I am a keen and reasonable cyclist, better on road than off but I do both. I have one major draw back. Brittle Bones. So Im more liable to break bones. I think I would benefit from Body Armour.. Can anyone comment on this and also prehaps suggest which make might be better than another. I would aim to wear this kit more often than most people so I'd like to to be light but effective.
This year I came off my off road bike, on some slippery cobbels. I broke a rib. A normal rider would have got away with a bad bruise. So accident reduction is the order of the day.
..Im more liable to break bones. I think I would benefit from Body Armour..
It doesn't really work that way. Body armor basically protects by enlarging the impact site, whick is good news if you hit bumps, corners and edges. When hitting a flat surface BA won't be able to help you that much. In order to strengthen limbs you need something that is strapped FIRMLY to your body. This works great for the wrist protectors that inline skaters and snowboarders use, but that's about it.
Basically BA can to a degree protect you against impact breaks, but won't do much for breaks that occur through bending. That said, a back plate can never be wrong...
If it improves my confidence, then that will improve my riding.. Its odd decending a hill at say 40 mph when you know if you come off, its gonna be pretty bad.... Still the bike calls tho.
Basically your saying if its a fall onto tarmac, its not going to help much? but if its a fall onto uneven ground off road it will help more?
I have one major draw back. Brittle Bones. So Im more liable to break bones. I think I would benefit from Body Armour
BA would help but you mentioned you have brittle bones? Did you ever consider going to the doctor so he/she can give you supplements to strengthen/cure it?? It wont matter if you put on any type of BA, if your bones are brittle, its not going to help. Good luck.
BA would help but you mentioned you have brittle bones? Did you ever consider going to the doctor so he/she can give you supplements to strengthen/cure it?? It wont matter if you put on any type of BA, if your bones are brittle, its not going to help. Good luck.
Brittle bones is a genetic thing, so there are no supplements currently that assist. retaining bone density through exercise is one of the best options..
Im looking at reducing crash impact. Ive just read on a skinging medical site that wrist protectors stop impact injuries with snow boarders. This group have a large wrist accident rate when not wearing wrist protectors...
Basically your saying if its a fall onto tarmac, its not going to help much? but if its a fall onto uneven ground off road it will help more?
Once again, BA works by distributing the force of impact over a larger area. If you're hitting a flat surface with your body more or less extended then there's not much more distributing to do. BA will still provide some padding and protect against abrasions though. But if you impact something convex, edge of sidewalk, gets tangled in the bike or whatever, then the BA can really help to distribute that force. Here's a comparison: Suppose somebody throws a basketball (flat surface) at your unprotected chest. Then you stick a telephone directory(BA) under your shirt and somebody throws another basketball (flat surface) at you. It will be about equally unpleasant both times. Now replace basketball with baseball (stones, roots, branches, bike frame...)and repeat the experiment.
Ive just read on a skinging medical site that wrist protectors stop impact injuries with snow boarders. This group have a large wrist accident rate when not wearing wrist protectors...
That very much depends on how you ride, which pretty much decides how you fall. I ride alpine/carving style. 99% of my falls are wipeouts during aggressive cornering. At that speed and attitude there's little impact or tumbling but a lot of snow-spraying sliding.
The jibbers and jumpers OTOH are the ones who fall in a manner and at a speed that makes it possible for them to try to brace themselves and in the process break their wrists. A bit like the difference between a motocrosser falling and a GP racer falling.
Many thanks for all the replies on this. Ive been away for a while hence the late reply. I wondered what people thought of sixsixone body armour. My local shop doesnt do dainese, and reckons this stuff is as good. I cant find a dainese retailer within 150 miles hence then the quesstion and I want to try on etc before I buy..
you might want to check with your doctor that cycling will really help your bone condition. I too have a condition with a medical tendency towards bone thinning and have been told that cycling will not build up bone density. It is great for the heart, lungs, muscles etc but as it doesn't involve 'foot-falls' then it doesn't help the bones. Anyway, that is what I was told.
I used to skate a lot, messed up both wrists doing it, and never even bruised a wrist when i was wearing my guards, i can't particularly comment on body armour in general, but it depends on what pieces anyway, some pieces of protection are better than others.
I hate to say something sensible when you clearly like to ride a lot, but since no one else is, I'll put on my fireproof suit and have at it...
It seems to me someone with "brittle bones" has got no business careening down mountains at 40 mph on a bicycle. I'm sure you love to ride, but when it becomes a serious threat to your health I'd say it's time to find another sport.
I think broken bones while swimming are pretty rare...
I liked that reply.. Mmm a very serious question which I'll try to answer sensibly. Basically disability shouldnt necessarily be a restriction in sport and work and so on, and the Paralympics is an excellent example of how disbability need not be a restriction ie blind cyclists for instance, and so on. In my case I have had a few serious injuries but I judge my long term health to much improved in general overall because of cycling as the against the accidents its brought. Having a disability in this way becomes a personal balance of judgement therefore. Many people are injured off road for instance, and bare skin on gravel hurts most. For me whereas you might get serious bruise and swelling, I might just go a little further an get a break. Lifes full of risks.. Another interesting factor, and this is entirely anecdotal, is that people with brittle bones have a great deal of energy. My grandfather had it, and he had an old wheelchair and he went out with the cycling club in it.. pushing like hell, and in turn being pushed when to tired. He had a 60 inch chest as a result despite being 5 foot only I believe. how mads that 🙂 Simon
