Getting to know the protections
Every time we go riding or skating we want to push our limits and try new tricks, either to outdo ourselves or challenge our friends. And when we do, the feeling is incredible!
But the tricks don't always come out on the first try, there is the possibility of falling, and that is why we use protections to avoid blows and injuries. However, the question remains and that is when we wonder if our protections will withstand falls.
What guarantees that the protections will actually do their job?
To calm these doubts, there are certifications. So what certifications are there?
One certification is CE, from the European Union. It is a standard that complies with safety regulations and for a product to carry this mark it must pass some tests.
The standard we use in our protections is EN:1621, used for motorcycling, since there are no specific standards for cycling, mountain biking, skating or skateboarding. It consists of three parts:
- Part 1: EN1621-1, used for extremities (knees, elbows, shoulders)
- Part 2: EN1621-2 for back
- Part 3: EN1621-3 for the chest.
Additionally, there are two levels, level 1 and level 2. The difference between both levels is the force that is transmitted after the impact, level 2 being the most rigorous (less residual force).
- Indicates that it is a motorcycle protection
- Category and type of protector.
- Categories: K: knee, S: shoulder, E: elbow, H: hip, L: leg under protector (eg K+L knee, upper and middle tibia)
- Types: A: protectors with smaller dimensions, B: protectors with larger dimensions
- Optional test passed at low temperature (T- = -10°C)
- Optional test passed at high temperature (T+ = 40°C)
- Performance level
- Level 1: Transmits a force of less than 35kN during an impact
- Level 2: Transmits a force of less than 20kN during an impact
Why should you use First Try Guards with Certified Insert?
In laboratory tests, polyurethane pads were found to be more efficient at dissipating impact force versus a hard plastic pad.
Getting an impact while wearing a hard shell protection hurts more because it transmits more force in less time than a polyurethane one (SC-1/42 model). This means that the blow is more intense.
Similarly, in the penetration test, the hard protection transmits more force than the certified insert.
Hard shell protection penetration test:
Hard protection after penetration test.
First Try's protection with certified insert penetration test:
The indentation resulting from the test is barely noticeable (slight mark below the hyphen):
In short, First Try's certified inserts not only reduce impact energy more efficiently than a conventional hard shell protection, but also prevent the penetration of the sharp object.
