Ceramic-studded carbon fiber fabric made to protect cyclists from road rash

Scott's ITD ProTec fabric incorporates strands of carbon fiber and a matrix of ceramic dots

If you frequently ride a bike on asphalt, then it’s entirely possible that sooner or later you’re going to wipe out and end up with some nasty skin abrasions. While such "road rash" can occur just about anywhere on the body, the shoulders and hips are particularly prone to it, as they’re the parts of the body upon which cyclists quite often end up sliding across the road. In order to help protect those areas, Scott Sports has announced a new line of cycling clothing made to protect against road rash ... with a little help from ceramics and carbon fiber.

Known as ITD ProTec, the material was designed in collaboration with Schoeller Textiles. It’s used in the shoulders of Scott’s RC ProTec jersey, and the hips of the RC ProTec bibshorts.

Instead of the usual nylon-based materials, ITD ProTec is woven from individual carbon fibers. Printed onto that fabric is a matrix of hard ceramic dots. This combination, according to Scott, results in "significantly better strength and higher abrasion resistance protecting the rider’s skin from heavy abrasion in case of crashes."

The carbon yarn reportedly has antibacterial qualities, to boot.

The jersey and shorts should be available next year, priced at US$199.95 and $229.95 respectively. You can see the material being tested in the video below.

Schoeller, incidentally, is concerned about more than just road rash. The company also recently designed bedsore-reducing sheets, and fabric used in a bulletproof suit.