crash protection

Volsung wrote (in another thread):

 

 

Sorry to hear that, hope you heal quickly.

 

Recently I was out 10 weeks after a crash on pavement which involved amnesia and a fractured pelvis.  My helmet had a couple of dents which probably explains the amnesia since all the tests for other causes were negative.  Unfortunately there's no alternative to a bicycle helmet since cycling in a motorcycle helmet just wouldn't work.

 

I was wearing G-Form shorts and a tee with light padding over the shoulders, sternum, hips, and coccyx.  Over those I had Chrome messenger shorts and a Klim off-road motorcycle jersey, those did fine because I had almost no abrasions. 

 

The padding was obviously insufficient so I'm now wearing CE Level 2 motorcycle shoulder, elbow, and hip pads in a Bohn top and shorts.  Those are comfortable enough I don't notice them while riding, though they add some weight and getting the pads in and out for washing is a bit of a hassle.  The pads don't look too stupid under the loose jersey and shorts.  I hope I'll never crash test my new outfit but if I do I'll report back.

What kind of riding are you doing that you need that level of protection? Do you have balance issues that make riding difficult? I can understand the desire for protection after an accident (I broke a hip in a road bike accident in '98 and had a concussion about three years ago from a fat bike accident), but this seems a bit extreme. The amount of padding you're wearing seems to exceed what downhill MTB racers use and it may actually be hampering your ability to ride. Unfortunately, if you're really crash prone, there's probably no amount of padding that can fully protect you.

 

I don't mean to be critical here, I'm just trying to understand your situation. Kudos to you for continuing to ride, despite what you're going through!

I'm riding slowly (<= 15 mph) and carefully on mostly pavement with a little easy dirt and gravel.  I've had 3 crashes in more than 50 years which I'd call acceptably infrequent.  The first two involved hitting road hazards.  I don't know what caused the last because I have no memory of it.

 

I mentioned all of this because the pads turned out to be far less limiting than one might imagine.  Something others might consider (like Jack Smith and John Kerry).  😁

OK, so this is just in reaction to your most recent "get off", which is understandable.

After a few MTB crashes, I wore shinguards for a while, then just knee pads, and now nothing, other than a helmet, of course. Rarely ride rocky, technical stuff, as I don't particularly enjoy it.

When riding in the snow on an MTB or fat bike, I wear knee and elbow pads, as I've had a few cases where I've whacked the really hard in crashes that couldn't be avoided (like off camber ice, with powder snow over it that prevented the tire studs from gripping). I probably should wear something on my hips too, but I haven't really looked into that.

In all 3 crashes I have landed on one side so I'm most concerned about hip and shoulder protection.  I don't think knee protection is practical for pedaling and I think back and chest protection are more for motorcycling.  I wear long sleeves anyway so elbow protection comes with almost no cost.

Knee pads and shinguards designed for cycling work fine off-road, but I've never used them for road or gravel riding...actually I've never used anything other than a helmet for road riding, even when recovering from a broken hip. Honestly, I can imagine riding the road or gravel wearing what you described - especially in summer - but if it works for you, that's what matters.

 

Best of luck with your recovery.

Thanks, I was pretty much OK after 10 weeks.  Fortunately summer days here (Oakland/Berkeley) usually start under 60 deg with highs in the 70s.  The pads add between 1 and 2 lbs which is not significant to me.