Foam Developments in Cycling
Foam products have been used to great effect in many sports. However, few sports have benefitted quite as much as cycling.
Helmets
Helmets have only really become an established cycle safety item in the last decade or so. However, cycle helmets are now seen as being so integral to safety that most cycling clubs will insist that their members always wear them. Helmets can be extremely useful in the event of a fall as the engineered foam that lines the outer shell provides substantial protection for a rider’s skull.
Handlebars
There was a time when the only type of padding you were likely to find on bike handlebars would be either a cloth or some plastic tape. Thankfully, bike engineers eventually created a tape that contained foam beneath the surface. This provides far more comfort as it mitigates the juddering effects that a rider feels every time there is a deviation on the road surface.
Seats
In ‘the good old days’, bike seats were typically made from leather. Over time though, cycle manufacturers developed a new seat design that was essentially a plastic base and a foam layer covered with leather. The amount of engineered foam present in the seat could be made to various different thicknesses, so seats could be manufactured to accommodate all degrees of comfort. So, no matter if you want a razor-blade type seat for your road racing bike or a nice comfy broadbase seat for your retro Chopper, engineered foams allow you enjoy your own bespoke levels of comfort.
