That’s right, Dainese D-Air is an airbag for DH racers, offering enhanced chest, back & neck protection in an instant, but no restriction of movement when not needed. The tech is pretty much the same as what they developed for MotoGP and Alpine DH & Super-G racing. But now it has been refined for MTB-specific impacts, optimized bike protection, and improved integration with conventional protectors.
Dainese D-Air Bike Prototype 0.1 DH airbag protector
We actually already reported on previous Dainese D-Air airbag tech four years ago, as the moto vest was kind of directly applicable to gravity riders, too. But now this dedicated Bike D-Air Prototype 0.1 protector vest really takes it to the next level of performance and safety. Plus, now it’s given the Dainese Pirelli Canyon CLLCTV team extra protection in World Cup DH racing in Les Gets…
Airbags protecting cyclists
This isn’t the first cycling-specific airbag we’ve seen. There have been interesting concepts from the airbag ring in a POC commuter helmet, to Helie B’Safe vest, to the EVOC commuter backpack that I’ve personally had inflated around me in a crash preview, to the recently troubled Hövding hidden airbag helmet in a scarf. The idea of a smart, almost-instantly-inflating airbag for extra personal protection is a promising idea across a wide range of cycling disciplines.
But now, Dainese looks to be the first to take it to a full gravity racing level of performance with their Dainese D-air Bike Prototype 0.1 protector vest.
So what makes D-Air unique?
The Dainese D-air system is a bit different that other bike-specific airbags. Unlike the big puffy airbag pillows we’ve seen in previous cycling products, D-air is limited to about a 5cm/2″ airbag. And that means, it can fit under a conventional chest & back protector like we see here. And it can fit under your loose-fit or stretchy mountain bike clothing.
The Dainese D-air system uses a thin airbag with a huge number of microfilaments inside connecting the bladder’s 2 sides. That way it inflates only to a medium but consistent pressure (1.25-1.75bar / 18-25psi). And a localized impact on one spot will not allow the airbag to bulge or deform the shape of the other non-impacted areas of the airbag. The result is a thinner cushion of protection, but more resistant to impacts. And that means you can even wear it under other clothing.
On the motorcycle side, Dainese claims their Level 2 airbag can absorb an impact 7x that of the conventional top Level 1 back protector.
Controller tech for the MTB version is pretty much the same as for moto since 2007 or Alpine skiing since 2018. But now, Dainese adapted and reprogrammed it for DH mountain bike crash characteristics. “The electronic control unit featuring accelerometers, gyroscopes and GPS together with a sophisticated algorithm means that the system autonomously recognizes the dynamics of a fall and activates the Shield, the patented microfilament airbag, when needed, protecting athletes against impact.” Dainese describe airbag inflation as taking a few thousandths of a second, powered by a gas generator. And at least on the moto side, it can be safely recharged 2x by the end user. Then, the user sends it off to Dainese for inspection after 3 crashes with airbag inflation.
DH Race-ready prototype
Official details remain thin on the D-air Bike Prototype 0.1 airbag protector worn by the Dainese Pirelli Canyon CLLCTV team in practice runs for the UCI DH World Cup in Les Gets last weekend. So, we can only look closely at the photos from Dainese to garner some more info about what’s going on.
What we see in front is a standard Dainese Rival Bike Chest protector. (A protector already certified L1 on the back & L2 on the chest.) But inside is a thin airbag reservoir that appears to cover the entire outline of the Rival protector. Importantly, there is extra protection at the top of the shoulders and extra wide coverage over the collarbones. Plus, there’s extra neck protection where it could rise to meet the helmet in a crash, like a neck brace.
Close-up shots show a small D-air controller box on the rider’s left side. There’s an extra strap across the lowest segment of the chest protector.
And an LED ‘armed’ indicator appears located on the rider’s right, visible through their jersey. (Maybe that’s a different version than the Prototype 0.1 we’ve been shown?
The back features an all-new segmented hardshell design. Dainese looks to have adapted the polypropylene plates over a flexible Nidaplast inner core from their Wave moto back protectors.
When is a Dainese D-Air Bike DH airbag coming?
Almost certainly not this year. The fact that Dainese said the team only used it for ‘preparatory runs’ confirms that it hasn’t been certified yet. And that the system is integrated under an already-certified Level 1 back protector suggests that no one is putting their full faith in the system, yet. Likely, Dainese are using training as an opportunity to offer the riders a bit of extra security, with the off-chance benefit that if one of the riders crashes, they’ll be able to see how it performs in a real-world scenario.
That’s the inevitable conundrum of testing & developing new protection. You want to see how it fares in a crash. But you also don’t want your testers to crash and risk serious injury.
My guess is that we’ll see Dainese collect more ride data with the team on the fit & feel of the D-air Bike airbag system for the rest of this year. And then maybe they’ll have a lighter, more open design that doesn’t require a full L1/L2 back & chest protector sometime next year.
A Dainese DH airbag is definitely an interesting concept though. And if this could provide more wraparound protection, and even maybe neck brace protection without bulk or restricted movement… it could really be a gamechanger.
