Elbow Guards - recommendations?

[minimalist]

Can anyone recommend some elbow guards that fit well and stay put? I'm rather thin and have about 13" arms. On occasion I have taken a dive and while the elbow guards protect against the initial hit they don't protect very well against road rash because they slide up my arm after the initial impact.

[deadbeatpope]

The road rash often still happens with protective gear but you are far better off than if it weren't there. Last July I suffered a compound fracture to my elbow while wearing Troy Lee body armor (bmx not uni). Protective gear reduces damage but can't prevent it completely.

[uniShark]

I've got rollerblade elbow guards. They stay pretty well and are reasonably comfortable, although I rarely wear them.

By the way, kindof an amusing question given your user name and tag line. Not that I'm opposed to safety gear, but jus sayin.

[juggleaddict]

http://www.stuntpadding.com/

wish I could afford some of this . . .

[unibob]

I use 661 elbow and forearm protectors. They don't stop the road rash but stop the massive lacerations you'd get if you catch the rocks etc with your bare arms.
I started wearing them after some severe scrapes. Those and my KH gloves with wrist protectors have kept me safe through some bad spills.

I did get some KH Elbow and Forearm protectors in the right size but they looked like knee pads, I couldn't do them up over my large arms and Roger kindly took them back for a refund.

It'd be cheaper for me to get better at uni'ing and lose weight I reckon.. ;-)

[skilewis74]

I use Fox Launch elbow guards They only come in two sizes. I'm 5'10", 150 lbs. and wear the small/medium. They have completely saved me from MANY scrapes, bruises, a few probable sprains, and possibly a minor fracture w/ zero after affects, aside from being sore for a few minutes on those really hard hits. They are very comfortable and never move out of place.

My only complaint is they are a tad warm on a hot day (but any other pad would prob be just as bad if not worse).

[minimalist]

Originally Posted by uniShark

I've got rollerblade elbow guards. They stay pretty well and are reasonably comfortable, although I rarely wear them.

By the way, kindof an amusing question given your user name and tag line. Not that I'm opposed to safety gear, but jus sayin.

Yeah, I get the irony but I make an exception when it comes to safety gear. In fact, after two sprained ankles after only about 1 1/2 hours of muni (spread over 13 months) I now wear ankle braces along with Kris Holm leg armor, knee pads, elbow pads, helmut and hillbilly gloves. I haven't gone for the armored undergarmets yet or the lower arm armor. And now that my unicycle collection has grown to 3 I'm in danger of losing my minimalist reputation

[Dane M]

I don't really believe that ankle guards and wrist guards help you as much as they weaken you (at least stiff ones)

I'm finding that just by trying to condition better, that I have been able to strengthen my wrists and ankles a LOT. But to me, super stiff protection on your joints makes me think of almost a cast, and you know what happens when you finally get a cast off.....

But of course wear protection, and I'd say if you're going to be riding road or something where you might have 1 big fall on the road then maybe a stiff wrist guard would be good.

[Dane M]

I had stopped riding before because I kept injuring my knees, but that's just because they had been weak for a long time. I do always wear my 661 knee-shin guards though, they're nice and flexible and not stiff, just the type of protection I like for my limbs

[Dane M]

Originally Posted by juggleaddict

http://www.stuntpadding.com/

wish I could afford some of this . . .

Wow this stuff looks amazing! I wonder how it does with falls that are not super hard impact, because it says it performs best under quick and hard impacts. I've had some nasty falls that weren't necessarily hard or fast.

[uniShark]

Originally Posted by Dane M

I don't really believe that ankle guards and wrist guards help you as much as they weaken you (at least stiff ones)

This may well be true for you, for the time being. But get back to us in 20 years and let us know if that's still the case. Man, I miss the early 20's.

[Dane M]

Originally Posted by uniShark

This may well be true for you, for the time being. But get back to us in 20 years and let us know if that's still the case. Man, I miss the early 20's.

Yes but I was saying that you shouldn't rely fully on a cast-like wrist guard. It's about protecting and strengthening your wrists.

[deadbeatpope]

Originally Posted by Dane M

I don't really believe that ankle guards and wrist guards help you as much as they weaken you (at least stiff ones)

I'm finding that just by trying to condition better, that I have been able to strengthen my wrists and ankles a LOT. But to me, super stiff protection on your joints makes me think of almost a cast, and you know what happens when you finally get a cast off.....

But of course wear protection, and I'd say if you're going to be riding road or something where you might have 1 big fall on the road then maybe a stiff wrist guard would be good.

Being stiff and inflexible is in itself an invitation to injury. The more you stretch and strengthen your muscles the less likely you are to get hurt when you do fall.

Is the MUNI ride the time to develop flexibility? I think the wise move is to get yourself limber before you ride and then wear protection.

[DavidHood]

Here is another safety gear thread that the OP might find of interest.
http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/sho...t=86579&page=4

[Dane M]

Originally Posted by deadbeatpope

Being stiff and inflexible is in itself an invitation to injury. The more you stretch and strengthen your muscles the less likely you are to get hurt when you do fall.

Is the MUNI ride the time to develop flexibility? I think the wise move is to get yourself limber before you ride and then wear protection.

Yep, I do a full range of body stretches in the morning now to limber up. It feels really good to go out on the grass and do some stretches. My back gets really stiff through the day if I don't do stretches. I am also flexible to start with (feet behind the head and all that jazz) so that helps a bit.