httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtQjyZSiM1g&feature=player_embedded
Whether you’re a pro cyclist or just out for a ride, you can crash. At decent speeds and a stretch of concrete to skid on, a crash can quickly lead to road rash. That’s some nasty business. If you watch pro-cycling, you’ll see that any crash can quickly result in ripped shorts and jerseys with some bloody red skin peeking through the tears.
A new device, the Road Rash Guard, aims to prevent road rash and the resulting ripped clothing, by taking all the scrapes for you. It’s a bubble of durable material that clips onto your clothing in areas you’d typically experience abrasion in the event of a crash. The Road Rash Guard acts like a caster you’d place under furniture to protect the floor. Place a few of these on strategic locations such as your shoulder, hip, thigh and knee, and your slide across the pavement will be buffered by this device.
Here’s some vitals on the Road Rash Guard:
- Lightweight – 7 grams
- Adjustable – Snap on/off repositioning on all of your cycling shorts/jerseys
- Durable – made from the same Lexan material use in bulletproof windows
- Reusable – multiple impact use
- Washable – with your cycling shorts and jersey
Snap on the device by separating the front and back, then sandwiching the two pieces on your clothes (one inside your jersey, one outside) and securing with a snap. Then go cycling. You need a handful of Road Rash Guards to keep you covered, probably about three on each side of your body. Each one retails for $28.95, however the company offers discounts for bulk orders of 24, 36 and 48 units so if you go in with a group of friends you can get a better price.
It’s no guarantee that you will be scrape-free in a crash, but in many cases it’s the difference between some nasty abrasions and torn jersey and shorts and walking away from a crash with just a bruise. In most cases you’ll get a bruise where the Road Rash Guard sits on your skin, but that’s a more favorable option.
Road Rash Guard official site
Even as spring heats things up as we head to summer there are those cool mornings or early evenings when arm warmers can come in handy. For those times the Stantovelo Protective Arm Warmers could be a good option to consider as these offer the ability to keep the arms warm, but also provide some reflective properties, which can come in handy in the early morning or evening. The Protective Arm Warmers are designed to be used when a rider is recovering from road rash as well. Hence these are truly protective in more ways than one.
Watching the Tour de France this week, we’ve seen some incredible crashes. As of this past weekend we’ve even seen Tour winner Bradley Wiggins and other riders suffer from burns that occurred when fans running with flares ran too close to the riders.