I mean, I have worn some pretty breathable crotch rocket gear in the middle of summer. I get where everyone is coming from with needing to dissipate heat from a human powered mode of transportation, and keep it as light as possible, but simply saying “no protection cause speed must be fast” is just not a phrase that makes sense with today’s and tomorrow’s technology and textiles.

If safety equipment was mandatory at the pro level like it is on MTB, everyone would have that added increase. More research and development would go into lighter, breathable, rip proof fabric and lightweight, aerodynamic hard protection. Sure, time would go down, but I don’t see why you should sacrifice safety and health for a few seconds off your times.

Always wondered why “dress for the slide, not the ride” didn’t apply to bicycles.