Dainese D-Air DH Airbag Prototype Protects MTB Racers on the World Cup

This isn’t the primary cycling-specific airbag we’ve seen. There have been attention-grabbing ideas from the airbag ring in a POC commuter helmet, to Helie B’Secure vest, to the EVOC commuter backpack that I’ve personally had inflated round me in a crash preview, to the not too long ago troubled Hövding hidden airbag helmet in a shawl. The concept of a sensible, almost-instantly-inflating airbag for additional private safety is a promising thought throughout a variety of biking disciplines.

However now, Dainese appears to be like to be the primary to take it to a full gravity racing stage of efficiency with their Dainese D-air Bike Prototype 0.1 protector vest.

So what makes D-Air distinctive?

The Dainese D-air system is a bit completely different that different bike-specific airbags. In contrast to the large puffy airbag pillows we’ve seen in earlier biking merchandise, D-air is proscribed to a few 5cm/2″ airbag. And meaning, it will possibly match beneath a standard chest & again protector like we see right here. And it will possibly match beneath your loose-fit or stretchy mountain bike clothes.

The Dainese D-air system makes use of a skinny airbag with an enormous variety of microfilaments inside connecting the bladder’s 2 sides. That means it inflates solely to a medium however constant strain (1.25-1.75bar / 18-25psi). And a localized affect on one spot won’t permit the airbag to bulge or deform the form of the opposite non-impacted areas of the airbag. The result’s a thinner cushion of safety, however extra immune to impacts. And meaning you’ll be able to even put on it beneath different clothes.

On the bike aspect, Dainese claims their Degree 2 airbag can take up an affect 7x that of the traditional high Degree 1 again protector.

Controller tech for the MTB model is just about the identical as for moto since 2007 or Alpine snowboarding since 2018. However now, Dainese tailored and reprogrammed it for DH mountain bike crash traits. “The digital management unit that includes accelerometers, gyroscopes and GPS along with a complicated algorithm implies that the system autonomously acknowledges the dynamics of a fall and prompts the Protect, the patented microfilament airbag, when wanted, defending athletes towards affect.” Dainese describe airbag inflation as taking a number of thousandths of a second, powered by a fuel generator. And at the very least on the moto aspect, it may be safely recharged 2x by the top consumer. Then, the consumer sends it off to Dainese for inspection after 3 crashes with airbag inflation.

DH Race-ready prototype

Official particulars stay skinny on the D-air Bike Prototype 0.1 airbag protector worn by the Dainese Pirelli Canyon CLLCTV crew in observe runs for the UCI DH World Cup in Les Will get final weekend. So, we are able to solely look intently on the pictures from Dainese to garner some extra information about what’s occurring.

What we see in entrance is a regular Dainese Rival Bike Chest protector. (A protector already licensed L1 on the again & L2 on the chest.) However inside is a skinny airbag reservoir that seems to cowl your entire define of the Rival protector. Importantly, there’s additional safety on the high of the shoulders and additional vast protection over the collarbones. Plus, there’s additional neck safety the place it might rise to fulfill the helmet in a crash, like a neck brace.

Shut-up pictures present a small D-air controller field on the rider’s left aspect. There’s an additional strap throughout the bottom phase of the chest protector.

And an LED ‘armed’ indicator seems positioned on the rider’s proper, seen by way of their jersey. (Perhaps that’s a distinct model than the Prototype 0.1 we’ve been proven?

The again options an all-new segmented hardshell design. Dainese appears to be like to have tailored the polypropylene plates over a versatile Nidaplast inside core from their Wave moto again protectors.

When is a Dainese D-Air Bike DH airbag coming?

Virtually definitely not this 12 months. The truth that Dainese mentioned the crew solely used it for ‘preparatory runs’ confirms that it hasn’t been licensed but. And that the system is built-in beneath an already-certified Degree 1 again protector means that nobody is placing their full religion within the system, but. Possible, Dainese are utilizing coaching as a possibility to supply the riders a bit of additional safety, with the off-chance profit that if one of many riders crashes, they’ll be capable to see the way it performs in a real-world state of affairs.

That’s the inevitable conundrum of testing & creating new safety. You wish to see the way it fares in a crash. However you additionally don’t need your testers to crash and threat critical damage.

My guess is that we’ll see Dainese accumulate extra journey information with the crew on the match & really feel of the D-air Bike airbag system for the remainder of this 12 months. After which possibly they’ll have a lighter, extra open design that doesn’t require a full L1/L2 again & chest protector someday subsequent 12 months.

A Dainese DH airbag is certainly an attention-grabbing idea although. And if this might present extra wraparound safety, and even possibly neck brace safety with out bulk or restricted motion… it might actually be a gamechanger.

Dainese.com