Too hard core!?
Johnny Hair Boy said:
She has shin and knee pads but wont ware them because she thinks they look too hard core.
It's funny that she doesn't think her cuts/bruises are not "hard core"--those are more of a broadcast of a hardcore rider than armour would be any day!
Actually, I felt a bit like her when I started Dh'ing. I didn't avoid the knee and shin pads, just the full armour. I just didn't think I was at the level where I needed them. My boyfriend nagged me to get some prior to a trip to Mt Ste Anne. I resisted and resisted but he finally convinced me that with my new FS bike I would be starting to ride faster and eventually I would really need it. On our first day at Ste Anne, I took such a huge header that I would have been out for the rest of the season (never mind the weekend) had I not had full armour on. Instead, fully protected, I got up with just a small scratch/bruise on my leg where I didn't have armour. I was soooooo happy he convinced me to do that. And he got the satisfaction of being right. ;-)
The best side benefit though, was the increased confidence. Knowing that I could survive the worst kind of crash let me take more risks (i.e. let go of my brakes) and build my skills. As the other poster said, it's the beginners who benefit the most from armour. I hope you can convince her that people will see her as "protected" rather than "hardcore" if she wears her armour.
Mary Ann