Inflatable safety vests

[mvrider]

Anyone watch the Olympic equestrian cross-country event this morning? Several riders fell, and their safety vests inflated, protecting their torsos from impact. I had never seen this before. A cord attached to the saddle triggers the air bag in a fall. I thought it'd be funny if cyclists started wearing them. Maybe for MTBers?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/24/sports/24airbag.html?pagewanted=all

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/08/24/sports/24airbagimg/24airbagimg-articleInline.jpg

[CaptStash]

Not sure about funny, but I suspect it wouldn't work very well because cyclists are too close to the ground and typically the bike goes down with us. A fall from a horse is a fall from a height. Seems to me that an if it had been available, an inflatable vest might have saved Christopher Reeves' life.

CaptStash....

[nighthawk]

I wouldn't mind if my chamois inflated into a pillow if I go down in a crash.

[Bruce K]

+1 on the captain.

Fall from height and separation from the horse (they usually refuse a jump or stumble) work to pull the trigger wire.

Kind of the equestrian version of a HANS device.

It wouldn't work on most bikes except if you did an endo.

BK

[Richard]

I'm sure it could be made to work with money and an accelerometer. If you wore one while riding, you'd need it after the heat stroke caused you to fall off.

[oliver1850]

They would have helped me in both my raccoon incidents I think, if tethered tightly enough. I went over the bars both times. I'd guess they'd be hot to wear though.

[boxerboxer]

I thought it'd be funny if cyclists started wearing them. Maybe for MTBers?

They would probably fill it with sports drink, so the fall would just end up with a big sticky explosion.

[redir]

Too hot for cycling.

And... why don't they just ride with the thing inflated from the start?

[Bruce K]

Inflated it makes mobility difficult but gives excellent protection

I think there was one rider who was nearly thrown and their vest opened. They were forced to stop.

BK

[Karin Kirk]

I thought that was interesting too - just how many times you saw the vests deploy. Reminds me a bit of the avalanche airbags - same sort of technology.

The cross-country event always looks pretty rough. I wouldn't mind if they put in place a few more safeguards for the horses. Those big fences are immovable so if the horse hits them that's bad news for the horse. I competed in eventing at a novice level as a kid. It certainly is exhilarating to be galloping and jumping hither and yon. But at the higher levels it looks incredibly daunting.

[Steve in SLO]

Airvests are making inroads in motorcycling:

http://www.webbikeworld.com/r3/motorcycle-air-bag/

I think cyclists are SOL until new, lightweight and compact techs come up.

[forrestw]

http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/168595/1/alpinestars_airbag_system_explained.html