What is the foam tube found on some bmx bikes for?
Here's an example:
Besides for advertising, I'm guessing its there to save biker's legs when doing tricks, but I could be wrong, because I've seen most bmx bikes without it.
What exactly is it for?
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1So you don't rack yourself– ebrohmanCommented Oct 13, 2017 at 3:16
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4 Answers
It's to ensure that young boys who ride BMX bikes will be able to have children when they grow up.
Fine print: More accurately, it’s to assuage the worries of the parents that are buying the BMX for their young male child that they might not have grandchildren. Actually efficacy for such purpose is under debate.
answered Oct 10, 2017 at 19:52
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19and the padding on the handlebar cross-brace is there to preserve a few teeth Commented Oct 10, 2017 at 20:51
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9Technically, it's called a Nard Guard - urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Nard%20Guard Commented Oct 10, 2017 at 21:02
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1A popular answer, yes, but if said rider's testicles are on a collision course with a metal rod, padding it will do practically nothing!– OctopusCommented Oct 13, 2017 at 21:53
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2To be fair, the tube on those bikes used when I was small was way thicker. It can definitely save you from bruising your pelvis bone very painfully. The balls are usually out of the way anyway (especially before puberty). Commented Oct 14, 2017 at 14:22
It's to give the illusion of safety.
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11Exactly. My car dates from 1973 and has a padded dashboard. This was touted as a safety feature too.– Criggie ♦Commented Oct 11, 2017 at 2:09
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10Totally this. As someone who grew up skating around freestyle and street bmxers, and has recently got into bmx racing, when you crash you'll need a whole lot more than a few mm of foam wrapped in vinyl to preserve any of your essential bodily components. Commented Oct 11, 2017 at 8:10
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2Totally this indeed. Though for the foam on the stem it is in my epxerience a bit different: I've had stems with corners which weren't rounded off so basically. Getting that in the soft tissue of your knee's joints, vs the same stem with a cover, does make a difference because it won't penetrate as deep and the force is spread over a larger area.– stijnCommented Oct 11, 2017 at 12:55
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1Voted "Looks OK" because brevity alone doesn't mean a bad answer.– Criggie ♦Commented Oct 12, 2017 at 2:42
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1This answer could do with some more explanation as to what sort of safety it is supposed to provide (or look like it provides).– AndyTCommented Oct 12, 2017 at 10:19
It's call TOP TUBE FRAME PAD or TOP TUBE PAD.
These were first seen on BMX bikes back in the 1980s, and did about as much good than as today. A thin foam cylinder wrapped around the top-tube does little to protect the family jewels from a whack, but it does at least protect the knees from a knock when you bail on a 360º endo. For a fixie, though, it is nothing more than posing — if the riders were that worried about safety, they’d buy a top tube pad. price around $10-$30 (Not exactly).
Thanks! - Tim
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9With fixies the pads are used to protect tubes when the bike is locked to a pole.– ojsCommented Oct 12, 2017 at 17:13
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5They also pad a person's shoulder when carrying the bike - like up some apartment stairs. Commented Oct 13, 2017 at 15:33
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10"It's called a top tube pad ... if the riders were that worried about safety, they’d buy a top tube pad". Am I reading this wrong, or are you saying "a top tube pad is better than a top tube pad"?– IMSoPCommented Oct 13, 2017 at 15:58
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"it does at least protect the knees from a knock when you bail on a 360º endo" If you worried about safety your knees safety. Also "They also pad a person's shoulder when carrying the bike - like up some apartment stairs. – Tony Adams" "With fixies the pads are used to protect tubes when the bike is locked to a pole. – ojs" Commented Oct 15, 2017 at 11:53
For everyone who laughs of that foam tube: it's not a joke! It's exactly to save biker's legs as you guessed - for flatland bmx.
And you've seen most bmx bikes without because nowadays it's cool not to have as little parts as you can on the bike.
Some of riders (flatland bmx) still rides with (often custom made) stem pad like this:
