Printed ceramics meet carbon fibers in the truest of wearable tech

[Image above] SCOTT Sports’ ceramic-printed, carbon-fiber bikewear is designed to keep cyclists’ skin safe from road rash and other not-so-nice abrasions. Credit: SCOTT Sports

I don’t always feel like an adult, and that’s okay. I mean, I don’t have a mortgage (soon), a child (well, if you don’t count fur kids), or an IRA (yet), and that, too, is okay.

But nothing makes me feel more like a kid than hopping on the back of my bike.

After months of searching and tush testing, I recently found the perfect bike for me—a comfort bike (hybrid between a cruiser and mountain) with hot pink accents and an extremely loud bell, though, I’ll admit, the bell really is more a matter of form over function.

Though my bike, my bell, nor my speed won’t earn me any trophies anytime soon, the right clothing could.

Enter SCOTT Sports’ ceramic-printed, carbon-fiber bikewear, gear to keep my arms and legs safe from road rash that’s also—added bonus—quite stylish.

A collaborative effort with Schoeller Textiles, their ITD ProTec material consists of carbon fibers that, according to SCOTT, “provide a significantly higher abrasion resistance than regular fabrics,” (i.e. nylon).

But carbon fibers can’t do the job alone.

SCOTT prints ceramic dots on top of the woven fibers, tried and true ultra-strong materials that help their RC ProTec jersey or bibshorts achieve “high robustness and durability” when skin meets pavement, or vice versa.

The material also has an “antibacterial effect,” which would lead me to believe that if it should somehow fail, at least my road-ravaged skin would be protected from infection.

You can’t yet buy the cycling top and shorts, which, according to a Gizmag report, are expected to be released in late 2015 and priced at $180 and $210, respectively.

You can, however, see for yourself how the ceramic-printed material stands up to a high-speed belt sander—similar to what happens when your flesh meets the road below—and be thankful it’s not your skin. (Ouch.)

Credit: SCOTT Sports; YouTube