Abrupt force, collision and impact are unfortunate by-products in the world of action sports like downhill mountain biking and freestyle skiing. But a U.K.-based chemical engineering company, d3o lab (
d3o), has created a special shock-absorbing gel that is making its way into gear and apparel built to protect bodies flying fast through time and space.
The company's namesake d30 gel is a proprietary and top-secret material made with "intelligent molecules" that are flexible under any normal situation, though on impact the gel seizes up. As the company explains it, d30 molecules instantly "shock lock" together to absorb energy and create a solid pad once a force is imposed, then bounce back to the flexible state after the pressure is gone.
Already d30 has found its way into shin guards, ski gloves, equestrian gear, bike shorts and gloves for ice climbing. It can be stitched into clothing as a thin layer of padding, supple and comfortable enough to wear, though ready to seize up into a solid rubbery barrier on the instant of impact.
To test this magic gel, I biked last month with the D3O Armored L/S Crew and D3O Ultimate Chamois Bike Short, both pricey downhill mountain biking apparel products made by Spyder Action Sports
original article
White Trash Networks: Shock-absorbing clothes for bikers
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