Cycling Injuries - LYCRA QUERY

[Cycle Chic]

I am recovering from a crash and am lucky that my white lycra shorts saved my skin from the usual road rash. The white shorts are double lycra as otherwise they would be see-through.

I have also been watching the daily crashes that occur in the Pro Racing - ie. Geraint Thomas and Ian Bibby smash, the Hepburn TT injury etc.

And when you are in the same 'injury boat' - seeing those wounds makes you all the more sensitive to the pain those riders are in. So I was wondering why our LYCRA manufacturers dont make the lycra with some form of non-tear material. Why dont they insert some form of rubber stuff or other so the lycra doesnt tear. I am sure my double lycra saved my skin Big Time.

It cant be because it is hotter - yes it is hotter to wear than the usual lycra, but that is minimal compared to the advantage of saving your skin from road rash.

I also wonder why there isnt some sort of second skin stuff you could stick on your hip or arms - as these are the places that are scraped when you come off. It could be transparent. My friends are always carrying road rash wounds from racing so surely the Bike People could invent something - its such a problem it needs a solution.

 

[Polyarmour]

I have often thought the same thing. I look at a motorbike rider kitted out in full leathers, full face helmet etc, riding alongside a cyclist wearing almost nothing. It makes you wonder what more could be done.

 

[Master50]

A friend wears 2 pair of shorts. I remember armoured crit shorts that never caught on and I even put pieces of heavy poly plastic under my shorts and in the place i would crash on when I raced crits. I have not been down for 15 years now and that last crash resulted in little road rash but a broken collar bone.
Sometimes we get lucky and sometimes we get burned. You could always wear baggies over Lycra.

 

[fatandfast]

I don't know if you are familiar with sand paper grit ratings, but lycra, even multi layers at 25mph when you meet the pavement have little effect. Leather and Kevlar have been used by everybody else that uses the same streets to ride and race on but both are impractical because of being self propelled on a bicycle. If wearing double shorts gives you a feeling of security and confidence you should do it if you can. No 2 falls are the same, but having crashed dozens of times myself and witnessed 100's of others not much can withstanding the pavement at speed

 

[GreasyMonkey]

My experiences....

I find the "cheap & nasty" pro-team knicks and some of the club knicks are worse than useless for protection, but I have had pairs of Assos FI-13 (top of the line in 2002-2004) where I have skated along on my a**e, knicks are fine and minimal road-rash/track burns.

Quality of fabric is (usually) proportional to cost, and to be honest, I don't mind paying more for knicks that are going to last longer than the first crit crash.

 

[Cycle Chic]

A friend wears 2 pair of shorts. I remember armoured crit shorts that never caught on and I even put pieces of heavy poly plastic under my shorts and in the place i would crash on when I raced crits. I have not been down for 15 years now and that last crash resulted in little road rash but a broken collar bone.
Sometimes we get lucky and sometimes we get burned. You could always wear baggies over Lycra.

Your own inventions are a good idea - i,ve thought the same - the sticky adhesive clear material that are used for frame / cable protectors would be good - like a second skin.

Its bizarre that the pro cyclists dont have it figured out. Why do they keep taking layers of skin off when they crash ? it makes my eyes water. Maybe i will write to Castelli.

I couldnt wear 2 sets of lycra though - dont think my legs would be able to move

 

[usedtobefast]

I don't know if you are familiar with sand paper grit ratings, but lycra, even multi layers at 25mph when you meet the pavement have little effect. Leather and Kevlar have been used by everybody else that uses the same streets to ride and race on but both are impractical because of being self propelled on a bicycle. If wearing double shorts gives you a feeling of security and confidence you should do it if you can. No 2 falls are the same, but having crashed dozens of times myself and witnessed 100's of others not much can withstanding the pavement at speed

yeah, when you hit the ground that fast you hope you slide and don't just
stop. crashing is never fun.

 

[veganrob]

Instead of two pairs of shorts could maybe try compression shorts underneath.
Ehh?