Airbags for Cyclists Hit the Road in Van Rysel’s Latest Skinsuit

Pro cycling is getting faster each season, crashes are becoming more common, and although riders accept the risks as part of the sport, one company is aiming to reduce the damage without slowing anyone down. Van Rysel has created a skinsuit with its own built-in airbag system, which is literally sewed directly into the cloth. This suit was developed in collaboration with In&motion, the same team that created airbags for skiers and bikers, and it looks and feels exactly like any other race-ready gear. Cyclists put it on, zip it up, and forget about the extra gear until it’s actually needed.

There are sensors and a control unit buried inside the suit that use data from hundreds of millions of kilometers of actual riding. The algorithms analyze how people pedal, lean into corners, and make rapid changes in balance. When they detect the telltale indicators of a collision coming your way, the airbag deploys in 60 milliseconds. The focus is on three issue locations that helmets leave exposed: the chest and ribs, the neck, and the spine from head to toe, all of which are the most sensitive to impact.

Engineers wanted to keep everything as light as possible, estimating that it weighs around 700 grams, with the airbag accounting for the majority of that weight. They had to keep it lighter than what MotoGP riders use because, well, bike racing is all about striking the right combination of speed and comfort. The suit also contains abrasion-resistant coverings on the portions that are most likely to strike the road when you crash, which helps reduce road rash even in low-speed skids.

Aerodynamics received a great deal of attention during development. Swiss Side chaps tested the prototype in the wind tunnel and determined it has the same drag statistics as a regular skinsuit. You don’t lose speed on a straight line or around a turn. They are still conducting thermal tests to ensure that the suit breathes as well as standard race gear on a hot day. The Decathlon-CMA CGM pro team has already worn early prototypes of the suit in training and races, and their feedback is helping shape the final changes before it is introduced to the WorldTour peloton. Every ride they take adds more real data to the system, refining how it reads movement and deploys at the appropriate time.
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