity. A fat bike with studded tires will act just fine. Don't want to crash, make sure you are using the proper equipment in the first place. Body armor in most situations, this one included, is simply acknowledging that your bike isn't equipped for the task at hand.
