I took a fall on my hip a couple of days ago, and I’m surprised I didn’t break something or get otherwise seriously hurt. I really don’t want to get badly hurt.
Scott ttocs pointed me toward “Super 8 Bum Savers.”
Thank you Scott ttocs !
I’ve read lots of reviews and looked at several different versions of “crash shorts,” but I’m having a hard time deciding what kind to get.
What size to get seems to be pretty confusing also.
I almost decided on THIS ONE,
but I’m not sure the padding goes far enough down on the sides or on the tail bone either.
Does anyone have an opinion?
Also, does anyone have experience with getting the correct size?
If you have purchased shorts similar to any of these, please tell me what you bought and how the sizing worked out. Maybe what size waist you have, what size you bought, and whether they fit correctly or not.
Any women with suggestions on this will be particularly helpful, but you guys please give me your opinions also.
Now i’ve never used or worn any of these kind of shorts but on that website you linked to it has the sizes pretty good. It tells you waist size and Woman’s size too…
Yes. I’ve looked at that size chart pretty carefully.
The waist sizes are pretty drastically different than the size I would normally wear. Also, some of the reviews were confusing about the sizes also, saying they run large. Maybe that explains my confusion.
If my waist measures 35 inches (couldn’t believe that, but it does!) I should get a large. But my pants size is an 8 right now, so size 14-18 sounds HUGE!
The protective shorts are a very limited solution. The real solution is to get to be a bit better at riding so that you do not fall. If you are pushing yourself with the more dangerous unicycling styles you will still fall occasionally, but for normal riding it should not be a problem in another month. I guess if the protective shorts make you more confident riding for another month or two they have served their purpose, but after that you may not have much use for them.
I’ve thought of that, but saving a bad injury might make a short term purchase worth the trouble.
I know you may have been joking when you posted the shorts site, but it caught my attention.
BTW, for some reason it took me awhile to get the significance of Scott ttocs. Pretty neat!
I should have worn more protective gear when I was learning, and I have the scars to prove it.
These days I wear protective gear when I am going fast (and on all 36" rides) or trying to learn a new trick. For street riding on a 24" I do not bother.
I wore protective shorts when I would ride my mountain board. Falls would impact me anywhere the protection didn’t exist. Isn’t that the way? I don’t ride the mountain board any more. It’s too dangerous for old people (without proper, mad skills) and it’s illegal on any bay area trail.
I think protective shorts on a unicycle would be in the way, but I’ve never tried it. Most of my injuries have been elbows and ribs . I think I could be a pretty fair unicyclist if I wasn’t such a klutz.
Maybe I’ll just keep being a little cautious until I get the “riding around the block” thing down pat, which should be soon. Maybe by then I won’t need any padding anyway.
Falls are happening less often, but the last one was close to being serious.
I don’t think there’s a purpose for riding unless I can push myself, see how far I can go. Having said that, I have demonstrated my stupidity with enough injuries to prove how far I think I can go versus what is good for me.
Go with the shorts, and sleep well at night because you will never know how bad it could have been.
Thanks AnimalCage !
That’s probably what I’m going to do.
I like the looks of the ones in your picture wsettle.
Do you have any specific incidences when the shorts saved a possibly injury?
Thanks for posting that picture. I hadn’t seen that particular style yet, and so far, I think that’s the one I want to get. Thanks!
As far as pushing myself, what I really want to do is ride for exercise in the neighborhood. If I ever get to half an hour without stopping, I am liable to think I am Wonder Woman reincarnated!
I just got my uni yesterday but I’ve already hit the ground in every way possible in the past two days.
I bought the KH leg armor, the shorts above and the hillbilly gloves when I bought my uni. I also wear my rock garden flack jacket (moto style) and when I fall, I just get right back up unhurt, so far. Unlike others on this form, I don’t always land on my feet so I think the extra padding helps me get over my fears and keep trying.
I read earlier that someone said “the real solution is to get better so you don’t fall”. I think falling is the way you get better so I’m not sure how someone could get better without putting in the work, hence falling.
Yes, for me fear of falling got in my way.
I started learning about a month before Christmas. In 3 weeks I thought I had it! Then, for some reason, one evening I lowered the seat a bit. The next day I couldn’t get it to work at all. I got frustrated and just went for it. I tried to catch a fall by grabbing the nearby counter. Missed the counter and landed HARD on my hand, badly jamming my arm and wrist. From that moment on I was much more afraid of falling.(It took over 6 weeks for the arm to feel normal again.) At 57 I don’t want to break something!!! I practiced a whole lot between a wall and a railing and finally got to the open driveway and then to the street.
After hitting my head on the concrete driveway early on, as quickly as I could get to the store, I was buying all the protective gear I could find.
You are correct!!! The protective gear gives you quite a bit of self confidence to do things you might not do without it.
Thanks again for posting the picture.
This forum is a great place for feedback, so keep posting.
Protective gear is the way to go especially helmet, wrist and leg armour. Similar to you, one of my first falls was forward hitting my wrist on the pavement. After that I wore wrist guards until they fell apart (cheap kids pair) I went without the rest of the year. I purchased a pair of Hillbilly half gloves this year and I once again wear those for my muni and 36er since I mainly make my living on the computer and really need to be able to type. Being protected is not a bad thing, but also while using the protective gear think positive and try not to worry, if it is in your mind you will fall I think you have a higher chance of doing so. I know it is easier said then done but I find much of unicycling (once you have the basics) is believing in yourself (as corny as it sounds).
Yes. Thanks! I totally agree with that. Even getting the first few rotations, for me, happened when I just decided it was going to happen. Most every improvement since the very beginning seems to happen when I KNOW I’m going to do it.
Still… when I’m tired and trying to turn (or maybe not even tired)… every now and that ol’ UPD shows up, and a few times some padding would have been a really good idea!
Here is another 2 cents and that’s probably all it’s worth :o I shouldn’t be saying this (I’m not that experienced of a rider yet either) but…first when you’re tired, don’t ride. I can’t even think of getting on my 36er if I’m not in the mood for fear that I might fall.
Second, if you have problems turning…don’t…when you have to turn, dismount, remount and ride. Wait until you are comfortable going straight then worry about turning. No one said you have to ride perfect immediately. Do what works for you until you know it works, then move on to another challenge. Just my opinion, it might not be the smartest a bit of pushing yourself (by practicing) is fine but pushing yourself to much might just take the “fun” out of it. From the video you showed you were doing amazing, personally I think you got it down and less worry and practice is all you need, but do it when you are excited, not when you are tired.
Thanks. What I really meant was when I’m tired after a stretch of riding, or maybe I should say practicing riding.
That fall on my hip was at the end of a marathon effort (for me) to ride all the way around the block. I just wanted to round the last corner because I was so close (72 feet) to the finish line. I thought I had rounded the corner successfully, but just as I was about to peddle out of it, I found myself on the ground on my hip thinking, “I hope I didn’t BREAK it!”
You are, of course, very correct. Even before I got to that corner I knew I should not try it, but I just wanted to say I made it all the way around… AND did the the last corner.
It would have been better (in more ways than one) to be able to say I made it all the way around without any walking AND with NO UPDs.
My bad, I thought about what you said about being tired and was thinking maybe after riding distances. Makes sense and it makes sense to push yourself to a new goal, way to go but I’m sorry for your fall. I do remember riding to the point of falling off the unicycle, practice and riding will help that, as you know.
It sounds like you’re doing great and bottom line is if protective shorts will ease your mind go for it, and happy riding
Learn to jump off vs falling off, it’s much easier to revent injury if you control your landing and let the uni fly on it’s own.
I don’t have too many hard falls these days, if i do it’s because i got “stuck” on the seat and couldn’t jump clear.
You jump off by pushing off from the seat and pedals.
Wrist guards would be a good idea.
Try riding on firm grassy surfaces to build up power and balance, this will also reduce the fall injuries. School yards generally have some nice grass, good way to practice downhills too.
. I think I could be a pretty fair unicyclist if I wasn’t such a klutz.