A few weeks ago I noticed it the first time. There was a girl in our bunch with one elbow protector. Last weekend she was there again. This time both her elbows covered with pads. Disconcerting but fascinating. I can’t stop wondering why she is wearing them? These are the only reasons I could think of:
- She went out roller-skating with her little sister in the morning and forgot to take them of (sounds unlikely now that I write it down).
- She is actually a downhill-rider and it’s natural for her to wear full protection. But where are her kneepads then?
- She is as a test-rider involved in a project that’s developing a brand new range of body protection for cyclists. 20 Years ago, you were also ridiculed when wearing a helmet. Maybe we will all wear elbow pads in 2024…
- She crashed already so many times, there are almost no elbows left. One more time and she never will be able to bend her elbows again! (If I was her in this case, I would switch to chess)
- She just wants to scare the rest of the girls in the peloton. And that’s for sure working because I directly steer to the other side of the bunch, seeing her coming. And I’m not the only one proved by the fact she is the only rider in the bunch with at least a meter of open space around her.
But I’m just guessing of course. Next time I will ask her (if I dare)…