about the gravel rash - that a bit hard to get when all the contact points are protected - if you look at the stress response of fibre in a textile jacket compared to the mesh of the dainese protector, its more likely in fact that the textile jacket will tear and the underlying skin will become abraded. so you can't have everything!
finally, im a neurosurgeon so not only have i seen gravel rash and more immediately following the trauma than most, i've also treated the spinal injury and i can tell you, the gravel rash just doesn't rate. thats why i think the neck part is a big deal.
hmmm, your contact points may be protected whilst riding, but it's pretty easy for full jackets to roll around in a tumble, let alone a mesh that is there to compliment a jacket over the top. I can tell you from experience that gravel rash certainly does rate, the risk of infection and all that that entails is quite serious, never mind the delight of a scrub by some sadistic nurse that tells you "you brought this upon yourself"! And yes, i've had a spinal injury too, T3,T4,T6 compression fractures that had me in traction along with 9 other broken bones as well as a closed reduction of a fracture dislocation of my wrist, that's two falls, neither being my fault, and after my first i made the decision to never leave the house on my bike without all my gear, no matter how hot it is.
Being a doctor and seeing the effects of bouncing off the road and other immovable things on the human body may have given you _some_experience as to what it's about, but until you experience the effects of a split second misfortune on your own body and mind, and those of your loved ones you can't truly appreciate the misery and pain it causes.
paul.
