Body Armor??

So, anyone have any experience with these?

http://www.blueskycycling.com/cat-protective-gear.htm


I have in mind that "Farmer John" and the "pressure suit"
together...sides of hips are covered, knees and shins are covered,
shoulders and elbows are covered, even the spine...cool!

I'd only use them in wintertime, underneath a simple turtleneck...that,
and the exercise, should keep me plenty warm!

So how good is body armor in general? Are they like helmets, a one-use
affair? (Not likely, but hey, what do I know.) Think of your worst
bike accident ever. Would armor have helped you any?

And where can I get them chrome German helmets? Want 'em in chrome
since that's so damned reflective -- and of course I'd only use them in
winter time.

BTW, any of y'all use balaclavas like this from Outdoor Research? It's
so neat:
http://orgear.com/home/style/home/he...laclavas/85130.

NYC XYZ Wrote:
So, anyone have any experience with these?

http://www.blueskycycling.com/cat-protective-gear.htm


So how good is body armor in general? Are they like helmets, a
one-use
affair? (Not likely, but hey, what do I know.) Think of your worst
bike accident ever. Would armor have helped you any?







0[/url].
I have had only one accident on my bent that amounted to anything. I
was entering the bike path at about 14mph making a 90 degree turn,
leanning to the right, when the rear wheel hit a very small patch of
loose gravel. Padding in the hip area would have saved me a good road
rash that I doctored for a week.
You are new to recumbents? The reason I ask is to make sure you get
the clipless pedals and be aware of leg suck on your new bike. The only
time it is good to break a leg is when you are in show business.


--
nget

NYC XYZ wrote:
So, anyone have any experience with these?

http://www.blueskycycling.com/cat-protective-gear.htm


I have in mind that "Farmer John" and the "pressure suit"
together...sides of hips are covered, knees and shins are covered,
shoulders and elbows are covered, even the spine...cool!

I'd only use them in wintertime, underneath a simple turtleneck...that,
and the exercise, should keep me plenty warm!

So how good is body armor in general? Are they like helmets, a one-use
affair? (Not likely, but hey, what do I know.) Think of your worst
bike accident ever. Would armor have helped you any?

And where can I get them chrome German helmets? Want 'em in chrome
since that's so damned reflective -- and of course I'd only use them in
winter time.

BTW, any of y'all use balaclavas like this from Outdoor Research? It's
so neat:
http://orgear.com/home/style/home/he...laclavas/85130.

Very silly. Body armour will not protect you in the least from being
collected by 1.5 tonnes of metal doing whatever speed, you will be very
very dead. The army-style helmets are designed to protect your nut from
shrapnel-type fragments, not cushion it when it hits the ground or
something equally solid, hard. If you don't like your inherent
vulnerability, you have no alternative but to become a cager yourself
with your own land barge. Which of course sucks.
Cheers,

There's something that may be more useful then hard shell armor for the
ordinary bicyclist and certainly more comfortable:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,186325,00.html

ray wrote:
NYC XYZ wrote:
So, anyone have any experience with these?

http://www.blueskycycling.com/cat-protective-gear.htm


I have in mind that "Farmer John" and the "pressure suit"
together...sides of hips are covered, knees and shins are covered,
shoulders and elbows are covered, even the spine...cool!

I'd only use them in wintertime, underneath a simple
turtleneck...that, and the exercise, should keep me plenty warm!

So how good is body armor in general? Are they like helmets, a
one-use affair? (Not likely, but hey, what do I know.) Think of
your worst bike accident ever. Would armor have helped you any?

And where can I get them chrome German helmets? Want 'em in chrome
since that's so damned reflective -- and of course I'd only use them
in winter time.

BTW, any of y'all use balaclavas like this from Outdoor Research? It's so
neat:
http://orgear.com/home/style/home/he...laclavas/85130.

Very silly. Body armour will not protect you in the least from being
collected by 1.5 tonnes of metal doing whatever speed, you will be
very very dead. The army-style helmets are designed to protect your
nut from shrapnel-type fragments, not cushion it when it hits the
ground or something equally solid, hard. If you don't like your
inherent vulnerability, you have no alternative but to become a cager
yourself with your own land barge. Which of course sucks.
Cheers,

Cager? This is bicycles we're talking about, buddy.
--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

Phil, Squid-in-Training wrote:
ray wrote:

NYC XYZ wrote:

So, anyone have any experience with these?

http://www.blueskycycling.com/cat-protective-gear.htm


I have in mind that "Farmer John" and the "pressure suit"
together...sides of hips are covered, knees and shins are covered,
shoulders and elbows are covered, even the spine...cool!

I'd only use them in wintertime, underneath a simple
turtleneck...that, and the exercise, should keep me plenty warm!

So how good is body armor in general? Are they like helmets, a
one-use affair? (Not likely, but hey, what do I know.) Think of
your worst bike accident ever. Would armor have helped you any?

And where can I get them chrome German helmets? Want 'em in chrome
since that's so damned reflective -- and of course I'd only use them
in winter time.

BTW, any of y'all use balaclavas like this from Outdoor Research? It's so
neat:
http://orgear.com/home/style/home/he...laclavas/85130.


Very silly. Body armour will not protect you in the least from being
collected by 1.5 tonnes of metal doing whatever speed, you will be
very very dead. The army-style helmets are designed to protect your
nut from shrapnel-type fragments, not cushion it when it hits the
ground or something equally solid, hard. If you don't like your
inherent vulnerability, you have no alternative but to become a cager
yourself with your own land barge. Which of course sucks.
Cheers,


Cager? This is bicycles we're talking about, buddy.

I have seen body armor for really hard core cyclists who expect serious
off road spills. It is meant to protect the chest, ribs, elbows, knees,
head, and other obvious places from the worst injuries. It won't do a
damn bit off good against a semi or cager or going off a 200 foot cliff
but that is not what it is meant for. I only saw this on a hi tech
science special about a week ago so I can't give an URL or a good
reference to it. It is not full coverage like a Kevlar bullet proof vest
but meant to protect the soft spot against nasty crashes.
You will have to Google it for your self, if it even is Google able.
Bill Baka

NYC XYZ wrote:

So how good is body armor in general?

Compare and contrast ice skaters... people doing serious roughty tufty
stuff (hockey) use body armour and helmets, people doing stuff where the
odd collision and spill with others involved in a heap is likely (short
track) wear helmets, people who don't fall over much, and/or don't have
much chance of banging their head (speed, recreational & and figure)
don't wear anything except the minimum to keep off cold and wind.

Similarly with bikes, mad downhill MTB: body armour; technical trails
MTB, racing in packs: helmet; typical use, no need for anything.

An addendum is that 'bent racers on lowracers are often seen wearing
elbow guards. I use skaters' wrist guards on my unicycle. And if
you're worried about slipping off on ice in winter then don't get body
armour, get a trike...

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

NYC XYZ wrote:
So, anyone have any experience with these?

http://www.blueskycycling.com/cat-protective-gear.htm


I have in mind that "Farmer John" and the "pressure suit"
together...sides of hips are covered, knees and shins are covered,
shoulders and elbows are covered, even the spine...cool!

I'd only use them in wintertime, underneath a simple turtleneck...that,
and the exercise, should keep me plenty warm!

So how good is body armor in general? Are they like helmets, a one-use
affair? (Not likely, but hey, what do I know.) Think of your worst
bike accident ever. Would armor have helped you any?

And where can I get them chrome German helmets? Want 'em in chrome
since that's so damned reflective -- and of course I'd only use them in
winter time.

BTW, any of y'all use balaclavas like this from Outdoor Research? It's
so neat:
http://orgear.com/home/style/home/he...laclavas/85130.

I doubt that gear would help guard against major injury in a tangle
with a car, but it sure would help if say you lost it trying to jump
down a flight of stairs!

Gear like that could make wipe outs fun! I imagine it makes things like
scrapes and bruises a non-issue. I know I'd try a lot more crazy stuff
if I had some.

But it might also give a false sense of security. One time I was riding
my track bike (no brake) to a friend's house to deliver a full-face
motorcross helmet he was going to borrow. Naturally I wore the helmet.
I felt invulnerable, which of course I was not. Happily I did not prove
my invulnerability, but I had to make an effort to keep my cool.

I like the idea of just a turtleneck over the gear. Tight and black.
Make you look like a short-track speed-skater. The Robo-cop look might
catch on if you've got the physique... ;-)

Joseph

On Thu, 02 Mar 2006 18:02:16 +1100, ray
wrote:


Very silly.

For some times of use -- certain types of mountain biking and BMX,
this stuff makes sense -- it'll protect against common bangs and
bruises.

JT

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On 1 Mar 2006 21:02:54 -0800, "NYC XYZ" wrote:

So, anyone have any experience with these?

http://www.blueskycycling.com/cat-protective-gear.htm


I have in mind that "Farmer John" and the "pressure suit"
together...sides of hips are covered, knees and shins are covered,
shoulders and elbows are covered, even the spine...cool!

I'd only use them in wintertime, underneath a simple turtleneck...that,
and the exercise, should keep me plenty warm!

Yikes, what sort of insane riding do you do - but - only ride like that in the
winter? In the summer you pedal along multi use trails - but cold weather brings
out the downhill animal?

I don't get it.

Ron