Wanted to get some opinions about this. I had an opportunity to test my Helite Airbag Vest for the first time when I got taken out this weekend during an endurance race when a rider lost the front and slid up underneath me. Airbag went off and did its job and was honestly a fair bit tighter and more encompassing then I thought it would be. This prompted me to consider if I could have a CE2 rated insert in my suit under the airbag vs wearing the full belted Forcefield L2K I was wearing. Nothing wrong with the L2K, but if I could put a CE2 insert in the suit that would be less bulky and one less thing to have to put on and off it may be worth purchasing one. I don't want to significantly reduce the protection so if it is a big step down I will just carry on with the current setup.
If a tether is involved, I'd want to wear whatever I would without the vest incase I didnt get separated from the bike fast enough (or at all).
The 2nd time I had a compound collarbone fracture, my ass was still glued to the seats, and hands on the bars (I got slammed down on my side from almost vertical). A tethered vest wouldn’t have activated until after I made impact. An airbag suit would have. That’s why I started wearing the airbag suits. With a tethered one, I would want enough protection, so that I would be covered whether the vest activated or not.
