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Knee pads


Bob Eisenman

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I just ordered a set of pads.

Years ago I worked in a boarding school where coaching a sport was required along with all the other duties for nine months a year. One year I was picked to start up the competitive down hill ski group for which no one else was really qualified. The school hired a 'liaison  coach' with US ski team credentials. The transition from stem turn, sort of parallel turns to high speed long radius turns from the top of the mountain to the bottom was gradual. At one point the coach said 'undue the buckles' on your boots for the next run and let your feet feel the edges of your skiis. Then came J turns on either edge (inside or outside). He repeated 'trust your feet'. Occasional wipe outs on hard pack snow were rough but having taken a spill or two or three on asphalt, even at almost no speed is much more impact injurious to the kneecap than falling on slippery hardpack on skiis.

In some ways riding 'the glide' of an EUC is like skiing. In other ways it's not. In some ways I find the 'trust your feet' comment made by the liaison ski coach to apply to EUCing too. 

Thanks for your input.

1 hour ago, Cerbera said:

"How to make an accident hurt in the wallet as much as it does physically" ?

I don't leave the house without my knee pads - they are second on my list after wrist braces as EUC'ing essentials.

 

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Winter here in Canada got the Ninebot E for my boys at Christmas, I have been riding it in the drive to get familiar with it and caught on pretty quick. I had it at a large clear parking area and was getting pretty comfortable I accelerated too quickly she beeped and it felt like the wheel moved back to slow me down trouble was I was still leaning forward.....down I went and hard had to get X-Rays at hospital didn't break anything but been going around like 80 year old man my shoulder and right wrist took the brunt.

Wife says that's the end of it...no way just a brain fart and overconfidence was all :) . Once I'm healed up gonna get back on that horse. Really enjoying it up until last Sunday.

Funny Thing is not a scratch on my knees, due to cold weather I was wearing a coat and gloves think they saved me a little. Need to get some PPE for next time, asphault is hard as hell.

 

Happy riding.

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Yep, it only takes slight contact with anything hard to fluck your joints up.  We all want to look cool like Lewis Hamilton wheeling around the paddock at the Spanish Grand Prix, but there's nothing cool about skinned knees and hobbling like an old man for three weeks; even if you are an old man.

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As you have probably read on these forums most people who ride EUs (Guesstimate above 90%) would say that cut-outs are an inevitability.  Those that have experienced this and did not face-plant take pride that they managed to run from the failing EU.  Having a massive camera strapped to you I would just accept that if a cut out does happen a face-plant is the only option for you.

Wearing a helmet would probably be best too.  Protect yourself from the ground and also the camera.

 

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Cut outs only make a pretty minor part of all unwanted separations of rider and wheel. To my experience it is probably between zero and half a dozen from a few hundred unwanted separations. I believe none of those possibly related to a cut out brought me down, and if they did it was inconsequential enough to not remember.

Edited by Mono
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On 28 January 2017 at 2:32 AM, Wagtenor said:

I personally wear everything except wrist guards... Never had any but may look into more.

Although a helmet is most logical, since " dain brammage " is unreversable, I find, wrist guards give the most day to day protection.  If you face plant, your wrists hit the floor.  If you butt plant ( wheel does violent tilt back at speed, or cuts out going down steep hill,  as examples), your wrists hit the floor.  Its only natural, your reflexes demand it.  I'd get down to Walmart and pick some up ASAP. usually comes in a kit with knee and elbow pads for inline skaters.

Anecdotally, I damaged my left wrist mid November on a butt plant.  I had wrist guards on so it wasn't too bad, but I can still feel it now, just a little, two and a half months later.  Imagine if I hadn't been wearing them !!! It's quit possible I would have broken it, or torn ligaments, instead of stretching them a bit.

 

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4 hours ago, Elizabeth Daggett said:

Can any one suggest which brand of helmet and knee pads are quality?

Unless you're riding faster than 15mph on a regular basis, or spend a lot of time in vehicular traffic, any cycling or skateboarding helmet will do.  You don't need to go nuts and spend tons of cash.  Rollerblading pads are sold in sets, knees, elbows , wrists.  Make sure they have hard plastic outer shells; they spread the pressure at the impact point across the inner soft pad. I have made contact with every pad on at least one occasion, except my helmet, and at no time did I plan to make any of them ?

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 1/30/2017 at 3:35 AM, Elizabeth Daggett said:

Can any one suggest which brand of helmet and knee pads are quality?

I have a POC Receptor Backcountry MIPS helmet and just got Arc'teryx Kneecaps kneepads.

For the helmet, you should get one that is rated for both bicycling and skateboarding. There are few that meet both standards, and for EUC riding it is important that the helmet meet both. Bicycle helmets are designed for single impacts at medium speed. Most are made of expanded polystyrene, which crushes to absorb the impact. These are good if you throw them away and get a new one after any (even minor) impact. Skateboarding helmets are made for multiple, low speed impacts. They are typically made of expanded polypropylene. They are not as effective at taking big hits, but they can take multiple hits, and generally provide more coverage than bike helmets. If you get a helmet tested and certified for both skateboarding and bicycling, you will be best protected for the kinds of impacts you are likely to take on an EUC. Also, motorcycle helmets are generally not as good for EUC riding, as they are tested/certified to prevent puncture at high speed impact, and therefore must be much stiffer/harder, and deform less and absorb less impact at lower speeds.

I got the kneepads I did because they are really easy to put on and take off, over pants. Unlike my prior kneepads, which were for skateboarding, these are thinner, lighter, and more flexible, and have latches on the straps. They don't protect as well as my old ones, but for EUC impacts they seem adequate, and are so much more comfortable and practical.

Also, you should get wrist guards if you don't have them already. Make sure to get the kind that have both front and back splints. Wrist guards, imho, are the most important bits of EUC safety gear.

Edited by Shemp
correction
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  • 2 weeks later...

Well.....Without going into detail I 'm glad I was wearing my kneepads and wrist guards as the EUC transitioned with tiltback from full power mode to conservative battery mode.

Afterward I decided to buy a 'Monster ' after the incident.

 

Edited by Bob Eisenman
Space
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I wear a baseball helmet with no chin strap -- possibly good for the first bounce only, and nothing else.  I ride quite conservatively.  One day this practice might bite me in the behind.  I just can't bring myself to suit up.  I'm pretty good at falling, thank goodness, as I have fallen before.  By and large, I try to do things where I do not fall.  It hurts too much. 

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On 2 March 2017 at 0:10 AM, Bob Eisenman said:

Well.....Without going into detail I 'm glad I was wearing my kneepads and wrist guards as the EUC transitioned with tiltback from full power mode to conservative battery mode.

Oh no Bob, this is face plant central, we want ALL the details...for educational purposes only, you understand.  ( doing his best "who's on first" voice)...Naturally!!

On 2 March 2017 at 1:06 AM, dpong said:

I wear a baseball helmet with no chin strap

I though I'd seen you some place before ! 

8fd1387f92.jpeg

I thought That was you riding be-otch, then I noticed the chin strap. ☹️ Edit, and now I realise it's a football helmet to boot, get it? Boot, football?! Oh never mind. ?

 

Edited by Smoother
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Even if you don't have a major accident, minor injuries hurt a lot and will likely leave you with unsightly scars.

The amount of injuries I've seen in real life, face book and on these forums of bloody gashes, cuts and bruises to knees, elbows, hands and heads are all pretty nasty.  Most of which could have been avoided by padding up.

Don't know anyone who doesn't mind loosing skin and flesh.

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36 minutes ago, Bob Eisenman said:

Too fast, going uphill, low battery, momentary loss of self right followed by pendulum swing corrections and chestplant on a sidewalk.

Been there.  Done that.  Got the bloody T-shirt. 

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