# Ballistic Protection



## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

Anyone riding with hip or elbow protection on the road?

Advice or recommendations?


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## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

nothing? u guys are letting me down without even a rude comment.


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

If you're worried enough about crashing that you're thinking about hip and elbow protection you may as well just drive a car.


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## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

thank you


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## Srode (Aug 19, 2012)

Road rash and casts are probably better than looking that dorky.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

I don't care about looking dorky, and I certainly don't like road rash, but that stuff sounds too heavy and hot and restrictive for road riding. I've never seen it done. I suppose if you were protecting a recovering injury, for a limited time, it might make sense.


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## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

I was looking at G-Form. It looks workable, I don't know if their advertising is legit or just smoke and mirrors. But if you fall, it couldn't hurt to have some protection.\

I'm not racing so another # shouldn't be much of an issue on training days.


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

duriel said:


> I was looking at G-Form. It looks workable, I don't know if their advertising is legit or just smoke and mirrors. But if you fall, it couldn't hurt to have some protection.\
> 
> I'm not racing so another # shouldn't be much of an issue on training days.


What are you training for?


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## mtrac (Sep 23, 2013)

duriel said:


> I was looking at G-Form.


Isn't that for MTB? Also, I'd think you'd want a smooth surface for road use.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

Unless you're very old and have advanced osteoporosis, I think you would have worse things to worry about in a crash while road riding than hips and elbows.

The most common road riding injuries are shoulder injuries and concussions (yes, even with a helmet). And many people don't wear their helmet correctly anyway.


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## Blue CheeseHead (Jul 14, 2008)

If one needs hip and elbow protection on a road bike, I think the best move might be a recumbent trike.


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

Blue CheeseHead said:


> If one needs hip and elbow protection on a road bike, I think the best move might be a recumbent trike.


Probably a trike, a recumbent trike.


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## pittcanna (Oct 2, 2014)

Chicks dig scars. Don't wear padding like that, you will be hot and uncomfortable.


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## DaveG (Feb 4, 2004)

Blue CheeseHead said:


> If one needs hip and elbow protection on a road bike, I think the best move might be a recumbent trike.


or a Hoveround.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

I'm confused. Why do you need _ballistic _hip/elbow protection? Are you being shot at often? And why are they only targeting your hips and elbows?


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

DaveG said:


> or a Hoveround.


We got the winner.


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## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

DaveG said:


> or a Hoveround.


Do they make those with pedals? I hope Strava has a separate catagory, those wheels look to small to go much over 15mph.


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## mtrac (Sep 23, 2013)

The KOM


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## bikerector (Oct 31, 2012)

I have g-form pads and while they work for impact they probably would just get chewed up on the road. If you want the abrasion protection you'll need to wear something over the top of them. If you only want abrasion protection, so road rash protection, polyester jersey's are pretty tough, wear a baselayer underneath for the extra layer. So a long sleeve baselayer and long sleeve jersey and you're all set. Or you can ride in jeans.

I'm pretty sure there are kevlar undergaments for motorcycle riding.

Seriously though, if you're hitting the deck so much that you feel the need for extra protection, you're doing it wrong. Unless you get hit by a car most of the protection isn't going to do much for the common cycling injuries, broken collar bones, separated shoulders, broken hands, etc.


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## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

On the road, I’ve only fallen once above 5 mph that I can remember, I think I was going 20mph, hit a brick in a peleton. I broke a few bones on the Mbike & Moto. I wear full gear on the Moto, sometimes on the Mbike if I’m doing anything above a Med trail.

A bunch of riders around here are being out due to a wreck, usually it is the hip/femor area. Since I just like to ‘ride’, sometimes fast, maybe having a little protection may be worth it. If you get road rash, it is bad, if you break something, that is also bad. 

So, I am looking into it. Some type of open web of those bubbles like soccer hipsters, may be just the ticket. Or?


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## bikerector (Oct 31, 2012)

duriel said:


> So, I am looking into it. Some type of open web of those bubbles like soccer hipsters, may be just the ticket. Or?


I believe there are some padded shorts that DH riders use that are akin to what contact sports would wear.

https://www.foxracing.com/store/pro...0001.en__US.plist20002__plist20001.028?cc=028


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

mtrac said:


> The KOM


Not nice making fun of a disabled obese person. Shame!


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## mtrac (Sep 23, 2013)

Lombard said:


> Not nice making fun of a disabled obese person. Shame!


Next post will be the QOM.


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

Hand protection like what inline skaters and skateboarders wear would seem to make more sense but it might make holding your bars more difficult... They make wrist guards with palm savers designed to slide. For hips you could use a football girdle and include only the pads you want like tailbone and sides... I know some derby chicks that do this in practices.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

PBL450 said:


> Hand protection like what inline skaters and skateboarders wear would seem to make more sense but it might make holding your bars more difficult... They make wrist guards with palm savers designed to slide. For hips you could use a football girdle and include only the pads you want like tailbone and sides... I know some derby chicks that do this in practices.



Considering statistics on cycling crash injuries, something like this might make more sense:

Power SPK RB/DB Shoulder Pad - Shoulder Pads - On-Field Equipment - Shop


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

Lombard said:


> Considering statistics on cycling crash injuries, something like this might make more sense:
> 
> [url=http://www.riddell.com/shop/on
> 
> Yeah, when I separated my shoulder in a crash the 1st question anybody asked was "were you wearing a helment?". When I answered that I shoulda been wearing shoulder pads, all I got was strange looks.


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

PBL450 said:


> Hand protection like what inline skaters and skateboarders wear would seem to make more sense but it might make holding your bars more difficult... They make wrist guards with palm savers designed to slide.


Why not just gloves or padded gloves?


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## Goldriverdude (Dec 10, 2011)

Check out some skateboarding sites for hip protection shorts. There are a lot of choices and I know of one person I ride with who went this route after breaking a hip and
when they starting riding again.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

I have come to the conclusion that this is your best protection while riding:


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## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

Can you really get those in Ti? I'm all in!


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

duriel said:


> Can you really get those in Ti? I'm all in!


CF!! Ti is too heavy and too hard to weld... 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## crit_boy (Aug 6, 2013)

velodog said:


> Yeah, when I separated my shoulder in a crash the 1st question anybody asked was "were you wearing a helment?". When I answered that I shoulda been wearing shoulder pads, all I got was strange looks.


I crashed in a crit while I was in the Navy. The crash caused a posterior dislocation of my shoulder. The brainiac leadership wanted to burn me - their theory was that I was not wearing a helmet.


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

crit_boy said:


> I crashed in a crit while I was in the Navy. The crash caused a posterior dislocation of my shoulder. The brainiac leadership wanted to burn me - their theory was that I was not wearing a helmet.


Yeah, nothing against helmets, but they sure are given more credit for their lifesaving abilities than they deserve.


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## ChilliConCarnage (Jun 1, 2006)

*I need some bubble wrap*

On the one hand, this seems like a silly topic. Body armor may be fine for mt. biking (if you're not crashing, you're not trying hard enough!), but has no place in road biking... right?

Except that I was recently diagnosed with low bone density (Osteopenia). I am also on a medication that is known to have a negative affect on bone density. Combine that with the fact that the majority of my exercise is on the bike and non load-bearing, and I have a problem! With my bone density, a crash could easily result in a broken rib leading to a punctured lung on the side of the road. Not my idea of a good time!

Low bone density would explain the results of my most recent mt. bike crash, which had me carrying my bike for miles down a mountain with 3 broken ribs and a shattered collar bone. As a younger person I've crashed before, just as hard and not been injured at all.

Incidentally, I've also had 4 concussions in my life.

So... Some type of body armor would probably be very helpful for me. It might also help increase my self-confidence when doing high-speed descending, since I'm a bit scared of crashing now. I've already got a new MIPS helmet, but wouldn't mind some very light-weight protection over my ribs and back, and maybe hips.


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

ChilliConCarnage said:


> On the one hand, this seems like a silly topic. Body armor may be fine for mt. biking (is you're not crashing, you're not trying hard enough!), but has no place in road biking... right?
> 
> Except that I was recently diagnosed with low bone density (Osteopenia). I also am on a medication that is known to have a negative affect o bone density. Combine that with the fact that the majority of my exercise is on the bike and non lad-bearing, and I have a little problem!
> 
> ...


Have you tried some load bearing exercise to try and improve your bone density?


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## ChilliConCarnage (Jun 1, 2006)

velodog said:


> Have you tried some load bearing exercise to try and improve your bone density?


No. As noted above, the main exercise that I get is on the bike. Time constraints (and some leg issues) make something like jogging next to impossible for me.


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## MaxKatt (May 30, 2015)

In all my riding I've only ever seen one guy wearing knee and elbow protection OP describes. I guess if it makes you feel better...do it.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

ChilliConCarnage said:


> On the one hand, this seems like a silly topic. Body armor may be fine for mt. biking (if you're not crashing, you're not trying hard enough!), but has no place in road biking... right?
> 
> Except that I was recently diagnosed with low bone density (Osteopenia). I am also on a medication that is known to have a negative affect on bone density. Combine that with the fact that the majority of my exercise is on the bike and non load-bearing, and I have a problem! With my bone density, a crash could easily result in a broken rib leading to a punctured lung on the side of the road. Not my idea of a good time!
> 
> ...



In your situation, it's the hips that would scare me the most. If you shatter a hip, you end up in a wheelchair, period.

Don't they now have meds for building back bone density?



ChilliConCarnage said:


> No. As noted above, the main exercise that I get is on the bike. Time constraints (and some leg issues) make something like jogging next to impossible for me.


There are other weight bearing exercises you can do besides running and jumping. Running and jumping are terrible on your joints anyway. You should go to a good sports medicine doc who can recommend exercises you can do. He/she may even Rx PT. One easy one is to stand more and sit less. If your job involves a lot of sitting at a computer, you may want to see if you can urge them to get you a stand up computer desk.


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## ChilliConCarnage (Jun 1, 2006)

Lombard said:


> Don't they now have meds for building back bone density?


If I was a woman, there's Calcitonin, estrogen and hormone therapies, and estrogen agonists/antagonists. For men (and women too), there's Bisphosphonates, but they are hard on the kidneys and have other side effects.

So I take calcium and vitamin D every day.


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## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

Lombard said:


> In your situation, it's the hips that would scare me the most. If you shatter a hip, you end up in a wheelchair, period.


Most hip fractures are not that severe, but it could happen to anyone.


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