Crashes, what can be done?

[CyclistAbi]

https://www.cyclingnews.com/cycling-tech-components/this-is-going-to-save-careers-the-aerobag-airbag-system-could-dramatically-reduce-serious-cycling-crash-injuries-and-worldtour-teams-are-already-testing-it/

AFAIK first dedicated article on CN, another milestone. I agree with the sentiment, that is a whole lot of UAE riders already crashed and got injured this year and Jonas did hit the deck too on a training ride. Narváez highly likely could have walked away from the crash and to continue with the race, wearing it.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Let's first see if it actually  works.

For sure.

Many owe CyclistAbi an apology, first Gee gets away with it now this.

No need for any apology we made it together.

A friendly pat at the back, and it's activated.

Yeah, basically the only buddy you have in the time of need.

Will it be used for amazing aerodynamics for the ITT. LOL Would Rem co. lose his advantage . I know it's CyclistAbi's dream but could be shenanigans too.

It was the same thing with helmet if i still remember correctly. You gain advantage and not to lose it, wearing it. As for Remco i don't want for him to lose any advantage, we are teammates now. Hopefully Specialized will bring even better equipment now.

I really hope we'll get to something like this in France this season:

First mass deployment IMHO will be special.

Hardly new or unproven. Every back country skier either has one...or should. Anyone on an FIS level speed discipline has had them for years and yes, they work.
It does nothing for the shoulder or injuries to the handlebars. If some helmet modifications are made to protect from backwards crash momentum it will be a life saver. Not a career saver, though. Cyclists hit their ribs, face, hands and almost everything that contributes to navigation. Saving lives is a good thing, though.
Next step: make ranking UCI officials and Race promoters ride Ebikes at race speeds through urban street furniture in a pack with local Cat 4 riders. That might clear up the major issue for pointless injuries.
Then make packs smaller.

Indeed, technology is there already now it needs to penetrate pro peloton.

I'd like to see it work, but it's way harder to implement in cycling than in skiing. In addition to the need to be able to deflate it very quickly that's already been discussed, if it adds weight to the jersey, negatively impacts aerodynamics and/or interferes with the body's ability to deal with excess heat, that would be a big problem in cycling when it isn't in skiing.

You could mitigate some of that by making everyone wear an airbag, because tbh I think that if it was implemented today, wearing one would negatively impact your performances compared to other riders. And as we've seen time and again, if cyclists have to choose between optimising performance and maximising safety, they'll choose the former over and over. The problem is that I doubt the technology is even close to ready for a sport-wide rollout.

The truth is not all that hard at all, deflation is not a real problem, weight is negligible, aerodynamics can actually improve and heat is not a real issue either. Somewhere in the range of carrying a gel or two in the back pocket.

 

[Oldman]

IMO, the single element impacting actual use will be heat management. It's surely possible they could make a breathable jersey liner that can be inflated via motion monitors like the helmet crash sensors. The "deflation" could also be a product of the liner's breathability as pressure could exit both the fabric and a release valve that opens after a number of seconds past the impact. Hopefully it could resist abrasion and still be printable with the same garish color combinations we enjoy in jersey design.
Realistically a jersey-configured element will primarily protect the chest, back and internal organs to prevent catastrophic injuries. It can't do much for impalement or cuts from hitting roadside risks or bike parts. Since the head is the most sensitive part of anatomy it also can't increase vulnerability there.

The real risk as we all keep pointing out: the human factor of race course design and obstacles. Unseen curbs, signs and super-slick pavement markings are more dangerous than most cyclist behavior; most erratic riding is a product of those obstacles anyway.

 

[CyclistAbi]

@Oldman

Heat will prove to be much lesser issue then anticipated and besides for now this system can be used on races such as PR. On where the impact of the most common potential issues people mention is basically non existent. As for the summer, at first this likely won't be mandatory so it's up to the teams and riders to wear it or not. It will be interesting to see if teams and riders will chose to wear it or not. As for protection i feel that the hip area will be incorporated too. Injuries there are rather common and a bit of air should do miracles for the hip area also. Merckx, crashed recently, would benefit from wearing it but unfortunately we were not there yet.