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I was sitting on the couch yesterday, trying to figure out what happened the day before, when I found this article explaining it clearly. It was a fast descent

I was sitting on the couch yesterday, trying to figure out what happened the day before, when I found this article explaining it clearly. It was a fast descent on my road bike, followed by a tight corner. There was gravel and dust on the road, as the article mentions. I hit the brakes at the wrong time, right in the corner, at high speed, over the gravel. I've lost control in a fraction of a second. The front wheel slipped and I was on my feet in what seemed to me no more than a second. My first bicycle crash and my knee damaged. I haven't seen these things explained until now. It might be that crashes are a rite of passage for bikers and cyclists. Incidentally, I'm not sure why road cyclists don't wear knee pads. At least they are not promoted. Wear your helmet (I got that damaged, too), wear something underneath your jersey to avoid road rash, protect your knees and wear gloves. It all happens in a fraction of second, you don't have time to think about anything. You don't need protective gear and an understanding of the road and bike physics (this article) until you do!

flopsamjetsam 3y ago
> Incidentally, I'm not sure why road cyclists don't wear knee pads. I mountainbike, started with trail and am now doing more XC. When I ride either type during training (or just fun rides), I always wear knee pads. But when I race XC I don't, even though often we'll do the same downhill sections (not black diamond obviously, but certainly rocky blues). I think it might be that, at least in racing, knee pads restrict your movement a little. Though I've been wearing them for so long I don't even notice them anymore, and certainly if you wore knee pads on a road bike they would be less restrictive than even lightweight MTB knee pads.
- exabrial 3y ago
  One gets better at crashing the longer they mountain bike (joke, but also true). I’m similar philosophy. Usually in pads early season and when riding casual. Once it gets hot, I’m not riding as hard and heat exhaustion is the main threat, not crashing, and the pads take a break until the fall.
- molteanu 3y ago
  For mountainbike, yes, I've seen a more "aggressive" approach towards protective gear. But even in that area, the feeling I get is that you get that equipment only if you're really into jumps and high-speed. Other than than, it's just a walk in the park, as the saying goes.
newaccount74 3y ago
If you are going to wear knee pads, you should also wear elbow pads, shoulder pads, padded gloves, and a spine protector. Road cycling is stupid dangerous even without cars. People descending at 70km/h wearing nothing but Lycra and a bit of polystyrol on their head...
- molteanu 3y ago
  Right?! And still, "lycra only" seems to be the standard, and not only for competitive rides. GCN has over 3 million subscribers on youtube, they post highly informative road bike videos, often with people who competed professionally at the highest levels. Still, they don't wear any protective gear rather than the helmet. For someone who just starts biking and wants more info about the sport, will look at these videos and don't even know about the existence of such a gear or the need for it. That's just one example, but literally all articles I've read in the past 10 years or so are picturing slim, fit, cyclists wearing just lycra. It's still a big question mark for me.
  - newaccount74 3y ago
    I think the problem is that riding with protectors is uncomfortable when you ride for hours. I ride a road bike too, and I don't wear protectors, I just don't ride that fast because it scares me. For downhill mountain bikers, full protective gear is standard, but I guess they don't ride for hours, and they crash more regularly.
  - bennyelv 3y ago
    You spend at least 3 times as long going up the hill as you do going down it, and a reasonably fit person will be putting out the equivalent heat of an 800w-1000w heater during that period. This makes wearing protective gear impossible. If you look at downhill mountain biking the gear worn is very different. That’s the reason!

flopsamjetsam 3y ago

> Incidentally, I'm not sure why road cyclists don't wear knee pads. I mountainbike, started with trail and am now doing more XC. When I ride either type during training (or just fun rides), I always wear knee pads. But when I race XC I don't, even though often we'll do the same downhill sections (not black diamond obviously, but certainly rocky blues). I think it might be that, at least in racing, knee pads restrict your movement a little. Though I've been wearing them for so long I don't even notice them anymore, and certainly if you wore knee pads on a road bike they would be less restrictive than even lightweight MTB knee pads.

exabrial 3y ago
One gets better at crashing the longer they mountain bike (joke, but also true). I’m similar philosophy. Usually in pads early season and when riding casual. Once it gets hot, I’m not riding as hard and heat exhaustion is the main threat, not crashing, and the pads take a break until the fall.
molteanu 3y ago
For mountainbike, yes, I've seen a more "aggressive" approach towards protective gear. But even in that area, the feeling I get is that you get that equipment only if you're really into jumps and high-speed. Other than than, it's just a walk in the park, as the saying goes.

newaccount74 3y ago

If you are going to wear knee pads, you should also wear elbow pads, shoulder pads, padded gloves, and a spine protector. Road cycling is stupid dangerous even without cars. People descending at 70km/h wearing nothing but Lycra and a bit of polystyrol on their head...

molteanu 3y ago
Right?! And still, "lycra only" seems to be the standard, and not only for competitive rides. GCN has over 3 million subscribers on youtube, they post highly informative road bike videos, often with people who competed professionally at the highest levels. Still, they don't wear any protective gear rather than the helmet. For someone who just starts biking and wants more info about the sport, will look at these videos and don't even know about the existence of such a gear or the need for it. That's just one example, but literally all articles I've read in the past 10 years or so are picturing slim, fit, cyclists wearing just lycra. It's still a big question mark for me.
- newaccount74 3y ago
  I think the problem is that riding with protectors is uncomfortable when you ride for hours. I ride a road bike too, and I don't wear protectors, I just don't ride that fast because it scares me. For downhill mountain bikers, full protective gear is standard, but I guess they don't ride for hours, and they crash more regularly.
- bennyelv 3y ago
  You spend at least 3 times as long going up the hill as you do going down it, and a reasonably fit person will be putting out the equivalent heat of an 800w-1000w heater during that period. This makes wearing protective gear impossible. If you look at downhill mountain biking the gear worn is very different. That’s the reason!