Shin guards

Ross Gardner

After seeing "the leg" in this topic:

viewtopic.php?f=10002&t=13074491

And feeling a bit sick after that post, I would like shin guard recommendations.

The very fact I have nanos further worries me.

The Rookie

Then they catch you on the back of the calf as well, and then there is falling off.....

Johnson & Johnson do large packs of cotton wool to wrap round yourself, or you could take some MTFU pills.

Flat pedals, it happens, get on with it!

rockmonkeysc

You really won't want to ride any distance in shin guards. They're designed for downhill so not comfortable or cool.
Man up or get some SPD's

The Rookie

Unless you want to try cheap footy shin guards!

LimitedGarry

You can get SPDs and risk falling at streetlights. If I'm to be honest, I'll take pedal to the shin any day because few days later, I can feel really badass about it, whereas the former is just laughing matter.

As for the actual shinguards, if it's just pedals you're afraid of, might be worth checking out the kind used for football. They're cheap as hell and those guys actually run around wearing them, so they might be comfy on the bike as well.

The Rookie

There really is no risk of falling at streetlights, and only a tiny one at traffic lights......

The only comedy falls I've had on SPD's after my learning on the back lawn is in the first few months if someone stopped dead right in front of me when cycling in a group, never when on the road.

rockmonkeysc

I had two comedy falls in the first hour on SPD's.
No problems at all in the eight years since. I'd never go back to flats, can't think of a single advantage of them.

LimitedGarry

The Rookie wrote:

There really is no risk of falling at streetlights, and only a tiny one at traffic lights......

The only comedy falls I've had on SPD's after my learning on the back lawn is in the first few months if someone stopped dead right in front of me when cycling in a group, never when on the road.

Ah yea, traffic lights. :oops:

Well to extend the comedy, a friend of mine was attending a backyard party after a ride. He ate a lot and then had a bunch of beers. Then went ahead and had even more beers. After some hours, he wanted to get home as soon as possible, so he thought it a good idea to sprint on the main road in the middle of the night (even though the mixed bike lane/sidewalk was completely empty). He got stopped by police and as he was unable to unclip, he hit their car at less than walking speed and fell on the ground. The way he told it, they jumped out of the car, stood above him and as they were asking "Sir, have you been drinking?" he was still struggling with one of the pedals. (Jokes aside, he got a hefty fine, gave more money to the city than he paid for his bike - may not sound that bad if you don't know he was a student at the time)


Anyways, my point is that there's probably as many shin injuries as there is comedy falls on SPDs. They happen, but I don't really think they're a reason to not use either pedal.

The only advantage of clipless is that they hold your foot in place and help you handle the bike better. That is also their main disadvantage. It's all about preferences, guys. Let's not get into flat vs clipless arguments.

nasha48

https://fuse-protection.com/portfolio/shin-pad/

Use these occasionally myself.

Long_Time_Lurker

661 Veggie shins - they don't make them anymore, but you can find them on e-bay and similar.
As they are made of neoprene, I use them more as leg warmers than for leg protection in winter.

mudsucker

I have done that a few time with my Nano flats. Can happen with any flat pedals.

Make sure you wear some decent flat pedal shoes (5:10s, Shimano ones whos name i can't remember, Vans skate shoes etc.) and you should be fine.

I'm afraid you cannot be a MTB rider and have nice legs!

Long_Time_Lurker

mudsucker wrote:

I'm afraid you cannot be a MTB rider and have nice legs!

Agreed. I've got scabbier legs now than I ever had as a kid. :oops:
I think that the nerve-ending on my shins have been battered into submission. I seem to have new bruises and scars every time I come back from a ride, but never feel anything when I'm out.

rockmonkeysc

mudsucker wrote:

I'm afraid you cannot be a MTB rider and have nice legs!

Unless you use clips. Then your shins will be scar free and you can pedal through gnarlier ground where your feet get bounced off flats.

Ross Gardner

Nasha48 wrote:

https://fuse-protection.com/portfolio/shin-pad/

Use these occasionally myself.

Can't find them for sale.

mudsucker

Even with clips you still get cuts from brambles, rocks and in my case, various running out of talent moments

LimitedGarry

RockmonkeySC wrote:

[
Unless you use clips. Then your shins will be scar free and you can pedal through gnarlier ground where your feet get bounced off flats.

Hardly. Thorny plants and bushes, thin branches, high sharp grass, and whatever stuff that ends up flying towards your legs - all that is going to add scars and clipless pedals won't do jack about it I haven't had a shin or calf scar caused by a pedal since I was a kid (oh boy and did I have a lot of those back then).