Why Don’t Cyclists Wear Protective Clothing?

Hank and Alex crash a lot, and we mean A LOT! So they regularly get asked why we road cyclists don’t wear padded clothing to minimise the chance of road rash when we have a spill. To help answer this question, they devised an experiment which involves Hank riding a bike dressed in full motorbike gear! Is this a good idea?

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:01 Why Don’t Cyclists Wear Protective Clothing?
02:46 Test 1 - Motorbike Kit
07:34 Test 2 - Cycling Kit
12:02 Results

Useful Links:

Do you wear gloves or any special kit on your rides? Let us know in the comments below! 💬

If you liked this video, be sure to give it a thumbs up 👍 and share it with your friends!

Watch more on GCN...

🎵 Music - licensed by Epidemic Sound 🎵
4 Malcolm - Sarah, the Illstrumentalist
Bright and Stormy - Arc De Soleil
FC Naivete - Bonkers Beat Club
Impact - AGST
Kermanshah - El Flaco Collective
Left in Haze - ELFL
Superficial (Instrumental Version) - Zorro
when i hop - baegel
Think It's over Now (Instrumental Version) - Zorro

#gcn #cycling #roadbike #bike #bikes #clothing #bikelife #cyclinglife

The Global Cycling Network (GCN) is the largest online cycling channel in the world, bringing together a global community of road cyclists to celebrate everything that’s great about the world of cycling.

Our videos bring fans compelling daily content including expert tutorials, techniques, training, racing, cutting-edge bike tech, unparalleled behind the scenes event coverage, humour, entertainment, and more.

Presented by ex-pro riders, GCN offers a uniquely qualified insight into the world of cycling, and most importantly it’s fuelled by our passionate and enthusiastic fans – everyone who makes up the GCN community. We also bring the latest and greatest tech to your attention, showcase the best places in the world to ride and get exclusive access to events and races.

Welcome to the Global Cycling Network | Inside Cycling

Thanks to our sponsors:

Watch our sister channels:

[gcn]

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve worn on a bike ride?

[bryanmiller]

I'm a cyclist and ride a motorcycle, I find it funny how folks talk about motorcycles being dangerous and they wouldn't ride one yet never consider riding a bike to be dangerous. I feel far more exposed in my cycling gear sharing the road with inattentive drivers than I do on my motorcycle wearing a full helmet and protective clothing where I can travel along with traffic rather than hoping I am seen. Stay safe, flashing lights on your bike are a must even on a nice day and stick to the shoulder even if you think there's no traffic! I get this video was an exercise for practicality but the also didn't make much effort to pick optimal hot weather motorcycle gear... Lose the shield off the helmet and get a mesh jacket that allows for more air flow. The cyclist would still be slower but at least he wouldn't suffer heat exhaustion. :-)

[leehchris]

Can we ask the cycling clothing manufacturers why they can’t make rain/winter jackets in brighter colors and higher reflection? It’s always black, or fluorescent green. Would be nice to have more choices

[sajidadams]

There definitely needs to be protective gear designed for road cycling. Surprised that manufacturers haven't capitalised on this yet.

[galenkehler]

Adding padding and reinforcement only in the contact points (hips, knees, etc) could mitigate a lot of these problems. We pretty much know the major areas that hit the ground when you crash.

[nalissa]

MTB gear offers more protection, maybe should have done a test with that vs a Roadie kit.

[abdul-kabiralegbe]

The questions as to why cyclists don't wear kit similar to motorcyclists are really valid especially from a crash protection standpoint. However there's a key difference: bicycles are human powered so the rider's body generates far more heat than the motorcyclist's. As for looks, that's not as important as safety (the same argument works in motorcycle safety).

[scootmasterflash]

I am a roadie and I do wear some armor. I don't wear full motorcycle gear like in this video which absolutely is restrictive but I do wear chest and shoulder protection in addition to a cycling helmet. I tend to ride solo and after a crash that broke my collar bone, scapula, and a bunch of ribs it is just more comforting to have. Its warmer than not having it, true. But not by much much as I like heat in general and tend to ride in long sleeve jerseys anyway. My armor is mountain bike/motocross stuff.

[pennywood]

Did someone at GCN forget to ask GMBN about their vast range of protective cycling wear?

[logan]

I really think you guys should redo this video with MTB gear! You know... Gear that people actually wear while cycling (even though it's a different discipline).

As much as these extremes make for good videos, obviously no one actually thinks that motorbike gear might be a good option. However something like thin trail mtb knee pads or elbow pads, and maybe a lightweight full face helmet alongside your regular cycling kit could be reasonable.

[johnf]

Alex, would you consider doing a video about the psychology of getting back on the bike after a crash, perhaps speaking with coaches and mental health professionals? After the physical healing, the mental barrier can be tough to overcome.

[markwilson]

Seems like there's an opportunity in the market for more development of light, breathable clothing that is more robust than lycra but nowhere near as bulky & restrictive as motorbike gear (clearly designed to mitigate wind chill and not for anyone exercising). Maybe testing with MTB gear including padding would be better? I certainly wear mitts on every ride as palm scrapes would be the first thing for almost any spill. And a helmet, but nothing else protective-specific as there's nothing practical that would protect other 'edges'. Will be trying the shorts!

[manuel]

The protective pads are going to be used a lot in the future imo.
20 years ago helmets weren't used that much by road cyclists while now it's almost impossible to see one who doesn't wear it: I see protective pads in cycling kits making the same way

[johnpaullaxa]

A moment of silence for those who can't still yet hit the 50kph speed.

Hats off to you brother

[robertkoreis]

After I started riding a motorcycle and wearing all of the protective gear, I now feel incredibly vulnerable, especially at speed.

[AleksiJoensuu]

I've been in the motorcycle industry selling and buying motorcycle gear for six years. Looking at this video I started thinking that perhaps there WOULD be some possibilities for more protective cycling gear that isn't as bulky as full on motorcycle gear.

1: Existing cycling kit could have more materials that are abrasion and tear resistant in key areas. Gloves are fairly obvious, just add some aramids in key areas. Shoes might include a slightly longer ankle area which wouldn't need to be too bulky. Jerseys could have more robust materials in the shoulder and outer arm area and in the back. Some extra light back protectors could be used as well. This option would add almost nothing to the bulk of the gear - a lot of the bulk in motorcycle gear doesn't actually come from the crash protection, but instead from all the liners, waterproof membranes, and myriad features. Abrasion resistant fabric in itself doesn't need to be that much bulkier.

2: Adding well ventilated and breathable sleeves and leg warmers with abrasion resistant fabrics in slide zones could be made to work. These could be used on cooler days. They wouldn't be any hotter than current removable sleeves and leg warmers, really. Besides, if we could get over our love for black, black and more black, long sleeved jerseys and riding pants could be made cooler by colour choice as well.

3: Most helmets seem pretty underprotective currently. They are really quite scary to look at from a motorcyclist's perspective to be honest. I'm certain we could make helmets that give the head more coverage but needn't add much to bulk and heat.

[jefffrasca]

As someone who both rides motorcycles and bicycles, I have long dismissed riding in full armor on a bicycle. However, the performance hit wasn't that bad, it's more of the overheating and discomfort.

There is a category of ultra light weight motorcycle gear for hot climates. Icon has a lightweight, highly breathable armor vest that might work on a bike. That, the lowers you used, gloves and a full face mountain bike helmet might be a huge safety win, particularly when flying down mountain or canyon roads at highway speeds.

[hadrian]

I do see lots of individuals in my city wearing full face mountain bike helmets in the urban setting. so i think some people are looking for a bit more protection in traffic.

[PoulHansenDK]

This just illustrates that all protection is a compromise. Helmet advocats present helmets as the ultimate protection, that should be mandatory but a cyclehelmet is a compromise between comfort/necessity and safety as is riding without a helmet.

[leinilyu]

serious video would consider a full face mountain bike helmet (fox etc) instead of the heavy motorcycle helmet.