Ebike-Specific Apparel / PPE

[BlueRidgeBoy]

Friends, I’m sure this topic has been covered before, but maybe worth revisiting:

As a daily class 3 e-bike commuter in hilly terrain and all seasons and weather, it has become increasingly clear to me that the outdoor market hasn’t yet caught up with the specific needs of us e-bikers. We’re not quite acoustic cyclists, because we’re traveling at consistently higher speeds and need more protection. But we’re also not motorcyclists either, because we’re pedaling and building body heat that heavy moto clothing can’t accommodate. We’re somewhere in the awkward middle, without protective clothing tailored to our specific needs. At the beginning, I started out with the AGAT motto that motorcyclists are fond of: All the gear all the time. Heavy armored moto jacket, armored gloves, full face downhill MTB helmet, heavy boots. Pretty quickly I realized that in anything but the dead of winter, I quickly overheat in this stuff - and have pivoted towards typical cycling and outdoor clothing. It’s always on my mind, though, that in a crash at 28+ mph, I’ll be completely unprotected. This is a compromise I’ve basically been forced to accept.

Does anyone else have experience/thoughts about protective apparel on e-bikes? I continue to believe that the first company to come out with a truly e-bike specific line of apparel (more protective than standard cycling gear, more breathable and flexible than moto gear) will absolutely make a killing in the market.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts, and ride safe!

 

[Sparky731]

Good question!
As a commuter, or any bicyclist, I high recommend hi-vis clothing.
For ebiking an extra layer of wind protection is good.
Like you, I ride in the 25-30mph range whenever riding solo.
Relative to adequate protection for a crash, my best advice is don’t crash. At 10mph or 25mph, you are gonna get hurt If you smack the pavement.

 

[m@Robertson]

Hi vis clothing. Especially a Pro Viz 360 raincoat (when its cold) or one of their vests when its warm. Only in twilight or evenings. I buy construction-site-yellow t-shirts on Amazon.

Gloves: deerskin full finger garden gloves, oversized so I can put padded cycling gloves on underneath. Regardless of heat so your hands get sweaty in the summer. Gloves like this saved my palms from being ground off in a crash once.

Helmet: Wear a MIPS downhill helmet or convertible like a Bell Super3R or a Super Air. There are others, but the real benefit is the face guard. Same deal a face guard saved my eye socket from being ground down in that same crash where the gloves saved my palms. I was wearing a Super3R but nowadays the 'modern' Super Air is just as light and airy in heat, and has better protection in the form of a more robust MIPS inner layer that is no longer just the little thin plastic slip plane.

Everything else is just regular bike gear. I pedal and work out, and ride in all weather so loading down with pads and armor is not for me. I used to do a lot of downhill road bike cycling so 50 mph on a little 700c road bike, wearing just a helmet (and shorts ), is not unusual. I crashed once like that as well and lots of road rash and sprains everywhere, which is to be expected, and a smashed helmet with a safe noggin.

 

[BlueRidgeBoy]

Good input, friends. Another small brand out of the UK to be aware of is ArmaUrto, who make lightly-armored hi viz cycling gear. I have a shell from them with flexible elbow and shoulder padding. It’s as breathable as a GTX shell (ie not very), and definitely less waterproof - but it isn’t a bad compromise. I’ll also put a plug in for my Smith Mainline full face downhill helmet, which is one of the few out there that’s rated for both MTB and ebiking (whatever that Euro e-bike helmet standard is). For all weather riding, I would definitely agree that comfort, weather protection and abrasion resistance trump padding or other types of armor. I think I’m going to give up on thinking of myself like a motorcyclist.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

Wind shells. Yes, wind shells:

https://www.backcountry.com/b/montane-protium-hoodie-mens

Note that the above is from the UK and their sizing runs small for pudgy Americans overfed on fast food. Similarly for this highly recommended Japanese product:

U.L. Stretch Wind Hooded Jacket Men's

Delivers protection from cold winds and light precipitation with an ultralight and stretchy...

www.montbell.us

American-sized products, although Patagonia tends to size a little towards skinny super athletes and crag rats:

Men's Super XC Jacket

Premium athletic and outdoor apparel engineered for performance and comfort in all weather conditions.

www.sporthill.com

Patagonia Men's Houdini® Air Windbreaker Jacket

Our Patagonia® Men’s Houdini® Air Jacket provides next-to-skin comfort for longer missions when breathability and weather resistance are essential.

www.patagonia.com

Wind shells are very light but have a very high warmth to weight ratio. The very best ones will have more breathable fabric across your back and less breathable (and more windproof) fabric forward. They also pack tiny and dry out quickly.

For bottoms I'd recommend either (1) shorts when you can, (2) tights if you can, or (3) long underwear bottoms protected by shorts.

These bottoms are a good cool weather choice:

Men's Nomad Pant

The SportHill Men's Nomad II Pant provides great protection for your Fall and Winter activities

www.sporthill.com

These tops are also pretty good:

Run Visible Men's Long Sleeve Top | Brooks Running

The Carbonite Long Sleeve is a running shirt with a reflective print to help you stay seen in low-light and dark conditions. The Carbonite Long Sleeve is made with lightweight, breathable fabric that won't overheat or weigh you down. Shop now.

www.brooksrunning.com

Men's 360º Visibility Top

Premium athletic and outdoor apparel engineered for performance and comfort in all weather conditions.

www.sporthill.com

As a rule of thumb I find that clothing that works well for cross-country skiing at 20-25F works well for cycling at 40-45F.

 

[PedalUma]

I really like Arborist's jackets. These folks climb trees, using chainsaws, in all weather. They offer protection, mobility, and visibility. The sleeves are extra long, sealing at the cuff, and there are easy access pockets with gloves and long tails.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Late to the party. As a cyclist who rides all year long in any type of weather, and who has survived numerous crashes, I think I can say something here.

If you @BlueRidgeBoy ride a very heavy, extremely powerful e-bike on a throttle, think of yourself as a motorcyclist and wear ATGATT. If you however ride your Class 3 e-bike as a cyclist, then the cycling clothes differ between the seasons.

The Warm Season

• A breathable, MIPS and/or NTA 8776 certified helmet. A ride safety paranoiac person might be wearing a full face bike helmet such as Bell Super Air R MIPS. However, acoustic riders (road racers) often descent steep hills at crazy speed in ordinary MIPS road bike helmets.
• The clothing should not restrict the riders movements, especially not impede pedalling
• The clothing should be perfectly breathable. For extremely fast riding (mountain road descents), an ultrathin windbreaker can be carried and used in need
• For the commuting, the clothing should be Hi-Vis
• Eye-protection: cycling eyeglasses. Prescription glasses offer good enough eye protection but get worn because of the dust particles
• Fingerless gloves offer good protection for hands
• People very much concerned about the riding safety may wear knee and elbow MTB pads.

The riding technique is equally important. I stick to my own "Always Hold Onto Your Bike" rule. That is, never remove your hands from the handlebar grips, and never lift your feet off the pedals while riding, especially when going into a crash. The e-bike is your safety belt, and it will take most of the impact during the crash. The helmeted head comes next.

The Intermediate Season

• Changing clothes for the ones designed for the Spring/Autumn. Long sleeve, thicker, wind resistant.
• Base layer, outer layer
• Cycling goggles
• Balaclava
• Cycling full gloves
• Windbreaker whenever necessary

The Winter

• Riding in the winter is far more complicated that it is in other seasons. It is too an extensive subject to be discussed here
• Riding at high speed in the winter means a terrific wind chill factor, making you freeze out
• The Winter Biking Advice From A Minnesotan

My cycling clothers for the fast summer rides do not differ much from what road cyclists wear. Here, on a high speed road cycling group workout last Summer.

 

[PDoz]

I really like Arborist's jackets. These folks climb trees, using chainsaws, in all weather. They offer protection, mobility, and visibility. The sleeves are extra long, sealing at the cuff, and there are easy access pockets with gloves and long tails.

Tell me more - I've been looking for light weight / flexible and breathable outer wear that is abrasion resistant. I've seen some amazing looking kevlar arborists pants , but they're a bit heavier than I'd prefer. Do you have a particular version?

 

[BlueRidgeBoy]

Late to the party. As a cyclist who rides all year long in any type of weather, and who has survived numerous crashes, I think I can say something here.

If you @BlueRidgeBoy ride a very heavy, extremely powerful e-bike on a throttle, think of yourself as a motorcyclist and wear ATGATT. If you however ride your Class 3 e-bike as a cyclist, then the cycling clothes differ between the seasons.

The Warm Season

• A breathable, MIPS and/or NTA 8776 certified helmet. A ride safety paranoiac person might be wearing a full face bike helmet such as Bell Super Air R MIPS. However, acoustic riders (road racers) often descent steep hills at crazy speed in ordinary MIPS road bike helmets.
• The clothing should not restrict the riders movements, especially not impede pedalling
• The clothing should be perfectly breathable. For extremely fast riding (mountain road descents), an ultrathin windbreaker can be carried and used in need
• For the commuting, the clothing should be Hi-Vis
• Eye-protection: cycling eyeglasses. Prescription glasses offer good enough eye protection but get worn because of the dust particles
• Fingerless gloves offer good protection for hands
• People very much concerned about the riding safety may wear knee and elbow MTB pads.

The riding technique is equally important. I stick to my own "Always Hold Onto Your Bike" rule. That is, never remove your hands from the handlebar grips, and never lift your feet off the pedals while riding, especially when going into a crash. The e-bike is your safety belt, and it will take most of the impact during the crash. The helmeted head comes next.

The Intermediate Season

• Changing clothes for the ones designed for the Spring/Autumn. Long sleeve, thicker, wind resistant.
• Base layer, outer layer
• Cycling goggles
• Balaclava
• Cycling full gloves
• Windbreaker whenever necessary

The Winter

• Riding in the winter is far more complicated that it is in other seasons. It is too an extensive subject to be discussed here
• Riding at high speed in the winter means a terrific wind chill factor, making you freeze out
• The Winter Biking Advice From A Minnesotan

View attachment 165925
My cycling clothers for the fast summer rides do not differ much from what road cyclists wear. Here, on a high speed road cycling group workout last Summer.

Great input @Stefan Mikes. I’d be curious to hear more about your crash experiences, if you care to share. Road rash and head injuries are relatively easy to address, with abrasion resistant fabrics and helmets. The need to protect against impact injuries with padding is I guess more up for debate. As those of us who do both acoustic and e-bike riding know, it’s not so much that you can’t get up to higher speeds occasionally on an acoustic bike (particularly on downhills). I’d argue the increased risk of ebiking has to do more with the fact that we’re maintaining those higher speeds more consistently than on an acoustic bike. It sounds like there aren’t many even among elite professionals who can maintain a 28-30mph average speed on varying terrain. The law of probability for injury can’t ignore more time at high speeds. For this reason, I do think (hope) that in coming years, a market segment will grow up around the specific needs of class 3 ebikers. Safe riding!

 

[PedalUma]

Tell me more - I've been looking for light weight / flexible and breathable outer wear that is abrasion resistant. I've seen some amazing looking kevlar arborists pants , but they're a bit heavier than I'd prefer. Do you have a particular version?

I have had one for five-years. It still looks almost new. It is an investment that will last.

Here is the description of the latest Stihl.
Newly developed with many useful details: highly elastic ProElast material inserts for superb freedom of movement and breathability. Black, high visibility orange and silver color. Attachment points for saw guard. Removable sleeves, spacer material on the shoulders and adjustable ventilation openings for comfortable regulation of body temperature. Ceramic dots on the elbows offer abrasion protection. Outer shoulder zone has grip dot abrasion protection. Large areas of high visibility orange for excellent visibility. Two breast pockets, one inside pocket and one sleeve pocket. KWF Utility Value test pending.

 

[sc00ter]

I really like Arborist's jackets. These folks climb trees, using chainsaws, in all weather. They offer protection, mobility, and visibility. The sleeves are extra long, sealing at the cuff, and there are easy access pockets with gloves and long tails.

And Arborists pants as well. The motorcycle community like the pants for their fit and level of protection. You would think that, because I work at a chainsaw factory, I'd have some of this clothing but I've never used any of it.

For ebikes, especially when I commuted, I wore my armored motorcycle jacket when it was cold and always wore a hi-viz vest no matter what. Not exactly safety related but I also wear a small wrist wrap mace container when on the ebike.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

@PedalUma Wow, looks like a winner! Nothing quite like that on Amazon or Stihl's site now. But the latter has this, and I plan to try one on locally next week.

https://www.stihlusa.com/products/protective-and-work-wear/work-wear/workshirt/?aqid=63f3c35cb393a649b7936991c5ac774a

Have to be careful, though — even in paradise. Worst common riding case here in coastal SoCal is a humid 45°F with a 25 knot wind, so lightweight outerwear is usually the answer once you get warmed up. Anything too heavy or binding or not ventilated enough will gather dust.

 

[BlueRidgeBoy]

Agreed, that Stihl jacket looks fantastic. I do plenty of tree work with my Stihl chainsaw, so a multirole piece is always a nice thing too! Maybe some of these non-cycling brands just need to recognize that they could be marketing to a MUCH wider audience. @sc00ter , do you work at Stihl?

 

[sc00ter]

Agreed, that Stihl jacket looks fantastic. I do plenty of tree work with my Stihl chainsaw, so a multirole piece is always a nice thing too! Maybe some of these non-cycling brands just need to recognize that they could be marketing to a MUCH wider audience. @sc00ter , do you work at Stihl?

Yup, been there 26 years. Work in Environmental Engineering.

 

[PDoz]

Yup, been there 26 years. Work in Environmental Engineering.

So can you get them to build some pants ? I've been told that my kevlar chaps don't work with my stihl electric chainsaw - something about it doesn't stall ???? not sure if this is a small country town myth ??? Either way , feel free to engineer a nicely ventilated set of abrasion resistant pants designed to protect the "electric chainsaw operator " in all the usual bike related contact points .

BUT before you do that - I'll put in my order for a dual suspension emtb that uses the battery from all my electric garden tools (AP battery, not that wimpy urban version) . Most of our track maintenance crew use stihl electric chainsaws now , so it's only logical they should be riding bikes with the same batteries

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Great input @Stefan Mikes. I’d be curious to hear more about your crash experiences, if you care to share. Road rash and head injuries are relatively easy to address, with abrasion resistant fabrics and helmets. The need to protect against impact injuries with padding is I guess more up for debate. As those of us who do both acoustic and e-bike riding know, it’s not so much that you can’t get up to higher speeds occasionally on an acoustic bike (particularly on downhills). I’d argue the increased risk of ebiking has to do more with the fact that we’re maintaining those higher speeds more consistently than on an acoustic bike. It sounds like there aren’t many even among elite professionals who can maintain a 28-30mph average speed on varying terrain. The law of probability for injury can’t ignore more time at high speeds. For this reason, I do think (hope) that in coming years, a market segment will grow up around the specific needs of class 3 ebikers. Safe riding!

The probability of the crash at higher speed under good riding conditions is pretty low unless your front wheel gets stopped by anything, or you simply crash into a car (that has fortunately never happened to me). The point here is the e-bike is really stabilized by the wheel gyroscopic effect, so you would need to be either careless or very unlucky to crash, especially when unable to slow down and stop. Nothing can help there.

Let me start with a "zero speed crash". It might happen even during dismounting your e-bike. It also happens when you had to do an emergency stop riding at rather low speed, and especially with massive brakes (like the e-MTB ones). In this scenario, you fall to the side and hit the ground with a great force. As long as you are helmeted and hold onto your e-bike, the helmet would protect your temple, and you might expect a shoulder injury (there is no PPE I know of to prevent it).

I could have avoided riding into this icy parking lot. My e-bike was equipped with studded winter tyres, no issue riding on ice. However, when I rode into the parking lot and the e-bike was already almost stationary, I fell with the e-bike. Six weeks of shoulder pain.

The next most dangerous type of the crash is the loss of a wheel traction. The front wheel might lose its traction on black ice, wet autumn leaves, or in the mud. The crash is very dangerous here because the bike, like, "folds" in front of you, the crash is inevitable, and you land with your face on the pavement. An MTB helmet with a peak can prevent ruining your face here. The rear wheel might lose its traction when slipping in mud, a puddle, whatever. As long as you stay together with the bike, it is similar to the "zero speed crash".

At some 15 mph, the rear wheel slipped in the muddy puddle. The crash could not be avoided.

When your front wheel is stopped by any reason, it will be a "full speed crash", often ending with the Over-The-Bars. The rule of holding onto your e-bike would be good if not the fact you have got separated from the bike and are flying. If there is any time for the reaction, rotate your body mid-air to fall onto your back. A life saver technique, often ending in no injuries as long as your head is protected by a helmet. On one of my crashes of the "trapped" front wheel, I had no time to react but held on the e-bike (2 months of shoulder pain, head protected by the helmet). On another occasion (emergency braking), I did Over-The-Bars, falling onto my back, no injury.

It has never occured to me to crash by a pedal strike against the pavement on cornering but it is yet another reason for a spill.

Of course, the best way not to crash is to ride slowly and carefully... Personal Protection Equipment I mentioned earlier certainly helps. Always wear a helmet!

 

[PedalUma]

too heavy or binding or not ventilated

@Jeremy McCreary,
That is a good looking jacket/shirt. It is nothing at all like athleisure stuff that does not last one season. It will hold up for years. And I like that it is made from saw cut protective materials. That means road rash protection. Yes, marketing these sorts of items to electric bike owners would be a good idea. Think of the number of cyclists in NYC vs the number of arborists. It would be a huge new market. My jacket is black on black with reflective pipping. I saw it on a bargain table new for $25 and immediately recognized its potential. No one knows what it is. You can have a dress shirt and it looks good for going out to dinner. Tailored. Stylish.
This one looks really good: https://www.wesspur.com/CLO704-arbortec-breathedry-rain-smock?quantity=1&color=47

 

[BlueRidgeBoy]

I did manage to find that Stihl jacket, FYI everyone. It's called the Advance X-Treem Jacket, and for some reason I struggle to find it on Stihl USA's website - only the European market. The link I included here is for (I think) a British supplier called Gusthart's. Agreed though, it's pricey but it seems like a winner - and it's sleeves zip off, which is always nice too. @sc00ter , if you can tell the folks in your front office to start marketing this type of apparel to e-bikers, Stihl will make a fortune - and you can take the credit!

 

[PedalUma]

If you took that jacket and your smart phone back to 1966, people would think you were a space man from Star Trek.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

If you took that jacket and your smart phone back to 1966, people would think you were a space man from Star Trek.

The Star Trek look is good on me. I think I'd be a cross between Spock, Scottie, and Dr. Crusher. On that last 22% pitch up to Double Peak a few months ago, I was definitely thinking, for both the bike and myself,

Luckily, the hub-drive made the half mile without overheating. But even with a 24-inch low gear, my own dilithium crystals almost melted.