I have been thinking about purchasing a motorcycle airbag vest to use while riding my ebike. As I get older, I think more about safety especially since I am riding on the roads more and more. The technology seems effective for motorcycle riders. Does anyone here use one or have thoughts on using one? They are pricey (around $500 to $700) however a spill on the bike without the protection can cost a whole lot more in money, misery, and injury.
Airbag vest for ebike riding
- Thread starter Naf
- Start date
I wear a Hit-Air brand airbag vest on my motorcycles. It is a lanyard style and inflates if I separate from the bike in a crash. It takes about 60lbs of pull force to activate the vest. This is the same with all brands that have the lanyard stye. A number of brands are now becoming available with a sensor activation system that monitors motion and other algorithm sensors in a crash scenario.
While these all work well on a motorcycle I'm not sure of their application to bicycles. Because of the weight of a bicycle, the lanyard system may not have enough separation force to activate and I do not believe that the sensor vest algorithms will work for bicycles speeds or g-forces.
While these all work well on a motorcycle I'm not sure of their application to bicycles. Because of the weight of a bicycle, the lanyard system may not have enough separation force to activate and I do not believe that the sensor vest algorithms will work for bicycles speeds or g-forces.
TMH
Well-Known Member
I also wear a Hit-Air vest while riding motorcycles and agree with the comments above. For the reasons given it would likely not work well on a bicycle. Plus, since Hit-Air supports motorcycles and equestrian, I believe that their vests interface best with helmets which are a little more substantial than what we wear while bicycling.
There are vests which are designed specifically for bicycling and I would go with one of them over purchasing a motorcycle model, even though the motorcycle models may be less expensive (as they can probably sell more units in that market).
There are vests which are designed specifically for bicycling and I would go with one of them over purchasing a motorcycle model, even though the motorcycle models may be less expensive (as they can probably sell more units in that market).
rich c
Well-Known Member
According to American Family Physician web site, most common bicycle injuries. So I assume you also wear a full face motorcycle helmet with the vest. I guess you'll also want to wear a chastity belt as well based on that Genitourinary list!!!!!!!
Traumatic | Head | Skull fracture, concussion, brain contusion, intracranial hemorrhage |
| Face/eye | Contusions, facial fractures, dental fractures, corneal foreign bodies |
| Musculoskeletal | Fractures, dislocation, strains |
| Chest | Rib fractures, parenchymal lung injury |
| Abdomen | Splenic rupture, hepatic laceration, renal contusion, pancreatic trauma, vascular perforation, small or large bowel contusion, rupture, traumatic hernia |
| Genitourinary | Urethral and vulval trauma, rectal trauma, pelvic fractures |
| Skin and soft tissue | Abrasions (“road rash”), lacerations, contusions |
steve marino
Active Member
As someone that has crashed a few motorcycles, and also worked in a physical therapy in-patient rehab ward, I would be concerned about a head injury, NOT a body injury. The thing is though, motorcycle helmets are infinitely safer than bike helmets. In fact, your usual bean bucket style of bike helmet is not much protection at all, and offers no protection for the back of your head. My feeling on this is that I will never, ever "take the lane" on a bicycle because it's suicidal (people on their cell phones texting and talking are not "there"), and I ride on the sidewalk and stick to low traffic residential streets. Better to pay a citation than be killed needlessly. So I ride very defensively with full understanding of what happens when a bicyclist meets a car. Usually it's death (if you're lucky) no matter what you're wearing or where you're wearing it. Keep in mind that a motorcycle type helmet will cut down on your ability to hear quite a bit too, and on a bike you need all of your senses to avoid a wreck in the first place.
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rich c
Well-Known Member
Only the last sentence was for humor. My question about the helmet was serious. Steve just stated it better. One of my good friends in high school has a brother that suffered a severe head injury on a motorcycle. At 60, he performed about like a 12 year old and recently died. Our son's best friend was in a horrible bicycle accident and was in a coma with brain swelling. He died months after they had to remove a large piece of his skull in an attempt to lessen brain pressure. He left a wife and newborn child. https://www.mercurynews.com/2014/04...onths-after-colliding-with-car-in-menlo-park/
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