A useful bit of kit…
Aug 17th, 2010 by Leo
What’s the most useful bit of protection (other than a helmet) in a high speed crash? Abrasion resistant clothing. Which is why long before motorcycle gear was made of leather long before anyone thought to add armor pads and back protectors. But what’s the most useful bit of protection in a low speed crash? For a low side on a local road over oil or gravel? Abrasion resistance isn’t as important because of the low speed, but what bit of kit can help make a low speed spill relatively harmless? My bet is on elbow armor.
The fastest part of a low speed spill is the vertical descent as your front wheel slips and you head toward the ground. Unlike high speed low sides, you start off further from the ground and so you actually hit the ground harder than if you were going faster. And the part of your body to hit the ground first is probably your elbow (unless you’re sticking your knee out).
Fortunately elbow armor is fairly unobtrusive and can be worn on the body or sewn into the lining of older motorcycle leather. You can even wear it without a jacket (if you’re okay with the post apocalyptic gladiator look), making it good for medium speed rides on sweltering New York days…of which we’ve had a few this summer. So that whether it’s hot slippery asphalt, or the side of a cab, your elbows will be ready.
Where can I get me some? It always pays to shop around online, so these links are just for reference: you can find armor worn on the body made by Fieldsheer, Alpinestars, Icon, and Dainese. Cheers!
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