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Found: Road Rash Guard – Clip On Body Armor for Roadies

road rash guard plastic skin protection for road cyclists
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road rash guard plastic skin protection for road cyclists

Road Rash Guard is the invention of Dr. Rob Wise and is essentially a set of plastic clamshells that clip to your shorts, jersey or arm/knee warmers to provide a buffer between you and the pavement.

With a weight of just 7g each and a flat inner surface, it’s designed to feel seamless on your skin. RRG claims the positions are pretty universal when it comes to suffering road rash, and by putting their guards on in the right place, you’ll minimize the damage to your skin. A set of four retails for $28.95.

Video and another pic after the break…

 

road rash guard plastic skin protection for road cyclists

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33 Comments
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Larry
Larry
12 years ago

Great! Now I will get road rash AND a deep tissue bruise!

breadandbits
breadandbits
12 years ago

their website faq doesn’t include the question… “what about bruising”? we tell our rookies to wear an extra layer underneath their kit (an extra jersey or undershirt, boxer briefs) in their cat5 crits, if they’re worried about road rash – the sliding between layers pretty much eliminates road rash where they’re covered up. deep muscle bruising from landing on something, on the other hand…

Kovas
Kovas
12 years ago

Call me sick, but was anyone else kind of hoping for a test-crash in the video? I mean, c’mon doc – let’s see these suckers in action…

smoky mountain bike
12 years ago

Not sure about this

Chunky
Chunky
12 years ago

April fool come early?

Surely that would do more damage to muscle tissue?

dave
dave
12 years ago

Ridiculous product.

breadandbits nailed it. doubling up shorts and jersey is very effective road rash protection for crit racing.

Turbofrog
Turbofrog
12 years ago

I don’t think it’s a bad idea at all. It would definitely breathe better than wearing multiple layers, and since it protrudes I feel like it would offer better protection for uncovered areas of legs and arms when you’re on summer rides.

Don’t quite understand all the hate this is getting.

DN
DN
12 years ago

I bet this works out well. Yes you’re going to possibly bruise from them if you land directly on them but if you hit on the hip first (my usual spot) then that may not even happen. Either way you’re going to be stiff and sore from the crash. Seems like these might actually help. Would love to hear about some real life usage.

Gillis
Gillis
12 years ago

The likelihood that you would land right on the spot you placed it, AND continued to slide on that one point it next to none. You might land on the device but most often you will roll in the process. And like others have said, it looks like it would do more damage from the impact. It would be like landing on a rock.
Look at moto gp gear, it doesn’t cover a little spot but entire areas. The pictures in the video show that and a small plastic button isn’t going to prevent it.
What you need instead is shorts with delrin plates. OR multiple layers works well too.

gee
gee
12 years ago

bikerumor, go buy a couple turkeys, load one up with the guards, and run the other one naked, drive down the road, huck them out….examine.

also, i think it makes for a safer pack because you can pick out the dousche(s) immediately, they will be the ones with black plastic things all over them, stay away from them, prevent road rash….

Devo
12 years ago

I can only imagine what it would be like to have something like RRG dig into a person’s body upon impact. somewhat “implant-esq”.

Evan T
Evan T
12 years ago

dumb, dumb, dumb. Let’s see how well sponsors approve of their logo’s being obscured. Furthermore; your body is an amazing thing, it can absorb a tremendous amount of abuse. stop whining.

cat 1 doper
cat 1 doper
12 years ago

Seriously?? if you are crashing so often that you require these, you need to stop cycling and pick up basket weaving. I ride cx, mtb,crits, road and have been through broken collar bones, road rash, dirt rash, etc..But seriously if you need these and are falling that much.. cycling is not for you

chroah
chroah
12 years ago

Oh this looks like a great product. You know what else was a great product? Lawn darts. Whatever happened to those?

taylor
12 years ago

yea…these are kinda dumb

Jake
Jake
12 years ago

cat 1 doper boils it down for us all. I agree, if you are crashing so many times that you actually are thinking of getting this, then yes, basket weaving is for you.

Zap!
Zap!
12 years ago

Hitting the pavement one time at 20+ mph has left me with enough scars to spend the rest of my pedaling time on the dirt where I belong.

Pavement sucks.

notapro
12 years ago

this is priceless roadie ingenuity though..Dr. Wise indeed. he should go ahead and wear a Leatt while he’s at it. i would loc\ve to see his gopro footage during his own testing and development phase..dumbass.

notapro
12 years ago

this is priceless roadie ingenuity though..Dr. Wise indeed. he should go ahead and wear a Leatt while he’s at it. i would love to see his gopro footage during his own testing and development phase..dumbass.

Robin
Robin
12 years ago

Besides likely concentrating impact force over a smaller area and possibly increasing the odds for getting a fracture, I would think the inside portion of this thing might cause flesh to get a bit sore as it rubs against skin over a day in the saddle.

Ripnshread
Ripnshread
12 years ago

I can see it now…roadies will start going freestyle…pull’n indie grinds off walls/crash barriers and pushing off …a pair of tights and some arm-warmers and I bet I could smith-grind a avalanche tunnel. Roflol….

twozerosix
twozerosix
12 years ago

The elasticity of lycra cycling kit will almost guarantee that these pucks won’t end up where the impact/slide will occur. Instead, I envision them helping to tear a hole in the material, probably leaving you more exposed to the pavement. Moto suit pucks stay in place because the material is stronger, and suits are often custom fit.

$29 is a little bit steep for 28g of plastic. At quantities of, oh, let’s say 10,000 pieces, these little clamshells might cost $.50 each. So a very conservative total cost of goods = $2. Can I have $26 more hype please? Cause this video doesn’t make me want to buy.

Guy Faux
Guy Faux
12 years ago

Solution to road rash: HTFU

Huffman
Huffman
12 years ago

Sliders work on thick motorcycle leathers because the slider is intended to protect the leather where there is temporary known road contact when knee dragging. Once you are thrown off the bike the leathers, boots, gloves & helmet do the work protecting the rider, sliders don’t help there.

I predict this will be a Bikerumor Monday Mystery Pic in a couple years.

dicky
12 years ago

I think Michael Rasmussen is all over this product for his comeback: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzeknUUhRoE

Dr. Rob
12 years ago

Road Rash Guard crash tested at last year’s Spring crit series:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtQjyZSiM1g&context=C34b65f6ADOEgsToPDskK8ulOx6b9w3zNN_S8D2dFc

Bruise at site of Road Rash Guard might look nasty but it disappeared within a week because it never broke skin. Simplicity of the product lies in that it is placed strategically over areas that are prone to receive road rash. Small footprint of the device protects a larger skin area- keeps skin away from pavement as it slides along. like gee’s turkey idea..

Skronglite
12 years ago

I’d rather start doping so I can ride off the front; keeps the freds from turning me into a human bowling pin.

Robin
Robin
12 years ago

Dr. Rob, that video is an n=1 sample set. Sorry, it doesn’t prove anything.

Niels
Niels
12 years ago

Broke my the bone ataching to my hip once, wearing a sturdy short, no rash for the hip and i recovered without surgery. with this thingy my bone would’ve been dislocated and in need of surgery 4 sure!
Good idea @ first, but…. no lets invent something else!

Huffman
Huffman
12 years ago

Niels – “but…..no lets invent something else!”

How about premium race grade, heavy weight 1.7mm cowhide shorts & jerseys that are double and triple stitched in high abrasion and impact areas?

boonie
boonie
12 years ago

lame…..since when did we start calling our kits uniforms?

Jet
Jet
10 years ago

lol I’m going to try these out on my next group ride lol

Campbell Jones
Campbell Jones
2 years ago

Hi
I have used these RRGs and they work. I have three around each hip bone and one near my knee. Fallen twice on my side at slow speed. You do get bruising but the impact is over a larger area so you ride again with no fractures.
Safe riding everyone.

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