body armour... safety anyone?

[cwah]

Hello,

Lots of us are cycling of 35mph... which is much more than most cyclist.

Do you usually wear body armour?

I'm thinking to get something like this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Motorbike-Enduro-Body-Armour-Protector/dp/B004NTG0Z8/ref=sr_1_1?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1430740831&sr=1-1&keywords=lightweight+body+armour

However it looks quite bulky and I'm looking for something lighter. Or is it not needed?

 

[made_in_the_alps_legacy]

Do you usually wear body armour?

mostly when I "explore" new riding areas or new "riding rig" - it's a similar one as the one you posted

 

[MadRhino]

When you see me wearing body armour, get out of my way

Seriously, I wear no protections most of the time. When I do, it is because I'm gonna try crazy jumps with the kids, or the riding conditions are risky business. I wear a helmet in tthe winter, even at springtime when the corners are still dusty with remains of melting salt. Glasses, gloves and boots, all the time.

 

[Jackrabbit]

I wear an Alpinestars bionic jacket, it fits under a hoodie easily and provides a little extra protection should the worst happen. I've also taken to wearing a full face motocross helmet, it's a little conspicuous but I don't think cycling helmets are really up to the job at these higher speeds.

 

[striider]

I have a motorcycle jacket with padding and shoulder/elbow protection, but I don't wear it. I do however wear my bicycle helmet so far. Last night with the rain and cool temps I should have worn my motorcycle helmet instead actually, and it has bluetooth!

 

[cal3thousand]

I don't wear body armor and I travel up to 40mph. I do wear gloves and glasses at all times and helmet when I'm going to be riding above 30mph.

I've thought about armor, but I have enough gear to lug around already.

 

[arkmundi]

I wear a Sans MP3 player with calm meditative music so as to remain relaxed and blissfully unaware of the grim reaper lurking. :lol:

 

[SloNEZ]

I have a mesh upper body armor similar to the one you showed left over from my dirt biking days.
Really considered wearing it, even dug it out of storage, but haven't ever actually followed through.
I am positive it would've helped a lot during my second get-off ... that's actually when I went to the trouble of finding it
I hit high 30's to 40 mph or so pretty much every commute, but just for a short stretch. Falling there would suck.
Average in-motion speeds in the mid-to-high 20s. I can live with that.

I always wear gloves, helmet, glasses, and boots that cover my ankle bones.
I'm hoping that will be enough, and that if the bike falls out from under me again I'm not going too fast at the time.

-Slo

 

[cal3thousand]

I wear a Sans MP3 player with calm meditative music so as to remain relaxed and blissfully unaware of the grim reaper lurking. :lol:

But watch out for that 'skid demon'

 

[arkmundi]

Yes, I've experienced 'skids' in near-fatality situations, so also wear good underwear too. :lol: Also, always wear helmet, gloves, jeans and good boots. May add elbow protection.

 

[granolaboy]

I love my corazzo 5.0

https://www.corazzo.net/product-category/mens-corazzo-jackets/

Has some armour, but doesn't make you look like an MX rider.

 

[liveforphysics]

The armor in the first post's amazon link is a set I bought a few years back to try out. The plastic rivets holding the spine protector sections snapped apart the first time I crashed in it, and the arm protection rotated out of the way and let my arms get scrapped up still.

I'm sure it was better than crashing with no armor at all, but I wouldn't buy it again.

 

[Ohbse]

I bought a 'cheap' (everything is relative) but decent jacket that has integrated armor on the shoulders, elbows and a back protector.

http://www.mcas.com.au/motorcycle-clothing-road-textile-jackets/rjays-voyager-4-mens-jacket

After being left hooked recently in a very unavoidable way I ended up with a pretty serious bruise on my right shoulder the exact size and shape of the armor. I'm confident without it I would have been much worse off. It's also super practical for keeping me warm and dry as I ride every day, regardless of weather. Don't re-invent the wheel... motorcyclists have a huge variety of great gear available. Just note that if you do a lot of pedaling you're going to be getting pretty hot in something like this.

I ride with a conventional bike helmet (which is begging to be upgraded), sunglasses, gloves and waterproof over pants mostly for the wind/water resistance. I'm thinking about a new helmet, riding boots and armored gloves.

 

[friendly1uk]

Gloves and glasses always. I'm ofton whipped across the face, and always land with my hands and elbows. That is what I want to protect next. My elbows. I have seen what look like little more than socks. I'm thinking if they have a good weave of something abrasion resistant in them, they are for me. I can't cycle about in a jacket all the time, it is just too hot through summer. In all my crashes, it's been hands elbows and knee's that get it, while flys in the eye are common, and lately a lot of whipping.

I dread a fast crash, but plan ahead and stick below 20.

My last crash, my cow horn like handlebar grabed one of the cycle railings that you have to swerve through. Great safety measure that. I was hitting the brakes as I flew through the air, just to get the motor off and wheel stopped. Had a little thought about how I had just been telling someone to wear gloves, and I was glad I had mine on. Then palms and elbows, and lay flat slide. No damage done. For once, it was smooth.

 

[Routybouty]

I wear the same gear I wear on the motorcycle:

Gloves
Helmet (full face duh!)
Jacket
Jeans

Unless I'm keeping it slow (<20mph) on the sidewalks, I always wear the gear.

The ONE time I rode around without gear thinking I would stay under 20mph, I bit it hard. I was doing about 25mph on a sidewalk (no one around) covered in leaves and there was a small curve to go around an old tree stump. I slipped off the edge, since it was covered in leaves, and went flying through the air! I skidded a fair distance on my right arm and right leg. Way more damage to me than the bike luckily. The worst part was I couldn't leave the scene of embarrassment because the Oakley's went flying in the leaves and I spent 15 minutes kicking through until I found them :lol:.

Maybe I'll start wearing the full leather track day gear .

 

[motomech]

I wear a Sans MP3 player with calm meditative music so as to remain relaxed and blissfully unaware of the grim reaper lurking. :lol:

But watch out for that 'skid demon'

Some Japanese rules for motorcycles

1962 Safety Rules from Honda

Taken from a 1962 Honda Motor Cycle Owner's Manual.
Translated by Honda for the American Motorcycle Rider

1. At the rise of the hand by Policeman, stop rapidly.
Do not pass him by or otherwise disrespect him.

2. When a passenger of the foot, hooves in sight, tootel the horn
trumpet melodiously at first. If he still obstacles your passage,
tootel him with vigor and express by word of mouth, warning Hi, Hi.

3. Beware of the wandering horse that he shall not take
fright as you pass him. Do not explode the exhaust box at him.
Go soothingly by.

4. Give big space to the festive dog that makes sport
in roadway. Avoid entanglement of dog with wheel spokes.

5. Go soothingly on the grease mud, as there lurks the
skid demon! Press the brake foot as you roll around
the corners, and save the collapse and tie up.

 

[dogman dan]

One reason I don't ride above 30 mph on the street these days, is so I can handle the road rash if I crash. And, 30 mph is legal in my state, so it seems like a good idea to not be seen going 40 on the flat. I haven't had a crash riding street lately, last one was the guy walking down the bike lane at night wearing all black.

So I just wear the basics, helmet and gloves. In summer, nothing more than shorts and a t shirt. Sandals have a closed toe, so I can put a foot down at 30 mph if I must. With the helmet and gloves, I can land on my hand if I must, and don't worry about a rash on the noggin.

Cars are the real problem, more than a skid demon. But somehow I have never let a car hit me on bike or motorcycle in my lifetime. I did ride carelessly into a parked car once in 78, the last ride I ever took without a helmet.

When I was doing race practice, or racing, then it was full armor. I know a laydown is going to happen when pushing it that hard. This is why I never ride that way in daily travel riding.

Riding dirt, I don't wear body armor, despite knowing I'll crash occasionally. In the dirt, the nature of the trails in my area means you generally are riding about 15 mph. So a slow over the bars once in a while is no big deal. On the faster sections the skids are not demons, but something to savor and enjoy. I rarely laydown or high side in dirt going fast. No fun if the skid doesn't happen.

 

[thewmatusmoloki]

I do feel quite safe but the rust after a couple'o'years is a downer !

 

[rider95]

40yrs of mx smipro racer a advance Hangglider pilot with a aerobatic and tow ticket but now when I ride my e bike I ride naked !! well just a ball cap shorts and sandals and I do this riding some top rated MT bike trails . I sometimes will were a rock climbing helmet because I need a place to attaché my Gopro

 

[Jackrabbit]

Good luck rider95, I hope you don't need it.

 

[rider95]

Just got back from a trail ride about an hr ago clipped a tree with my rt shoulder , no big deal then was trying to clear a bad spot clipped another tree with my left shoulder.knocked my ass off the bike put a nasty gouge in my arm then I clipped a tree stump with my left foot think I broke my little toe, on the way home my battery gave out my GF had to come get me . wow that was fun

 

[friendly1uk]

The very next day lol

I have also messed up since my last post. Mounting a curb at an angle, in the wet, the power came on as the rear wheel was just apexing the curb stone. The bike just went from under me. Leaving me stood upright thankfully!

 

[Ricky_nz]

speed kills!.

man i hate that phrase. They use it all the time in road safety campains here but the reality is sudden deceleration kills or breaks a leg as in my case. Speed is not harmful. Its the sudden deceleration that might hurt.

 

[Chalo]

Sudden deceleration from a low speed doesn't hurt. Lightly slap your hand onto a completely inflexible granite countertop... No broken bones there, right? Speed does kill-- it's a fact as certain as E = MV^2.

As for body armor, note that the effect of risk compensation seems to outweigh the protective effect of the armor. American football uses lots of body armor, for instance; the similar sport of rugby does not. But football has demonstrated a much higher risk of injury.

Likewise, bicycle helmets are well proven in the test lab, but they have had no effect on cyclist mortality rates even though helmet usage rates have risen dramatically.

 

[dogman dan]

Yep, splat into a fast moving car, or an immovable object like the curb hard enough, no bike helmet will save you.

I just find the helmet makes the smaller, less drastic crash more comfy, and I have proven that eventually I will crash. I just somehow managed to dodge the cars all my life so far. I still go over the bars far too regularly dirt riding. So the helmet is nice for the little bumps. One crash I had could potentially have killed me, even at 15 mph, striking the temple on a curb could be fatal. So perhaps it saved me that time. It sure crushed the shit out of the helmet right above my ear. But that was a low speed crash, same thing at 40 mph, no way the bike helmet would have done much to help.

Since I'm wearing that helmet for comfort, there's also a definite limit to what I'll wear when riding in the summer. Road rash is just something you enjoy if you lay one down. So in summer, it's closed toe shoes or sandals, gloves, and the funny hat. Protecting the most likely to rub the asphalt spots. Knees and elbows are naked.

Talking speeds under 30 mph here, btw.