It is always a trade-off between protection and lightness, especially in mountain biking. Freedom of movement is critical to achieve highest performance and safety to express at your best. Finding the balance between protection and ergonomics can be challenging, yet it is necessary.
Nowadays bikes have become ever more performing, blending good uphill skills and great downhill features. Hence, apparel and protectors had to adapt to new trends and ways of conceiving mountain biking.
Dainese has always had an exceptional muse: nature. Who better, over millions of years, has been able to find protective solutions? Since the early days of modern motorcycling, Dainese has been inspired by the natural world to design the most innovative protectors. Think about the first knee slider, the Porcupine, or the first back protector ever, reproducing the shell of a lobster. Also most recent models of protectors draw inspiration from the armor of the armadillo and the pangolin, and natural shapes of fractals.
Mountain biking is no exception. Trail Skins Pro protectors are inspired by natural auxetic shapes. They are made of materials that, thanks to their unique molecular structure, have a zero Poisson ratio. The main characteristic is that, if the protector is stressed in one direction, other ways will warp accordingly. Therefore, when the protector is compressed on the front area, it will compress also laterally; whereas, if it is frontally extended, it will expand also on the side.
Auxetic materials’ major feature is that, if extended or compressed in one direction, size will consequently increase or decrease in all directions. As a result, these materials better absorb shocks. In case of impact, the structure of the protector becomes harder, acting as a true armor and limiting eventual injuries or abrasions.
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A light and breathable soft knee guard, it is the perfect companion when spending entire days in the saddle, pedaling uphill before enjoying the downhill.
Auxagon is the Dainese technology resulting from auxetic materials. It is applied in Pro Shape 2.0 protectors. These are extremely flexible, breathable and light. 55% of the surface is perforated to ensure unparalleled air and heat exchange even on the hottest days. Thanks to this technology, Trail Skins protectors are extremely light and have been awarded the EN 1621.1 Level 1 European Certification.
It often happens that bulky and heavy downhill knee guards limit freedom of movement, so you have to place them in your backpack while pedaling. Trail Skins protections, instead, can be worn also going uphill. They have been conceived and designed so you can barely feel them.
The combination of protection and lightness gets to the highest levels. Safety becomes real freedom.
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