New leg armour has arrived - thanks to Roger and colleagues at unicycle.uk.com. Order placed Bank Holiday Monday, attempted delivery Wednesday (I was out so had to collect this morning, Thursday). Excellent service as always.
First impression: it covers all but about half an inch of the wounds from my accident on Good Friday. The wounds are 10 inches long. The armour certainly protects most of the back of the calf. It is hard to see how it could protect the rest without becoming too bulky and uncomfortable.
If I had the same accident again, I suspect that I would have an inch or so of less serious cut and probably get away without the stitches. The pedal might catch in the top of the rear panel and drag it down a bit, but most of the force would be spread over the fabric, not my skin.
Of course, I can’t ride for a few days, and won’t be able to wear the leg armour until chafing on the wound is not a problem. There will be no MUni until there are no open wounds for the sand to get into!
They are a bit bulky and will take some getting used to. On the plus side, If I stop off for a game of cricket half way round a ride, I will be well padded. The way the England line up’s looking, I might even get called up for the Ashes.
While I’ve never worn the KH leg armor (I’ve got the 661 4x4 leg armor), I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised how quickly you get used to riding with leg armor. For me the adjustment was perhaps in minutes… The downside is that you will feel a lot warmer while riding, kind of like riding with pants on. But you’ll get used to that; just carry more fluids when you ride.
Welcome to the leg armor club. I used to not wear it either until the first time I took a pedal to front of my leg! While I didn’t require stitches it was a painful wake-up call!
I don’t have the newer version, but with the old pair that I own, I rotate the armor to get fuller calf coverage. The shin coverage remains good. The open spot goes to the side of the leg ("outboard side, not “inboard” side).
Order placed Bank Holiday Monday, attempted delivery Wednesday (I was out so had to collect this morning, Thursday). Excellent service as always.
While I didn’t require stitches it was a painful wake-up call!