Hip protection for road riding?

[Arturo]

Dazzled by low sun, I managed to fall off in March by riding into a diagonal kerb (set into the road to segregate parking). I was unlucky to clip the kerb at just the wrong angle/speed to drop me into a single point impact on a raised pavement, without time to get a defensive arm out. The head of my left femur banged in to the acetabulum socket sufficiently to crack and break up the pelvis bone and hip. BIG ouch! When the radiologist says “you made a good job of that”, it is not a complement!
After a week at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, I was transferred to Sheffield Northern General for an operation to pin the joint. Escaped from hospital two weeks later to recuperate at home. Progressive physiotherapy through three months on crutches (no load), followed by rebuilding muscle and learning to walk again has led to a gradual build up and extension of performance. The joint will be impaired (versus pre-accident), but impossible to predict how much. Recuperation looks like a long road, but I’m over the moon to be vertical again, and can see light at the end of the tunnel.
The injury has been a roller coaster of experience and emotion. The quality of care and compassion has been magnificent – I’ve had the privilege to meet some very talented and committed people. Despite systematic under-manning, there is a hard core of caring NHS professionals who aren’t prepared to let horrible working conditions and low pay get in the way of looking after patients. I’m forever grateful; the value of a smile and cheerful disposition for morale cannot be over-stated.
I remain committed to cycling and I’m itching to get back on the road. My surgeon is keen to encourage me, but did warn that a similar fall could have big complications due to the embedded plates and pins. I have started to look at body armour. There are padded/armoured shorts advertised for off road, but I’ve no idea how practical they would be for road use? Has anyone any experience or advice to offer?
Thanks,
Arthur

[gaz]

First of all sorry to hear of your prang and delighted that you are on the mend.

Accidents can happen, by your own account the combination of circumstances that conspired against you were numerous but the results were clearly severe. Only you can decide how you feel about the risk to your body as you go forward.

Downhill MTBers wear body armour to protect them from falls, similarly stunt riders. TdeF riders do not wear body armour for descending the Alps, because they also need to ride back up them. As road bikes seek to emulate the bikes of the pros, so does road fashion. I don't think you are going to find any form of road specific body armour, only team replica lycra.

In many respects it would seem better to minimise the risk of a fall rather than trying to minimise the damage done should one occur. Recumbent trike?

I have no practical experience of either body armour or recumbents, so please consider this as armchair advice only.

[boris]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_protector

these are designed for a simple fall but may not have been proven effective. But people wear helmets which are of dubious effect. You might decide to wear something that makes you feel saFER IN THE ACTIVITIES YOU CHOOSE TO DO.

most times I hit an a I also hit the capitals lock on my mini-lap-top. I'm fed up of retyping.

[RickH]

Glad you are looking to get back on the bike. Again, like Gaz, I've no personal recommendations but I had been looking at getting something as a preventative measure for the winter (the mile to the main road from our house has several places where a cross camber and frequent running water often produce sheets of slick sloping ice when they freeze ). What I have considered is undershorts with hip padding - something like these.

Do bear in mind also that I am a heretic and already wear similar, but unpadded, undershorts under my cycling shorts/tights as a matter of course!

Rick.

[LollyKat]

Maybe something like the hip pads sold for ice skaters might do - tuck them inside your shorts. There seems to be quite a range of protective gear but I have no idea if it would be enough for cycling crashes.

[zoxed]

Probably not the answer you are looking for but here is my experience:

Many years ago I bought a recumbent trike (Hase Kettwiesel) for commuting in the snow/ice/wet leaves. I used it one winter and never went back to 2 wheels: I loved the relaxed feeling of less to worry about when cycling, and commute on it year round now. However at the weekends, especially in the summer I preferred the fun and speed of 2 wheels: either a PDQ or a Zox Lowracer.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I fell off my Zox: no one else involved, just an argument with a kerb stone The tarmac was rougher than usual so quite bad grazing but nothing broken. It was the last straw (especially as I have occasionally wondered what kind of road rash I would get if I fell off descending at 30/40mph !!) and I am now looking out for "fast" trike for the weekends (WC/Vortex/700). Maybe I never go back to 2 wheels !!

Summary: the best way to avoid hip injury is to go to 3 wheels.

[[XAP]Bob]

Probably not the answer you are looking for but here is my experience:

Many years ago I bought a recumbent trike (Hase Kettwiesel) for commuting in the snow/ice/wet leaves. I used it one winter and never went back to 2 wheels: I loved the relaxed feeling of less to worry about when cycling, and commute on it year round now. However at the weekends, especially in the summer I preferred the fun and speed of 2 wheels: either a PDQ or a Zox Lowracer.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I fell off my Zox: no one else involved, just an argument with a kerb stone The tarmac was rougher than usual so quite bad grazing but nothing broken. It was the last straw (especially as I have occasionally wondered what kind of road rash I would get if I fell off descending at 30/40mph !!) and I am now looking out for "fast" trike for the weekends (WC/Vortex/700). Maybe I never go back to 2 wheels !!

Summary: the best way to avoid hip injury is to go to 3 wheels.

I do have to say that three wheel is fun - but it needs thinking about - where is the OP based?

[TWellsCycle]

I have my LP snowboard knees protectors on my elbows and Danese armoured netting shorts over or under cycling tights. Works perfectly and they look fine.

[Tigerbiten]

I'm another one who thinks a recumbent may work better.
A 3 wheel bent reduces the risk to falling over just getting on and off it ....
A 2 wheel bent reduces the risk as you fall a smaller distance if/when you fall off it ......
So if you're still recovering from the last fall, a 3 wheel bent is probably the best.

Luck .............

[irc]

Google found these. At £23 cheap enough to give a try. Decent Amazon reviews.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cycling-Padded- ... B006JY4S2C

[Malaconotus]

Just a thought, though I have no idea what they would be like for cycling in, but I would imagine the protection is very good... http://www.owzat-cricket.co.uk/acatalog ... rs_P2.html

Note Right hand pad set protects the left hip more (as the side likeley to be struck when batting)

[squeaker]

'Bent trike with suitably low gearing might also help with the muscle rebuilding (go as slow as you want), as well as offering a comfy seat to get your breath back / admire the view on those long climbs

[enzo]

Hi,
I am following up on a post that was placed almost 2 years ago by Arturo, re the use of protective clothing after a major hip injury. I too have had a bad break after a fall. I fractured a femur after I had previously had a hip replacement. I now have a lot of hard ware in my hip and femur. I too would dearly like to get back on my road bike and would like to look at wearing some protective clothing. If you are listening Arturo I would love to know how you got on. If any one else has any advice I would love to hear it.

Enzo

[Richard D]

Any more thoughts on this topic? I snapped my femur at the hip end during an audax last June, and in another two months' time I've been told that I'll have healed enough to get back on the bike again. Meantime, I have all sorts of metalwork in my leg, including two bolts going into the ball of the hip joint. So I'm pretty interested in anything that offers a bit of cushioning to this area.

[DaveP]

I think the lack of suggestions speaks for itself, unfortunately.
There is a world of difference between being hit by a cricket ball etc. and having a large part of your body weight slamming the head of your femur into the planet. Padding can diffuse the impact of a ball to something not too traumatic, but you'd need something radically different to protect a damaged hip from a repeated fall. Mountain bikers do seem to derive some benefit from using body armour but that is usually in the context of protecting a body without too much previous damage. Once a weak point has been created the situation is very different and I personally doubt that anything up to the job would even be portable...

Sorry I can't be more upbeat for you. In my younger days I'd just have reminded myself that lightning doesn't strike twice.
These days I'm pretty sure that my "way forward" would involve the use some sort of three wheeler to minimise the risk of it doing so...